As college football winds down and the NFL gets into the playoffs, it is time to start looking forward to a new baseball season for your favorite team. The Astros have made some adjustments in the off-season (maybe not as many as we would have liked) and are already putting the Spring Training invitations into the mailboxes of MLB hopefuls.
Welcome Back, Hampy
Probably the biggest acquisition in the off-season was the return of Mike Hampton to the team with which he had his biggest success. Is this a great move? No, but it is possible that it will be a good move. Mike has been plagued by injuries the last few years, but he appears to have finally gotten healthy again. In 2008 he was 3-4 with a 4.85 ERA; however, he looked good the final month of the season and could be a boost to a line-up that needs another solid veteran.
Only time will tell if this was a bust or a boost, but I am hopeful that Hampy can have a good season and win 13-15 games. I have to admit though that I was happy to see him back in an Astros uniform. It never felt right for Mike to be wearing someone else’s colors. I still remember the time he went after the fan who attacked Bill Spiers. I want that kind of loyalty on my team.
Aaron Boone? Is he still playing?
On December 18, 2008, the Astros signed Aaron Boone to a 1-year, $750,000 contract. He’s a first baseman and with Berkman a mainstay at first base, the assumption is that he will be the bench infield utility guy replacing Mark Loretta who signed with the Dodgers.
This signing was a bit curious to me. Boone has been with 4 teams in the last 6 years. (He was out 2004 with an injury.) His best year during that time was 2007 with the Florida Marlins where he averaged .286 with 5 homeruns and 28 RBIs. Last year with the Nationals, he averaged .241 with 6 homeruns and 28 RBIs.
Honestly, I didn’t even realize he was still playing baseball. Judging by his at-bats, he has been a bench player these last few year and that is what he will be with the Astros. I am not sure how well he will contribute to the team, but I guess there really wasn’t anyone else out there who could fill it any better like maybe bringing up someone from the minor leagues or trying to retain Mark Loretta.
Goodbye, Loretta
The minor leaguer would be a stretch as it is hard to learn to be a bench player, but I wish the Astros would have made more of an effort with Loretta. LA signed him for $1.4 million and that seems like a bargain. Was Houston not willing to try that? He was a good fit with the team, well-liked in the clubhouse and appreciated by the fans. Was $1.4 million really too much of a stretch? He made $2.75 million the year before and maybe the Astros just assumed he would want the same.
Who’s at Home?
With Brad Ausmus leaving Houston, we have a huge hole at home plate and nobody really fills it. Humberto Quintero will surely be the number one catcher with J.R. Towles backing up, but that doesn’t offer much confidence. Granted, JR seems to call a game just fine, but there is a lack of confidence in him that makes me nervous. And I like Humberto, but he is not the “catcher of the future”.
That title belongs to Jason Castro who was invited to Spring Training, but it is much too early for him to join the team. Max Sapp, the Astros top pick in 2006, doesn’t seem to be in Houston’s future and was further set back on December 11 when he contracted viral meningitis. Thankfully he is showing signs of improvement and we do hope he is able to leave the hospital soon.
An interesting note about Sapp is that his recent health issues seem to have been caused by chronic sinus problems. (Of which I also suffer and comiserate.) There is speculation as to whether this might have contributed to his poor performance in the minors. Assistant general manager Ricky Bennett wouldn’t say that was true, but he did wonder about it.
“Looking back on the last year or two, Max has missed a number of games because of small, nagging issues that never seemed to go away but I can’t say that this particular condition caused any ‘lack of performance’ on Max’s part,” Bennett said. “When players continue to miss time for various reasons, it’s always a concern because it affects their overall development. Hopefully, knowing what we know now, we can keep him healthy and he can become much more productive in 2009. It’s a big year for Max and he realizes that.”
Who knows? Maybe Sapp will come out like gang-busters and join the Astros mid-season to be a silver lining. I wouldn’t hold your breath, but it will be interesting to watch.
The Daily Astros Update 