I really am just at a loss for words at this announcement. We're just going to be bad next year. Really bad. Like 95 losses bad, or so it feels like.
Either the Astros brass is:
a) truly—which is hard for me to believe—that cash strapped right now
b) that confident in Johnson's and/or Sutton's development
c) think that Wigginton is just a player who performed to his peak potential last year, look at his numbers and see something that doesn't come close to being worth what arbitration will net him.
If a) than Drayton better get real open about his what his books really look like.
If b) I hope this gamble pays off.
If c) I'll probably respect them, because in thinking about, Wigginton probably won't be worth near his salary next year, and the cost/benefit analysis makes since in that instance. To arrive at c) the Astros would have to truly be putting faith in what the numbers were telling them and I like that.
Do I like the decision not to go full force with what we've got right now through a Roy Oswalt contract restructuring? NO. Do I like the fact that we're giving away Ty Wigginton? NO. I am I pissed? YES. Do I truely think we're much worse off?...not really?
0 recs | 16 comments
Lots of stuff doesn't make sense.
How do you square these bits of news from the paper this morning?
Astros non-tender Wigginton.
Astros offer contract to Backe.
McLane tells a reporter via cell phone that he won’t restructure Roy’s contract “because a No.1 or 2 starting pitcher isn’t in the cards.”
McLane says the Astros won’t do anything until the economy is less uncertain.
Wade is no longer constrained by a $100 million budget, and McLane apparently is
OK with a $110 million budget. (from Justice’s column)
clack - December 13, 2008
To be fair, Richard Justice’s column is the only place I’ve seen that $110mil budget number, and he doesn’t say why Drayton "appears to be fine with that. As soon as I read it, I figured he’s pulling that out of thin air, or he just deducted Wiggy making (an improbable) $10 million from the projected $120 million number that’s been thrown around and repeated in the freakin’ Chronicle without any sort of questioning on anyone’s part, except Chip Bailey, the FanBlogger, and even he didn’t push that beyond a single blog.
AstroAndy - December 13, 2008
Well, setting aside the $110 million figure, which may be surmise by Justice...
the critical point is that Justice says Wade no longer has a $100 million budget limit. He doesn’t say exactly where it comes from, but I assume someone in the front office told him that. Here is the quote from Justice:
Maybe someone in the Astros’ front office told Justice that in the context of saying, “the final budget could go up to $110 million if some good players are still unsigned in spring training.” Part of Justice’s column mentions that the Astros may dabble in the “secondary market of free agents” which ae still available by spring training (e.g., like Chacon and Lohse last year).
clack - December 13, 2008
I believe the Astros budget is OK with Drayton
within a $100-$120 million range as long as the money is well spent. This year’s market has nothing that the Astros can “afford”.
In my opinion, Wigginton was not worth $6 million, if indeed that is what it would take to get him. Something (most likely just flat out ignorance) makes me think we still might see him as an Astro in ’09 at a salary around $3M.
Whether or not Drayton has any substantive financial problems with the team, I think we need to resign ourselves to the fact that the Astros will never be big spenders. It’s going to be the Oakland model – develop our own players, use them as long as we have salary control, then try to trade them or let them go. Sadly, I don’t see the Astros being very good at implementing that strategy, even if they can repair the farm system to the point that it actually supplies a stream of useful players.
bwhite2323 - December 13, 2008
Wigginton's reaction...
That’s your mistake, Wiggy, trying to raise that OBP. Everyone knows the Astros don’t care about OBP. They would just prefer you swing that bat to get those runners in, even if you hit into a double play.
OK. I’m showing some bitterness about the Astros. Can’t help it.
clack - December 13, 2008
WTF?
If he’s suddenly cool with going up to $110 million, then why non-tender Wiggy? Especially if he doesn’t expect the Astros to sign an expensive starter?
They critically mismanaged Wigginton all season. He had the 3rd highest OBP amongst the Astros’ hitters even before he took off in August. Nevertheless, he was routinely replaced with Blum or Loretta at 3B. So I’m not really surprised the non-tendered him, but it’s just mind-bogglingly stupid.
I defended Drayton and Wade’s decisions (for the most part, anyways) during this offseason, but this is utter horseshit. I could kind of see what they were doing when they were just cutting costs, but now that he’s less concerned with that, Drayton’s plan makes no sense.
Only_A_Lad - December 13, 2008
Are the Astros just riding their sorry team out and developing young players?
Either go one way or the other Drayton. Trade Tejada, Lee, Wiggy, whoever you can find, trade everyone and re-build. Or find a way to get Sheets or Peavy because I’m a strong believer that this team is a good starter away from contending.
The offense is pretty good, especially if Bourn plays 20% better than he did last year.
Jordan Sams - December 13, 2008
Let's bring MoBerg back!!!
$500,000 on the table!
entropic soul - December 13, 2008
man, that guy really fell off after '05
What Happened!?
AstroAndy - December 13, 2008
Actually...
…since this appears to be “re-union” season, I’d be game for bringing him into Spring Training as an NRI.
AstroAndy - December 13, 2008
And Willy T!
$500,000 on the table!
Get a Bourn/Taveras platoon going!
entropic soul - December 13, 2008
McLane in a cell phone conversation with Richard Justice...
I picked out the McLane quotes in a conversation reported by Justice in his column:
“We’re going to have a competitive team,” he said. “Didn’t we have the best record in the National League after the All-Star break? We’ve got almost the same team.”…
“We did most of that without Carlos Lee,” he added….
Does McLane think he can count on Mike Hampton being as productive as Wolf?
“Some people wrote us off in June,” McLane said. “You wouldn’t know anyone like that, would you?”
“I’m excited about the team we’re going to have,” he said. “How many teams can run out as many stars as we have?”
Oswalt. Jose Valverde. Lance Berkman. Miguel Tejada. Lee.
“Some teams don’t have two stars of that caliber,” he said.
My question to you:
Do you think McLane truly believes this answer?
Or is this just a facade for the masses?
If this is reflective of the team’s mode of baseball analysis….OMG.
clack - December 14, 2008
sorry, the block quote got truncated above...
the McLane quotes contnue until “My question to you…”
clack - December 14, 2008
Facade for the masses
Stephen Higdon - December 14, 2008
Facade for the masses. I don’t think even McLane is dumb enough to truly believe that. I am afraid we are going to have a long summer guys and gals. And we can thank McLane for that. (Im still hoping though, I cant help but root for the Astros dang it.)
texowa - December 14, 2008
LOLZ McLane
A lot of that had to do with Randy Wolf and Ty Wigginton. :p
entropic soul - December 14, 2008
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