Houston Astros : Is Brandon Backe on the Team Next Season?

by Stros Bro on Sep 20, 2008 1:26 PM CDT

Here is what Steve Campbell from Chron.com has to say about it.

Has Backe run his course with the Astros?

If Astros general manager Ed Wade looks at it in a cold, clinical way, the numbers will make the decision for him.

The numbers scream loud, from just about every imaginable angle, that the Astros almost can't help but do better sending somebody else to the mound every fifth day.

Still, the performance this season doesn't cut it in any spot of the rotation. Backe is 31 and has a career earned-run average of 4.97. His 126-to-76 strikeouts-to-walks ratio doesn't bode well for an appreciable improvement next season.

Point: Pitchers tend to fare better in their second year after Tommy John surgery. Backe could be stronger and more consistent next season.

Link

What do you think? Backe is still cheap($800,000), is very good with the bat(for a pitcher...) and has good success in the playoffs(2.95 ERA over 6 starts)... but then again... You could probably bring up a prospect from the minors and get something close to the 4.97 ERA that Backe has put up over his career.

But I think the point that Mr. Campbell makes is one of the key weights on the keep him side of the scale... Backe just came off of having Tommy John Surgery. Backe was a pretty decent pitcher in the 2 years before having the surgery(albeit, limited due to injuries) and I think that he should be in spring training next season for the "good guys". That being said, I wouldn't write his name down as a rotation guy in pen by any means. But I think he's worth the $800,000 contract to at least keep him on the team to see what he can do next season.

0 recs | 3 comments

Comments

I agree with your conclusion...

Let him come to spring training on a cheap contract and let him compete for the No. 5 rotation spot without any guarantees. I have said at many points this season that I am not optimistic about Backe. Since his surgery, he has morphed into a breaking ball pitcher who doesn’t rely very much on the fastball anymore, and he doesn’t seem to have the type of control to be consistently good as that type of pitcher. When Chacon was dropped from the rotation, my feeling at the time was that he was a superior pitcher to Backe. Despite those reservations, there is still a possibility that Backe may improve after he has experienced a full season of work post-surgery. I like his heart and competitiveness, and he doesn’t seem to be blocking any younger pitchers really, so why not let him compete for a spot next year.

clack - September 20, 2008 reply

Yeah

it’s not as if he’s blocking anybody from coming up. Even if you include Paulino (IF he stays healthy and IF he’s any good), the Astros still only have 4 pitchers without Backe.

If the Astros get a starting pitcher in the offseason, then the equation changes a little. My feeling is that Backe will probably do better next year than Moehler will, and it will come down to a decision between putting Moehler back in the pen or junking Backe entirely. We’ve all seen his first-inning issues. I don’t want him in the pen.

We don’t want to completely give up on the guy. He could still be a serviceable 5th starter. But time is definitely running out for him to prove himself. He’s a 30 y/o pitcher who, when he pitches any substantial number of innings, posts an ERA well above average. That’s not good.

But he’s cheap and isn’t absolutely awful (well, most of the time, anyways). So he’ll get a chance next year.

Only_A_Lad - September 20, 2008 reply

For $800,000

Why not?

But he better have the shortest leash, ever. I hope Paulino amounts to something.

Stephen Higdon - September 21, 2008 reply

The Crawfish Boxes