This is pretty straight forward: Ed Wade denies talking with Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez, but the rumors won't die.
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Technically, Wade denies making a formal offer to Pudge.
He admits to talks with Pudge (“a few weeks ago”). So, I don’t think this is off the wall.
This is a tough vote for me. I have my doubts that Pudge still can be a decent offensive player, even for a catcher. But, heaven knows, the competitors on the Astros’ squad are even more questionable. I do think that Rodriguez brings some intangibles to the clubhouse and maybe to the pitching staff. I am most ambivalent about the impact on two young catchers (Towles and Palmisano) which the Astros need to find out about…and they might not get a chance. I hate reading these articles about Quintero crying. If signing I-Rod causes more articles about Q’s tears, I might have to vote “no.”
But in my head a signing of Pudge wouldn’t come into well into Spring Training when an obvious defect glared its head.
Further, as much as I’d like to see Towles get some respect from the organization, I’d also like to see Towles rake at AAA this year and truly boost himself to a blue-chip status. If the front office is defaulting to Castro as the back-stop of the future, we might as well let Towles increase is trade value as much as possible; I think that’s best accomplished at AAA then in the bigs. A Towles trade during the next off season could go a long way to revitalizing this franchise.
I don’t think Ed Wade should sign Pudge this weekâat all. If there’s a need, yes, but there isn’t one yet.
here is the problem…i love towles andthink he should start…i would then think pudge should be our back…but then again Quintero has deserved the starting or at least backup job…i also feel the catcher from therule 5 draft should be our backup…
Regardless of how I feel about whether Pudge can still be a good offensive player, given our current situation, it’d be stupid to hire him on before getting a good look at everybody in spring training.
We need cheap players, meaning young guys under team control. I think everybody pretty much expects Castro to be the full-time guy in a couple of years, but in the meantime, we need to see what Towles and Palmisano are capable of. We’ve probably got a good read on Q by now, and at the age of 28, he’s probably not going to get much better. Towles and Palmisano are still young enough to surprise us. If we try these guys out and they can’t cut the mustard a couple of months into 2009, that’s when you start looking at veteran options. Hiring Pudge right now is (1) a waste of a Rule 5 pick, (2) changing horses midstream — they stocked up on low-risk catchers this offseason to create competition, which would be completely invalidated by just handing the job to Q and Pudge — and (3) an outright signal to the young guys that they shouldn’t even bother trying because we don’t think they’re good enough.
Pudge should be a backup plan for if we cannot make it out of spring training with 2 able-bodied catchers from within our ranks.
We don’t need an aging albeit HoF veteran to put a few more sentimental yahoos in the seats. If we’re not going to win a lot of games anyway — and most people here would guess we’re not, right? — I want a chance to watch one of the young guys to break out.
i voted yes before i read your comments and ya’ll have definetly swayed me from it…my initial thoughts were that yeah it would be great to add another above average bat to the lineup with the loss of wiggy but really it would have other bad effects on the organization…i completely agree it would be a waste of the trade for the rule 5 pick of palmisano when i already thought it was a waste of the other pick anyway to draft a releif pitcher when our bullpen is basically already set unless de la vara is absolutely dominant over the other guys in the bullpen, plus we have other guys in our organization whom could be trying for that job, but he gets an upper hand cause it would cost us money to send him back…and you send a bad message to towles when he already has to be gettin bad vibes after we already brought in palmisano and toby hall which i agree shouldn’t have been done either…and yes i also agree Q has probably worked harder and put more heart into trying to get this job than anyone and deserves it..
I think this is a first in the history of the internet
I don’t think anyone has ever changed their opinion based on blog comments before. I think Crawfish Boxes deserves some kind of award for having awesome commenters!
Technically, Wade denies making a formal offer to Pudge.
He admits to talks with Pudge (“a few weeks ago”). So, I don’t think this is off the wall.
This is a tough vote for me. I have my doubts that Pudge still can be a decent offensive player, even for a catcher. But, heaven knows, the competitors on the Astros’ squad are even more questionable. I do think that Rodriguez brings some intangibles to the clubhouse and maybe to the pitching staff. I am most ambivalent about the impact on two young catchers (Towles and Palmisano) which the Astros need to find out about…and they might not get a chance. I hate reading these articles about Quintero crying. If signing I-Rod causes more articles about Q’s tears, I might have to vote “no.”
clack - February 16, 2009
I think
an extra win or two would be worth Justice/JdJO opining on Q’s feelings.
Only_A_Lad - February 16, 2009
dammit
they did it again
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bb/6265204.html
Only_A_Lad - February 16, 2009
Listen to Tom Hanks...
“there is no crying in baseball.”
clack - February 16, 2009
I voted Yes
But in my head a signing of Pudge wouldn’t come into well into Spring Training when an obvious defect glared its head.
Further, as much as I’d like to see Towles get some respect from the organization, I’d also like to see Towles rake at AAA this year and truly boost himself to a blue-chip status. If the front office is defaulting to Castro as the back-stop of the future, we might as well let Towles increase is trade value as much as possible; I think that’s best accomplished at AAA then in the bigs. A Towles trade during the next off season could go a long way to revitalizing this franchise.
I don’t think Ed Wade should sign Pudge this weekâat all. If there’s a need, yes, but there isn’t one yet.
Stephen Higdon - February 16, 2009
we got problems
i think we should sign pudge…
here is the problem…i love towles andthink he should start…i would then think pudge should be our back…but then again Quintero has deserved the starting or at least backup job…i also feel the catcher from therule 5 draft should be our backup…
toby hall should never have been signed
EveryHoustonTeamRox! - February 16, 2009
Regardless of how I feel about whether Pudge can still be a good offensive player, given our current situation, it’d be stupid to hire him on before getting a good look at everybody in spring training.
We need cheap players, meaning young guys under team control. I think everybody pretty much expects Castro to be the full-time guy in a couple of years, but in the meantime, we need to see what Towles and Palmisano are capable of. We’ve probably got a good read on Q by now, and at the age of 28, he’s probably not going to get much better. Towles and Palmisano are still young enough to surprise us. If we try these guys out and they can’t cut the mustard a couple of months into 2009, that’s when you start looking at veteran options. Hiring Pudge right now is (1) a waste of a Rule 5 pick, (2) changing horses midstream — they stocked up on low-risk catchers this offseason to create competition, which would be completely invalidated by just handing the job to Q and Pudge — and (3) an outright signal to the young guys that they shouldn’t even bother trying because we don’t think they’re good enough.
Pudge should be a backup plan for if we cannot make it out of spring training with 2 able-bodied catchers from within our ranks.
AstroAndy - February 16, 2009
You explained my no vote.
We don’t need an aging albeit HoF veteran to put a few more sentimental yahoos in the seats. If we’re not going to win a lot of games anyway — and most people here would guess we’re not, right? — I want a chance to watch one of the young guys to break out.
Austin Astroholic - February 16, 2009
beyond that
if Drayton feels like throwing an extra few million into payroll, I’d prefer that he do so in draft signing bonuses instead.
Only_A_Lad - February 16, 2009
Amen
Amen
Stephen Higdon - February 16, 2009
Despite the sentiment of most comments so far....
the “yes” vote seems to be solidly outdistancing the “no” vote.
clack - February 17, 2009
Apparently there is a distinct difference from the regular commentors and the passer-by-ers
Stephen Higdon - February 17, 2009
And a very clear one, at that
We’re smarter, more articulate, and better looking.
Only_A_Lad - February 17, 2009
I won't speak to all of that
But definitely better looking.
Stephen Higdon - February 17, 2009
change of mind
i voted yes before i read your comments and ya’ll have definetly swayed me from it…my initial thoughts were that yeah it would be great to add another above average bat to the lineup with the loss of wiggy but really it would have other bad effects on the organization…i completely agree it would be a waste of the trade for the rule 5 pick of palmisano when i already thought it was a waste of the other pick anyway to draft a releif pitcher when our bullpen is basically already set unless de la vara is absolutely dominant over the other guys in the bullpen, plus we have other guys in our organization whom could be trying for that job, but he gets an upper hand cause it would cost us money to send him back…and you send a bad message to towles when he already has to be gettin bad vibes after we already brought in palmisano and toby hall which i agree shouldn’t have been done either…and yes i also agree Q has probably worked harder and put more heart into trying to get this job than anyone and deserves it..
Subber10 - February 17, 2009
I think this is a first in the history of the internet
I don’t think anyone has ever changed their opinion based on blog comments before. I think Crawfish Boxes deserves some kind of award for having awesome commenters!
AstroAndy - February 17, 2009
I'll alert the presses
But I also won’t hold my breath.
Stephen Higdon - February 17, 2009
Toby Hall shut down and a MRI ordered for his shoulder.
Cooper said he is concerned because Hall is his only veteran catcher. I wonder if this increases the chances of a Rodriguez signing?
clack - February 18, 2009
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