Jan 15 2009
MLB 30 in 30: Houston Astros Preview
Took a little break so trying to catch up on the previews!
The Houston Astros last year surprisingly competed in the loaded Central division finishing tied for 3rd with an 86-75 record. The Astros saw incredible years last year from Carlos Lee and Lance Berkman, who floated with .400 for a while. Oswalt came back to form and became their true ace again. They are pretty much returning the same team as last year as they have been quite on the free agent market and resignings. They avoided arbitration with their former All Star closer in Jose Valverde for around 8 MM. They signed Mike Hampton, Aaron Boone, Jason Michaels, and Doug Brocail to 1 year contracts. Like I said, no big signings but additions that could make some minor impacts.
Here is their projected position players for next year:
C: J.R. Towles / Humberto Quintero: Both did not perform well last year, but now that Brad Ausmus is gone, one of them will have to step up. Towles was a high prospect so I would suspect they try their hand with him.
1B: Lance Berkman: Last years dark horse for MVP, Berkman surprised all breaking out hitting .312 with 29 HR and 106 RBI. Not much to say about him, he is a staple in the middle of their order.
2B: Kazuo Matsui: In limited action last year, Kaz performed decently with a .293 avg with 6 HR. He could possibly get to 15 HR this year as that action was only about half the season. He had a great year in Colorado the year before so all hope is not lost after awful Mets years.
SS: Miguel Tejada: Who knows how old he is, but Tejada still performs well, hitting .283 with 13 HR and 66 RBI. A less year for him, so maybe his age is finally getting to him.
3B: Geoff Blum: Not a great hot corner option at all.
OF: Carlos Lee, Hunter Pence, Michael Bourn: A nice mix of power and speed, this is an above average outfield. Lee is a star, hitting .314 with 28 HR and 100 RBI. Michael Bourn had 40+ SB and Hunter Pence is progressing nicely in his young years hitting 25 HR last year. They also have Darin Erstad as a 4th OF with experience.
Here is their projected rotation and closer:
SP: Roy Oswalt, Wandy Rodriguez, Brandon Backe, Mike Hampton, Russ Ortiz: A mix of veterans and young guns, this can be a decent rotation this year. Oswalt looked great last year, but all will depend on the back end in Hampton and Ortiz. If they can pitch decently and stay healthy, they have a nice chance of possibly finishing 2nd and grabbing the wild card. The Cubs have the division held down but the wild card isn’t a total reach.
CL: Jose Valverde: An elite closing option, Valverde held down 44 saves last year, posting a 6-3 record with a 3.38 ERA (a little high for a closer, but high saves total make up for it).
My expectations for this team: I think the team can win the wild card, I can not see them ousting the Cubs from first, but they do have to get by the Cardinals and the Brewers. They can compete, but they have a bunch of older players who do need to stay healthy and continue to produce.
