Missed Out

[SpreadOffense]

The Astros were talking to Woody Williams, but the Cardinals re-signed him. Williams made the comment that if he was going to play anywhere for less money it would be Houston(His Hometown) how do the Astros not get this deal done?

[PopTop]

Spread O --- Since you're up in OKC, you probably didn't hear GM Hunsicker last week launch into his diatribe about giving any pitchers big, multi-year contracts ... His reasoning is based on having so many pitchers spend a year or so on the DL soon after Houston, and others, doled out high dollar and/or long term deals.

I think Woody Williams wanted a 3-year deal, at least those were some of the rumors I picked up, and Houston wasn't prepared to offer anything more than a 1-year deal plus an option ... Owner Drayton "Baseball Is Tougher Than The Grocery Delivery Business" McLane is also mandating no increase in the payroll ... Such a mandate never looks good to prospective free agents ... I mean, who do the odds favor in the division over the next 2-5 years, a team where an owner is asking for a stagnated or reduced payroll or a team like the Cards who will be looking to improve year in and year out?

But all is not lost here, at least on the pitching front ... Except for the fact that manager Jimy Williams has mismanaged every pitching staff he's been around, and is utterly enamored with making daily changes to his "everyday lineup," Houston still has a formidable mound corps ... I fully expect Shane Reynolds to be brought back to the fold, and adding him to Roy Oswalt, Wade Miller and, if we can ever keep him healthy, Carlos Hernandez, with Octavio Dotel and Billy Wagner out of the pen, well, we have a solid core on the mound and one that a lot of teams would love to see on their roster.

And keep your eyes on young lefty Jeriome Robertson; he got knocked around pretty good in his limited bit of work last September, but he should be ok in the long run.

[SpreadOffense]

No doubt that The Stros pitching staff is pretty tough. What's your projected rotation( Oswalt, Miller, Hernandez, Mungro?, Milicki?, Reynolds?, Soorloos?). I known Mclane didn't want to increase payroll, but they plan to resign Reynolds. I just think Williams could have been a better investment, plus then they wouldn't have to face him. And as if it wasn't going to be hard enough to trade Hidalgo, I imagine his gunshot wound will make it impossible.

[PopTop]

I hear you on Williams being a good investment, assuming we coulda' kept him healthy for 2-3 years.

As for the rotation, I'm guessing Oswalt-Miller-Reynolds are the only ones set for now, and Reynolds isn't 100% locked up ... Hernandez was having some problems with his shoulder, and there's a chance he could eventually face late surgery and be lost for the 2003 campaign.

Saarloos, Redding, Munro & Robertson will fight for spots ... If Hernandez can't go, Robertson might win by default since he would be the only lefty.