One thing you couldn't have accused the Astros of just before the 2009 season was having a great deal of pitching depth.  Wandy Rodriguez had improved in 2008, but it was unknown whether he could continue the trend after just one really good year.  The bullpen had been (in part) anchored by such luminous names as Doug Brocail and later the previously-mediocre LaTroy Hawkins.  Randy Wolf had been let go, and the starting rotation depended on several injury-prone pitchers, most of whom hadn't shown excellence for at least a year, if ever.

After a number of rule 5 draftees, waiver claims, and minor league promotions, the pitching situation already looks much rosier for 2010 than it did coming into last year.  The Astros have a surprising number of hard throwers who could slot into either the bullpen or the starting rotation this upcoming season.  None of them are very experienced, and most of them struggle with control issues, but for once we're looking at a situation where the Astros could, hypothetically, comprise the majority of their starting rotation and bullpen with young, hard throwers.

With the hiring of Brad Arnsberg to coach this wealth of young talent and help them smooth out the rough edges, it wouldn't be surprising to see the team ERA drop considerably in 2010.

1.  Bud Norris (24), RHP.  Ranked the #2 prospect in the Astros system by Baseball America prior to 2009, the big question about Norris was whether he could develop an off-speed pitch which would allow him to start rather than simply figuring into the bullpen situation.  Not only did he do that, he also dominated the Pacific Coast League and earned a middle-of-the-year callup.  Despite a few bad starts, one of them a nasty first-inning blowout, he still finished the year with a respectable ERA and an excellent strikeout rate.

Avg. Fastball velocity:  94 MPH

Pitches: Fastball, slider, power changeup

2.  Felipe Paulino (26), RHP.  One of the hardest throwers in the Astros organization, Felipe Paulino has been an interesting prospect for awhile, but he hasn't quite been able to put it together.  He's been hurt by an unusually high HR/FB rate and occasional command problems, but he's also flashed brilliance with a blistering fastball and a quality breaking ball.  His stat line would have looked much better had he not been used in the bullpen in 2009.  According to FanGraphs, his starting Runs Above Replacement (RAR) sat at 5.1 for the season, while his relieving RAR was just the opposite value (or lack thereof) at -5.2.  Oh, and Nolan Ryan apparently thinks he's great.

Avg. Fastball velocity: 95.4 MPH

Pitches: Fastball, slider, curveball, changeup

3. Jeff Fulchino (29), RHP.  A waiver claim at the end of 2008, Jeff Fulchino burst into the bullpen and gradually climbed the ranks until he was the team's go-to guy in middle relief.  He was old for a rookie, but productive.  His strikeout rate was solid and his control good.  With a good, hard fastball, a respectable slider, and split finger pitch which flashed brilliance, a lot of us feel that he's another good candidate for the starting rotation; barring that, he might be a good candidate for the back end of the bullpen, perhaps taking Hawkins' place as the main setup guy.  Although he only pitched in relief, I was a big fan of his work, and to my eye, he looked like the most polished of the pitchers on this list.  Nonetheless, he is 29, so age is an extra hurdle for him to climb in convincing the Astros that he can be a key part of their pitching staff going forward.

Avg. Fastball velocity: 93.1 MPH

Pitches: Fastball, slider, split finger

4.  Alberto Arias (26), RPH.  Another great waiver wire pickup, Arias proved very effective in middle relief in the first half of 2009.  He also has starting experience in the minors, though it was awhile back.  He was bit by the injury bug in the second half of the year, probably due to overuse by Cecil Cooper (what else is new?), but when healthy, he relied on an excellent hard fastball with lots of movement, keeping hitters honest with a so-so curveball and the rare slider.  His strikeout rate was solid, and his walk rate was just a little below average.  Like Fulchino, he's a back-of-the-bullpen candidate.

Avg. Fastball velocity: 93.0 MPH

Pitches: Fastball, slider, curveball

5. Wesley Wright (24), LHP.  Selected in the Rule 5 Draft in 2007, Wesley Wright became a moderately effective innings-eater in 2009, mostly used in cleanup situations.  Like Paulino, he was hurt by a high HR/FB rate, as well as an unusually high BABIP.  But his biggest issue was control, as he walked over five batters per nine innings.  How much of this is due to inexperience and coaching?  It's hard to say, but one thing is for sure--Wright knows how to strike a batter out, with over a strikeout per inning in relief this season, and a good left-handed fastball.  He'll be working on developing his off-speed pitch(es) during the off-season in the hopes of competing for a rotation spot in 2010.

Avg. Fastball velocity: 91.3 MPH

Pitches: Fastball, slider, curveball, changeup.

6. Yorman Bazardo (25), RHP.  A nice minor-league pickup, Bazardo was very effective at AAA in 2009, but struggled at the big league level.  Unlike the previous pitchers on this list, who all rely on good fastballs, Bazardo's best pitch is his changeup.  That said, his fastball does clock in at a respectable speed with some movement.  What really killed him at the big league level was that his walk rate soared to over six per nine innings, albeit in a very small sample size.  At Round Rock, he didn't strike out many, but he also kept the walks under control, only walking a couple of batters per nine.  He's back of the rotation material at best, and more likely will wind up in a cleanup role in the bullpen, but don't rule him out entirely.

Avg. Fastball velocity: 91.7 MPH

Pitches: Fastball, slider, changeup

7. Wilton Lopez (26), RHP.  Lopez was an end-of-the-year callup not from AAA, but from AA.  He was very old for his level, but he only began his professional career in 2007, so some leeway may be in order.  With the Astros, his short time on the mound was crushed by an incredibly high BABIP and HR/FB rate, but he flashed signs of a hard fastball with good movement, and the organization seems to think highly of his chances.  As another ball-in-play type of pitcher like Bazardo, he doesn't figure to be more than a back of rotation starter at best, or more likely a middle relief cleanup guy.  But he could be a useful piece of depth for the big league team, and like Bazardo, it's doubtful that he's anywhere near as bad as his big league numbers suggest.

Avg. Fastball velocity: 91.6 MPH

Pitches: Fastball, slider, changeup

Honorable Mentions: Sammy Gervacio, Chia-Jen Lo.  Gervacio figures to be a middle reliever for the Astros in 2010, and Lo might be as well, but neither of them are likely to see any starts at the big league level.