If nothing else, the Astros might get to call up Chris Johnson this way. I don’t have any hopes about the offense of a guy who walks around 4.5% of the time, but everyone seems pretty high on his defense. If nothing else, seeing the new guy strike out would be more interesting that seeing Blum or Boone do the same.

Of course, they could have done the same thing by going to arbitration with Wiggy (or offering him a contract), and then maybe trading him for something later. But I’m going to try to save my negativity for June and July, and not waste it before spring training starts.

as expensive relative to the club’s claimed financial troubles. (For that matter, Blum’s contract ends up almost as expensive at Wigginton’s annual salary, despite the difference in production….the Astors didn’t have any choice, though, after Blum exceeded the triggers in his contract last year.) However, all of those decisions were made when Wade thought McLane had given him a $120 million budget.

My biggest problem with the Boone signing at the time was that it would prevent the Astros from taking advantage of price drops later in the off-season for infield free agents. The fact that Wigginton takes an annual salary less than his prior year salary demonstrates the declining prices. There are still some infielders on the market who are better than Boone whose salary demands may fall precipitously as spring training approaches.

In the Astros. They are going to look better on paper this year, than last year. I figure that in order for the Astros to win this division, they need one good year from Ortiz, Hampton, Moehler. I say the name Brian Moehler, man what a year he had! If any one of you had predicted Brian to fill the emptiness the way he did, I’ll face palm myself. Look at our rivals in the midwest, they looked like they were going nowhere in Spring Training, and held on for a long while. I’m so excited that Spring is finally rolling around, and soon enough the groundskeepers will be spraying down the field at Osceola County Stadium.
Stay Optimistic, Experience Red Hot Astros Baseball.