Random Weekend Astros Thoughts

Lyles is virtually a lock to be in the rotation at some point in 2011, but hopefully he won’t be there opening day. Would be rushing him pointlessly. However, I will be shocked if he doesn’t make any starts in an Astros uniform next season.

Perhaps Arguello or Keuchel. But like I said, it sounds like there’s a very good chance Paulino will be healthy for next year.

I may way be off on Bogusevic. I’m not an expert on minor leaguer’s. I’d just like to see him given a chance. With Lee, Bourn and Pence here (which I like all 3), where would the AB’s come from?…I guess I’m not so sure.

but he’s been terrific.

But he’s also had a lot of luck on balls in play, with a lot of balls finding holes and dropping in. Don’t get me wrong, I think there is a chance he could be our best hitter moving forward, but I don’t think we can know for sure between CJ, Lee, Pence, and Wallace.

if CJ lowers his hands a bit he might be able to get more elevation in his swing. He has the strength to hit for more HR’s.

In baseball development terms, I mean. That’s one of the things which makes his performance level so exciting. His freshman season he essentially didn’t play at all, just seventeen at bats, and he got less than 100 at bats in his sophomore season. So, he only has a little more baseball experience than a college freshman.

We have gone overslot for the past three years to sign guys. I’m not willing to give JJ 2 million. He’s not worth it. Yes, they said they were willing to take him with their first pick but consensus said 3rd round. Why should they pay 2 million for a 3rd rounder. The kid is way too high on himself which to me indicates character flaws. Sounds like a self promoting, male diva! But, that’s my opinion. Even if they did offer 2 million, I have my doubts that Bud Selig would even sign off on it. That amount for such a later round is so unprecedented that and completely ruin any hope for a standard hard slotting.

Plutko is a different story. I think we will sign him. If not, I don’t think it will be the bonus that prevents him. He has said that he really wants to go to UCLA and be a part of their stellar pitching staff and go to the CWS. That is a big deal! He has a solid chance at that. Sometimes, the money is not necesarily the issue.

There is no such thing as a homerun draft right now. It takes 10 years to know if any draft is a ‘homerun’. We have taken big shots at high upside players. DDJ is a high upside/low floor pick. There is no arguing against that. Thats everyones opinion of him. Velasquez and Folty are both high upside guys. Wates is a high floor type though. This was a very ceiling driven draft IMO. Look at Rodney Quintero! That guy has a ridiculous arm and if he can harness his FB and develop some decent secondary stuff, he has great potential! For other years, Lyles, Telvin Nash can mash, Jay Austin. Your so called Tanner ‘freaking’ Bushue whom you insinuated is a bust already has shown flashes of brilliance with his bad times. He is a project with solid potential too.

I have to disagree with you. I like our draft, a lot! We have some serious steals blossoming already with Heath and Wallace at catcher. I think this is the best draft of the three that Heck has done. Sure, I would have gone with somebody else with our first and third picks in the 1st round/supp. but I like their potential

There’s real value in being efficient with your money. Baseball America called Jones a “third round talent with a first round price tag”, heavily implying that he wasn’t worth his market cost. Clearly, no other team in the first 18 rounds thought he was worth his price tag either.

Plutko has middle rotation upside, but he’s raw and may never reach that level. He’s not a particularly high ceiling prospect and I don’t care that much if we don’t sign him.

If you’re efficient with your money, you can use the money you save on better prospects for the same price. For instance, the Astros just spent almost $3 million on one of the top international prospects, Ariel Ovando. In fact, they’ve spent a lot of money on international free agents this year; that was just the biggest of a number of fairly expensive prospects purchased from the Dominican Republic and elsewhere.

And, in fact, they did go overslot on some players from this draft, most recently Delino DeShields, who got, if I remember right, a couple hundred thousand more than slot bonus.

Don’t get me wrong. If it were me I would place a higher priority on signing draft prospects than anything else and I want them to sign Jones. But that’s more because I am higher on Jones than most talent evaluators, and that I think organizations don’t spend enough to get good prospects away from college in general. But if they don’t sign him, I will at least understand. It’s certainly not a slam dunk proposition in terms of how they spend the money and they aren’t doing anything different from other organizations.

well maybe not ridiculous money.

I really hope Plutko signs though.

I honestly don’t think that’s what Heck does. Heck never followed consensus, even when he was with the Brewers. Heck likes what he likes and goes with it. He is one of the most respected scouting directors in MLB and I have no reason to doubt his talent evaluation. You named Ranaudo as a guy we could have taken and I’m excited we didnt take him. I said multiple times before the draft I did not want Ranaudo because I have serious doubts about his ability to be a starting pitcher and doubts about his ability to stay healthy. Luckily, Heck doesn’t like college pitchers early.

Theres a lot more to signing players than just throwing money out there. I’m not a fan of that philosophy. The yanks and red sox do it in every aspect of the organization and it makes me sick, thinking they can buy their way to a championship. I’m proud of the fact we aren’t a large market team and throw money around like peanuts in a Texas Road House. Would I spend more money on the draft, yes. Would I spend 10 million or more, most definitely not. The draft is a crap shoot and only a few players from any given draft will even debut on the ML team. You have to spend it wisely and on investments you think will pan out. They had already drafted two high upside guys in the first and probably were looking for a slot guy with comp pick. But, I’m happy with our comp pick. If he can stick at 3B, he will be a good 3B. He has great plate discipline, strong arm, and can hit for a little power.

You think our 08 draft needed a do-over? I’m very excited about our 08 draft. We have our first pick already contributing (although struggling) and second pick knocking on the door. Castro’s peripherals say he is very unlucky at this point and suggest much better numbers going forward along with his solid defensive play. Lyles is the real deal. Jay Austin is improving. Meszaros got screwed over and he is right there too.

I have to agree. He is sacrificing valuable development time to show he’s boss when he’s 99.9% likely to cave 2 weeks of the deadline. It’s ridiculous and makes him look like a joke.