Just wanted to promote from the Mets thread so everyone can see it news that was first noted on this site by Strosdux and go.
go had been the first to note that Bagwell is mentioning surgery to remove bone spurs in his shoulder as the next step he'd like to take after the announcement that he'll start the season on the DL yesterday. In the transcript of the news conference on the official site Bags says, ". . . and this not a guarantee, but I'm going to see if I can get my bone spurs taken out that I have in my shoulder."
Danyah quite rightly points out that Bags wasn't going to retire yesterday because of the contract, but others--including Phil Garner--have assumed that Bagwell is just going to go away now, play golf or whatever until he's offered a job with the club next year, but I'm not so sure of that.
If James Andrews is able to perform the somewhat risky surgery I do wonder where we're gonna be. The Instructional League would be an option for Jeff 'til June, but what about after that?
It kind of sucks that I'm worried about potential conflict when I should be celebrating the guy's phenomenal career, but there it is. Maybe you guys can talk me off my perch.
So I'm not sure what the future will bring, but I was very glad to read the following, again from the transcript:
Q: Is there time now to put the relationship issues with Drayton behind you?JB: Like I said when I got down here, just being here heals a lot. Getting past everything that went on this offseason, Drayton and I talked, and as time goes on, things will get better. They always do. I think both of us are people that are very competitive -- maybe stubborn. Sometimes those things happen. Time will heal a lot. Everything is going to work out.
Q: Thoughts about the organization now?
JB: There are some things that happened this offseason that didn't go our way, and that was well-documented. But, as I said, I had the chance to come down here, and I owe everything in my career to the Houston Astros. I've been a Houston Astro my whole life. You know, I was with the Red Sox for a little bit, but obviously, the only thing I've ever known is being an Astro. That carries a lot of weight with me. So, things can be worked out some way or another. Like I said, all I know is being an Astro, and that's the only thing that matters to me. The important thing to me is to figure out if I can get these things taken care of.
Strosdux had called our attention to the cuts that were made yesterday. Joe Valentine, Dave Borkowski, Josh Anderson, Charlton Jimerson, Danny Klassen and Hector Gimenez were sent out yesterday. and there were two more notable cuts, those of Ezequiel Astacio and Luke Scott.
Astacio had the inside track on the fifth starter's job when spring training began, and to be honest hadn't pitched all that horribly, especially when you look at his stats: 1 - 0 with a 3.29, 11 K's 7 walks. But Zeke also had four unearned runs against him, and he got knocked around a bit in his most recent outing against the Yankees.
The guy's got the stuff to pitch well in the majors, no doubt. Garner hit it on the head when he said, "We see inconsistency there. We'll see a couple of good pitches, and then he'll leave one over the plate. Then he starts getting picky. We need to have him consistent and we'll have him back here pitching. He's a guy that could be a bullpen answer for us, or he can start."
Zeke will have another chance if he earns it.
On the other hand, you gotta feel for Luke Scott. The devout christian might be feeling a little abandoned today. Baseball is a cruel game sometimes, and many players who inhabit the borderline between AAA and major league talent don't even get one chance. A second is sometimes too much to expect.
"It's tough news to take . . . It's a tough situation to be put in. There's nothing left to prove in the Minor Leagues, obviously. It's a lose-maintain situation. If I go down there and do well, I'm supposed to. I did last year. If I don't, it's a lose situation. It's a hard thing to be put in a situation where there's not much benefit from that aspect.
Scott hit .212 this spring, so your first question is why he seems so surprised. But if he'd hit .400 this March, the club'd probably have given him the same news yesterday.
Scott is going to be 28 in June; he's still a young man. But it must be tough to go about your business thinking that your only chance might just lie squarely in the rear view mirror.