Soriano to Houston????

Evaluate minor leauge stats with a different rubrik.

Oswalt and Miller didn't have tremendous AA or AAA stats either... but they look more at individual "breakout" performances, and strikeout numbers, as well as just their plain "stuff."

Obviously, the contrary applies as well... tremendous minor league numbers doesn't neccessarily mean major leauge success.

As long as a pitcher has good "stuff", he can use that to learn how to become a good major league player. It becomes more problematic for guys like J Rob and Saarloos, who don't have good stuff, and must learn the control and deception that makes them successful.

 

How was his K/BB ratio.

I think that's the most important minor league stat for pitchers.

 

What you have to look at is what Soriano can bring to the table. He can further bolster an already solid offense. Everett is an offensive liability. Soriano wouldn't be. The question is whether he can play the position decently.

 

I love Soriano, but I wouldn't do it.

not yet, at least.

I'd prefer to hold on to Robertson, Hernandez too long. . . maybe find out they aren't going to be that great. . . to trading them now for anything short of a guaranteed World Series only to find out later that Oswalt's groin never healed right, Miller battled dead arm his whole career, Redding never got his head right with ball, etc. . . and Hernandez and Robertson ended up being two extremely solid if not stunning lefthanders somewhere else.

pitching is everything in baseball. the Astros have a strong hand. I think we should let it play out.

that's just my $.02. I want a true, fast, high OBP centerfielder for the 'Stros worse than just about anyone [remains to be seen whether Soriano could even do that], but I don't want that player at the expense of pitching.

if I was going to trade any Astros pitcher right now, it'd probably be Miller. he's the one I have the most doubt about right now.

but I'm not anxious to trade any of our pitchers.

take Clemens, Pettitte, Oswalt, Miller, Redding, Robertson, Hernandez, Duckworth, Bucholz, Fernandez, Rodriguez and whoever else I'm forgetting. . . hold onto each of them for as long as you can, and you're as guaranteed of a strong starting rotation for the forseeable future as you can get in baseball.

maybe Jimerson develops. maybe Burke. I'll take my chances with the Astros' minor league position prospects.

KEEP THE PITCHING!

 

The way he uses the fastball and curveball is stunning though. This kid could have a top 3 curveball in the majors very soon.