Not really. Miceli was terrible. Qualls took over at the end of the year. Wheeler came over and made his mark on the team. Ok. We disagree. That's my team if I was making the decisions. I am interested to see what you would do.
Miceli wasn't terrible until the Cards series. He had an era of 0.00 in September and was among the lead leaguers in Ks among relievers.
I would spend all expendable payroll first on offensive players (high OBP, good fielders, and decent power... you don't need to go after a for-sure 40 HR guy, especially in MMP). If there are no desirable FA's, you explore a trade, using bait such as Josh Anderson(AA CF), H. Jimenez (AA Catcher), Luke Scott, Taylor Bucholz. They may make a play for Lyle Overbay from the Brewers, since Prince Fielder is coming up. Then, depending on how Wandy turns out, I'd look for a dependable veteran starter (sorta like Woody Williams last year). If Wandy is a complete bust, and Clemens is in all likelihood not back, then I'd start looking for a front-line starter. I'd also promote Pence/Patton to AA (as long as Troy has developed enough arm strength... he'll be 20 at the start of next year), and put them on the fast-track to the big leagues.
Nobody remembers that the guy was damn good for the entire season last year. He had a couple of bad games, and he's considered "terrible."
He choked. It was like Mitch Williams. You are remembered for what you do in the playoffs. The Regular season is for the pansies.
I will take Adrian Gonzalez (they do not need him since they already have Texeira) and Chris Young (since they can promote Ian Kinsler in his place). Anything else will be gravy. In short, Texas is so loaded that I am sure we will get great additions in return.
Patton is on a strict pitch count and the Astros are bringing him along slowly, he probably won't reach AA until late 2006 or early 2007 according to Baseball America. Unfortunately the Astros have a tendency to bring their prospects along slowly, especially in the case of a young left-hander such as Patton. Pence will probably reach AA by next year though.
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/3209456 Astros Summary McLane scoffs at rumor Drayton McLane may live in Temple, but he has learned the pulse of Houston quite well in his 13 years as owner of the Astros. He understands the rivalry between Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth. McLane knows many Houston fans will never forgive then-Astros owner John McMullen for essentially ushering Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan to the Texas Rangers in 1989. McLane has a good idea that Houston fans would turn on him if he traded Roger Clemens to the Rangers. For that reason, McLane laughed off the latest rumor regarding a potential trade destination for Clemens. Newsday, a Long Island, N.Y., tabloid, claimed Thursday that Clemens could be heading to the Rangers in a trade. Newsday reported that, according to two people familiar with Clemens' thinking, he has expressed an interest in joining the Rangers. After laughing, McLane discounted potentially trading Clemens to the state rival Rangers. McLane wants to bring the state of Texas' first World Series title to Houston, not Arlington, and he's in no mood to alienate his fans by sending his top draw to Arlington. "No, I don't see that being the trade," he said from his office in Temple on Thursday. "The talk has been between Boston and New York. We've had no conversation with Roger or (his agents) Alan or Randy Hendricks. "I think Roger is encouraged. We've won four of the last five games. We've hit better and we got timely hitting, which is what we've been missing. "It could take time, but we could make this turnaround. I don't see any scenario (in which Clemens would be sent to the Rangers), and that's the first I've heard of such a deal. I think they're searching (for stories in New York)." JOSE DE JESUS ORTIZ
So what is it? A few weeks back, Drayton said he would not trade Clemens. Now, he would only be traded to Boston or NY.
He said HE wouldn't be interested in trading Clemens... but if Roger wanted a trade, he would have to oblige. I think he meant that he's heard about conversations between Clemens' reps and Boston/NY... but he hasn't talked w/ them about it yet.
i think what he means is that this whole trading clemens talk has been something started by new york and boston and not something he ever threw out there. according to the first article isn't all this speculation about the rangers based on two people familiar with the THINKING of roger clemens? WTF does that mean? these articles are all full of **** to me.
For some reason I think Roger stays here. However I would love the opposite of the RJ trade to happen to us. We helped the Mariners bounce back.
Roger isn't going anywhere. He's not going to ask for a trade...and McLane isn't going to explore one.
If Tim has any clue to how to be a good GM, than he would try to convince Roger to accept a trade to New York or Texas. Astros farm system is bad and we need some postion player help like a Robinson Cano or Adrian Gonzalez. I have a feeling he will stay but if it was to me, send him out along with Biggio, Ausmus, Vizcanio, Palmerio, Franco, Springer.
I will never forgive the Astros if they trade Clemens to the Rangers, even if Clemens asks for it. He can go anywhere else but there.
Here's an article in the Dallas Morning News about this issue. I got a nice laugh from it: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcon...y/stories/060605dnspofraleycol.11c281d0d.html Getting Rocket under Rangers cap not easy 03:33 PM CDT on Monday, June 6, 2005 HOUSTON � In late June, the Rangers will play a three-game series at Minute Maid Park. It will be the Rangers' most important series of the season. To have any chance at trading for icon right-hander Roger Clemens, the Rangers must do more than sweep the series with Houston. The Rangers must pound the Astros, beat them like a drum, flaunt the coveted Silver Boot. Remind the Astros how bad they are. Show Clemens how good life can be with a team that scores runs in bunches. Maybe that would make the Astros and Clemens look more favorably at the idea of a trade. Until then, the process is stuck in neutral. After laboring through a 6-4 win against St. Louis on Sunday, Clemens said he would not ask for a trade but left open the possibility if club management came to him with a proposal. Clemens danced around but did not categorically deny a published report that he would consider a trade to the Rangers. The idea of getting another shot at the playoffs appeals to the competitor in Clemens. He does not want to be the bad guy who bailed out on his hometown team. "They would have to come to me point-blank and say that one, two or whatever teams [were interested]," Clemens said. "We'd have to be dead in the water. So many things figure in. "It's way too early to be discussing this stuff." If the Astros are not already dead in the water, they are trapped in the doldrums. At 21-34, they have the third-worst record in the National League and trail Central-leading St. Louis by 14 � games. Despite that, Astros owner Drayton McLane said he would not write off the season and ask Clemens to consider a deal that would bring financial relief and an infusion of talent. "I don't know of any set of circumstances that we would trade Roger Clemens," McLane said. "Roger is one of the best pitchers in the history of baseball, just as Nolan was. He's a Houston person, a Texan." Just like Nolan Ryan. Therein lies the problem for the Rangers. Too many people with the Astros, starting with McLane, have long memories. They remember Nolan Ryan as an Astro and as a Ranger. The specter of Ryan hovers over the Astros. Start a sentence with "after the 1988 season," and McLane responds by throwing up his hands and shouting, "I'm innocent." McLane was not involved with the Astros in the winter of 1988 but followed the club. McLane was stunned when Ryan left the Astros after contentious negotiations and signed with the Rangers as a free agent. "I couldn't believe it," McLane said. "Nolan Ryan made [the Rangers] look like a professional team." Ryan's departure also "dramatically hurt" the Astros, McLane said. More than a decade later, Astros backers still moan about losing Ryan. McLane appreciates Clemens for the presence he brings to the franchise and his pitching excellence. Despite allowing four runs in five innings against the Cardinals, Clemens has the lowest ERA in the National League at 1.67. (That makes Clemens the second-best 40-plus pitcher in the state. Rangers left-hander Kenny Rogers has a better record and a lower ERA at 1.62.) McLane is first and foremost a businessman who wants to expand his club's presence in the state. He understands it took the Astros a long time to recover from the beating they took with Ryan's departure to the Rangers. "That doesn't enter my thinking," McLane said, "because I wouldn't have done that." There is a sliver of room in which McLane can maneuver. Roger Clemens isn't looking for an out but may mull a trade if Houston is 'dead in the water.' The Astros will accommodate an unhappy player who wants out, he said. They did that last season with outfielder Richard Hidalgo, who bounced to the New York Mets before joining the Rangers. Clemens has been a solid team player, but at some point being with the Astros this season could wear on him. He is not used to playing on a lost-cause team. Clemens has been with playoff teams in the last six seasons and winning teams in nine of the last 10 seasons. Before this year, the worst team Clemens played for was the 1992 Boston Red Sox, who were 73-89. The Rangers could try one other come-on for Clemens. Select his oldest son Koby, a high school slugger, in the amateur draft that begins Tuesday. All's fair for a team in a pennant race. E-mail gfraley@dallasnews.com
Jim Rome is talking about it right now. he says he doesn't see Drayton in a hurry to make the trade. He says that Drayton will be hit hard by PR, but he needs to do what will help his team. Bottomline, it's what Roger wants. Pretty much talking about the obvious.
