Astros Sign Erstad, Moehler To Extensions

"Yikes. Nothing like looking to the future. Welcome to 5th place in '09, Astros."

Wow! Intelligent response.

I didn't realize that signing a back up OF who has played well when needed and a pitcher that can start or go to the bullpen was an indication of a 5th place finish.

Mick, you must not have any knowledge of the Astros season. Moehler has been an unexpected surprise. He was the last man to make the roster (as a non-roster invitee the past two seasons). Signing him for next year doesn't indicate that he's a lock for the rotation either.

And as far as Erstad is concerned, he is a good insurance plan in case Michael Bourn's struggles continue into next season.

Let's not act like these are Earth shattering deals here.

By the way, how's the 'stros minor league system looking these day?

What does resigning a bench player and a 5th SP/bullpen arm have to do with the minor league system or how they finish in the standings?

And did you really just mention the Pirates? Finish over .500 before really touting the franchise.

Mick must not know how to fill out a team's roster. Every team has to have some veterans in place on the bench for depth.

For some reason after my 1st paragraph (re: cleaning out the minor leagues) I wrote end of sarcasm and it didnt show up. I was not being serious there.

Not to put too fine a point on it but I think that the Astros and their fans are competely delusional. They are not even close to competing with the Cubs and Brewers. If there was ever a team that needs to start over, they are it. Next year, they'll be no better and Roy O. and comapny will be one year older, a little less effective and not as valuable in the trade market. This should be a team of 23 year olds building for the future (hence my comment on the sorrt state of the farm system). Instead it's a patchwork of largely unexciting, aging role players trying to eke out a .500 season. I don't dislike the Astros franchise, I just don't understand its thinking.

The Astros aren't in a bad situation as everyone thinks. They'll be older but experience counts during playoff runs. In my opinion they're getting two off-season signings out of the way in order to focus more time and effort on the SP market. Moehler and Erstad are role players who the young guys look up to and fill in when needed. Every single MLB team has these type of players on their team. As for their chances next year, they'll have more Post Season experience on their squad than the Brewers, Pirates, or Reds (Erstad, Tejada, Berkman, Blum, Oswalt, Brocail, Backe, Valverde). Of those Backe, Oswalt, Berkman, Blum and Erstad have actually been to a World Series. That's a lot more than the Cubs have. Say what you want about the Astros, but they'll be more prepared for next year than 1/2 the teams in the NL Central. The Cubs, Red Sox, Yankees would have been all over Erstad if he reached Free Agency. How about this, let's name the last 3 current Pittsburgh Pirates who have done something in the past 15 years, Aramis Ramirez, no wait he's with the Cubs now. Jason Bay, that's right, he's with the Red Sox. Barry Bonds, oh yeah, they let him go a while back.

Spoken like a true "homer". According to almost every professional evaluator of talent, the Astros farm system is the worst in baseball.

The astros had the best farm system in 01/02.... Then they went to the playoffs/ world series but after 06 purpura( the ex gm) destroyed the farmsystem. Traded away talent( willy t, buccholz for Jason jennings) signed woody williams... Kept chris Burke, morgan ensberg, and Jason lane... Didnt sign draft picks... So yeah the farmsystem is a mess right now.... Wade has said it will take time... Wade is known for drafting and signing his picks and some of them we fear unless your a Philly fan( Howard, utley, rollins , hamels.)

Signing moehler and erstad to me was a good move.... Erstad is a gold glove OF and 1st baseman.... And moehler has been our consistent pitcher since he was given the chance to pitch in the rotation....really if wade gets wolf to stay. Then the stros will be after 1 fa pitcher to put behind oswalt....

Rotation could be
Oswalt
sheets/garland(any other fa)
wandy
moehler
wolf/paulino

.... No it isn't a over powering rotation but not all over powering rotation works( mariners, tigers,yanks)

Darin-you forgot to put paulino .... If he
ever stays healthy...since he is AAA

one if the announcers said that yes the pirates have had the top picks pretty much every year.... And those "top picks" haven't produced well... Maholm, grozelanny and the others that have been hurt..... Trading oswalt and berkman would have been stuid.... Yes they could have traded them for prospects that hasnt had any major league experience.... Berkman has came out and said that the only team he wouldnt mind to be traded too was the rangers.... And they dont have much pitching that they are willing to give up.... And trading away oswalt would be saying trade away big Z when they struggled( 06 the cubs lost 90+ games)...

And yes the astros are in fourth place but this division isn't the "weaker division" by no means.... The astros might stink but they a 7 games better than last year already....

And the pirates keep on trading away their prized players ..

MickS,

It might make sense to trade Berkman, Oswalt and other other vets, but their big 3 (Berkman, Oswalt and Lee) all have NTCs granted by previous GMs. Ed Wade has his hands tied a bit and they probably wouldn't get fair return because Berkman and Oswalt have stated that they would accept a trade, but only to a team of their chosing. Lee wouldn't accept a trade unless he got ample compensation, since he took less money to play in Houston to be near his cattle ranch. So what difference would it make to the Astros to trade Oswalt but not Berkman or Lee?

If they could trade all 3 and at least get fair return, then sure they should probably look into it, but as I explained above, that seems a bit impossible. So the only recourse is to sign free agents and hope maybe they can luck out on some of the low risk guys like Erstad and Moehler.

The Astros are 2 starters and either a CF or C away from being quite competitive. btw, they'd be fighting for 1st place right now if they were in the NL West.....and 6 games out of then NL East lead. No one would have thought twice if the D-backs signed a 4th outfielder and a veteran swingman.

Scribbletone,

that guy was joking.

I'm not so sure he was joking.

But anyway I agree that the Pirates organization is on he upswing. They've committed to rebuilding with youth and already have a lot of solid pieces. McCutchen, McLouth, the LaRoches, Doumit, Pearce, Moss, Walker and hopefully Alvarez offer a lot of potential.

They don't have nearly as much pitchin with Snell, Gorzelanny, Maholm, Duke, Capps, Lincoln, Moskos and Morris.

Regardless though the new front office has a clear direction and that's something they has been missing for a while.

The Astros ownership is known as some of the worst in MLB. And their GM is pretty lost.

I agree the Pirates have historically been inept, but Neil Huntington is a Mark Shapiro disciple and will bring the success of the small market Indians to Pittsburgh.

The signings aren't awful, but $5MM could have been better spent. Would I mind Erstad sitting on my bench? No, he's a good fielder. But I'd much rather have something else for that money. Houston doesn't have an unlimited payroll.

and yes i said "stors" not stros and i realize i should throw some capitalization and what not in there but o well