One way or another, Tim Purpura is going to acquire a decent starting pitcher.
The Houston Chronicle reports that Purpura is still in touch with the White Sox, but has a host of other active scenarios as well. In the article, Purpura goes to great lengths to confirm that starter Taylor Buchholz is healthy without actually confirming that he could be involved in a trade. It remains possible that the Astros trade for Jon Garland.
They won’t, however, acquire both Garland and Andy Pettitte. The Astros still have a one-year, $12MM offer out there. The Yankees have already blown that away, even offering to add a second year. It seems clear that Pettitte will only stay in Houston for geographical reasons. Richard Justice
Check out Jose de Jesus Ortiz’s take on the whole Garland thing yesterday. He initially reported the deal was close, based on info from Astros President Tal Smith.
Troy Renck of the Denver Post suggests that the Astros could take another run at Jason Jennings, perhaps offering Jason Hirsh, Willy Taveras, and Dan Wheeler. As I said earlier, that far outweighs Freddy Garcia’s price and they are comparable pitchers.
