SB Nation - J.R. Towles

Astros name Brad Mills manager

Eli Greenspan — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:15:59 -0000

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

Brad Mills will be the next Astros manager.

The former Red Sox coach, who has been Terry Francona's bench coach for the past six seasons, was in Houston today for his third interview.

Mills has never managed in the majors before, but does have 11 minor league seasons of managing under his belt.

He has a lot of work to do. The Astros struggled mightily this season, and now must confront an upset fan base and even some unrest in the clubhouse.

Pitching fell apart as the season progressed, and the offense never picked up enough to counter the pitching weaknesses. The Astros ranked 27th in runs scored and 25th in on-base percentage.

Bottom line: The Astros need to bring in a reliable pitcher. It likely won't come in the form of a trade, in large part because their minor league system is weak. However, if they engage in talks with a team looking to move payroll, they could find a match.

Taking a chance on a veteran like Derek Lowe, who has averaged a little over 14 wins over the past four seasons, would give the Astros a little more stability.

All this won't be easy, considering the Astros have holes at shortstop and in the bullpen, not to mention finding an everyday backstop, unless once top prospect J.R. Towles can rediscover his swing.

Roster Breakdown: The Infield

davoag — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:40:35 -0000

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

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This process took a little longer than I expected. In part two of my review of the roster, I looked at every infielders' (including catchers) statistics and make some notes about last season and their future. Not necessarily scientific, but there is some interesting information in here. Friday should see part three, a look at the outfield. Till then, let's see what happened with the first half of the roster...

Lance Berkman, 1B

2009 Season Stats: 562 PA, .274/.399/.509, 31 doubles, 1 triple, 25 HR, 73 runs, 80 RBIs, 7 of 11 stolen bases, 98 strikeouts, 140 OPS+

WAR: 3.0

UZR: -4.5

VORP: 34.9

Notes: Two points to consider about Berkman's season. First, his April and August splits were horrible. His slow start and power vacuum in August led to the perception that his season was a disappointment. Still, though he managed just 12 hits in April, he also walked 17 times and hit five home runs. In August, he hit zero home runs but had an OBP over .400. This also leads into the second point: Berkman is aging, but his power drop over the past three seasons is in part due to an overall power outage in the National League. The Big Puma saw his home run total fall 26 percent over the past three seasons while his extra-base hits have fallen 5 percent. That's almost exactly the same percentage that the NL extra-base hit total dropped over the same time period (5.6%). The NL home run total dropped 8.2 percent, but I'm guessing Berkman's drop in homers is beginning to be due to age. Still, if he hits 30 home runs in the next year or two with 50+ XBH, I'm guessing the Astros will be happy.

Kazuo Matsui, 2B

2009 Season Stats: 533 PA, .250/.302/.357, 20 doubles, 2 triples, 9 HR, 56 runs, 46 RBIs, 19 of 22 stolen bases, 85 strikeouts, 75 OPS+

WAR: 0.5

UZR: -1.0

VORP: 0.4

Notes: I'll be up front: I don't care for Matsui. He's overpaid, he's injured too often and he doesn't get on base enough to bat high in the order. That's just my personal preference, but I wanted to get that out in the open in the interests of being objective. Matsui's line is down quite a bit from 2008 but combine the past two seasons and its almost exactly in line with his career line of .271/.325/.387. His Runs Created totals of 64 in 2007, 61 in 2008 and 56 in 2009 have been very consistent, but his BABiP was 40 points lower in 2009 at .285 than the previous season. Add to that a good stolen base rate of 85% over his career and Matsui does have his uses. The problem is, he's a No. 7 hitter, not a leadoff guy. Matsui's numbers should bounce back some in 2010, but don't bet on another .350 OBP.

Miguel Tejada, SS

2009 Season Stats: 673 PA, .313/.340/.455, 46 doubles, 1 triple, 14 HR, 83 runs, 86 RBIs, 5 of 7 stolen bases, 48 strikeouts, 110 OPS+

WAR: 2.6

UZR: -8.3

VORP: 43.7

Notes: Tejada had the highest VORP of any player on the Astros roster last season, for good reason. Though his OBP wasn't terribly high, he did hit a ton of doubles and actually had more extra-base hits than Berkman. In fact, Tejada led the National League in doubles in 2009. Tejada also struck out just 48 times, which was his lowest total since his 104 plate appearances in 1997. Of course, the flip side of that is it was also his lowest walk total since 1997, too. Tejada's high batting average was due in part because he had his highest BABiP since 2006, 20 points higher than his career BABiP of .298. Tejada once again led the National League in grounding into double plays and put up his highest season totals since 2006 in plate appearances, RBIs, hits and sacrifice flies. I'm not sure if this was the most successful contract push for a 35-year old in the post-steroids era, but it's got to be up there on the list, right?

Geoff Blum, 3B/Util

2009 Season Stats: 427 PA, .247/.314/.367, 14 doubles, 1 triple, 10 HR, 34 runs, 49 RBIs, 0 for 1 stolen bases, 61 strikeouts, 81 OPS+

WAR: 0.6

UZR: 0.3

VORP: -0.5

Notes: Blum was the only regular Astros infielder (besides the catchers) who posted a negative VORP. His crazy hair styles and home runs off the bench were fun and zany in 2004 when the Astros were making their run to the postseason. Now? Blum's a steady defender but doesn't have great range and is aging quickly. His OPS+ of 81 is not good for any position, much less a corner infield spot. Surprisingly, Blum's numbers last season were right in line with his career line of .250/.310/.367, but moving into his age 37 season, he's probably not going to equal those numbers in 2010. Blum started 94 games at third and seven at first, but is probably better suited as being the Astros number one pinch hitter next year.

Ivan Rodriguez, C

2009 Season Stats: 344 PA, .251/.280/.382, 15 doubles, 2 triples, 8 HR, 41 runs, 34 RBIs, 0 for 2 stolen bases, 74 strikeouts, 75 OPS+

WAR:0.7

VORP: -1.1

Notes: Ahh, Pudge. Has there been a more controversial free agent signing by the Astros in recent memory? Can someone split a room between stat guys and traditional scouting guys more than Pudge? The 37-year old couldn't walk if he were given two balls at the beginning of every at-bat. He would sometimes throw out baserunners, but was never talked about as a good handler of the pitching staff. Where do we go from there? Pudge started out strong for the Astros but faded late, and did the same thing after being traded to the Rangers. Starting him and Matsui together proved dangerous for the Astros offense, as they both posted sub-80 OPS+. When 1/4 of the starting lineup can't get on base or hit for power, something's not right.

Humberto Quintero, C

2009 Season Stats: 168 PA, .236/.286/.376, 8 doubles, 1 triple, 4 HR, 11 runs, 14 RBIs, 0 of 0 stolen bases, 41 strikeouts, 75 OPS+

WAR: 0.5

VORP: -0.4

Notes: Q suffered through a bad concussion this season, but still managed to get into 60 games this season. He started some after Pudge was traded away, but didn't impress offensively. In fact, he's never hit much in the majors, with a career line of .232/.275/.325. Quintero has a strong arm and handles the pitching staff well, but will be 30 next season in his last non-arbitration year. He makes sense as a backup to someone like Towles or Jason Castro, but putting him in the starting lineup is a stretch.

J.R. Towles, C

2009 Season Stats (Houston): 53 PA, .188/.250/.354, 2 doubles, 0 triples, 2 HR, 7 runs, 3 RBIs, 0 for 0 stolen bases, 16 strikeouts, 59 OPS+

WAR: 0.0

VORP: -1.7

Notes: What to do with Towles? The 25-year old couldn't stay healthy at Round Rock this season, getting only 56 games with the Express. When he did play, Towles hit the ball well and got on base at a good clip, sporting an OPS of .842 in Triple-A. That didn't translate to the pros in either of his two stints with the team, but it should. All Towles needs is a little time and opportunity.

Jeff Keppinger, Util

2009 Season Stats: 344 PA, .256/.320/.387, 13 doubles, 3 triples, 7 HR, 35 runs, 29 RBIs, 0 for 2 stolen bases, 33 strikeouts, 88 OPS+

WAR: 0.4

UZR: 5.7

VORP: 2.8

Notes: Keppinger was a late-spring addition, something former GM Gerry Hunsicker made into somewhat of an art form. Unfortunately, Keppinger didn't work out quite as well as guys like Mike Lamb and Billy Spiers did. That's not to say Keppinger was bad, as his batting was okay for a shortstop. Again, unfortunately, Keppinger played 59 games at third base. His range and glove made him an asset defensively there, but his bat is not good enough to hold up there for long periods of time. Still, Keppinger is a useful player who makes more sense on the bench than most of the Astros' reserves.

Darin Erstad, 1B

2009 Season Stats: 150 PA, .194/.268/.328, 8 doubles, 2 triples, 2 HR, 13 runs, 11 RBIs, 0 for 2 stolen bases, 31 strikeouts, 58 OPS+

WAR: -0.9

UZR: 7.9

VORP: -8.2

Notes: Erstad was a surpringly resurgent part of the 2008 team. Of course, in that campaign, Erstad played 40 games in center field. This season? Just one appearance in center field. Erstad could be a useful player, but he doesn't have the bat to be a first baseman, even as a backup, and doesn't have the arm to play in right field. That leaves him as the caddy for Carlos Lee. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but the next manager should not view Erstad as the first bat off the bench to pinch hit.

Edwin Maysonet, 2B

2009 Season Stats: 79 PA, .290/.333/.362, 2 doubles, 0 triples, 1 HR, 9 runs, 7 RBIs, 0 for 0 stolen bases, 19 strikeouts, 86 OPS+

WAR: 0.3

UZR: 8.3

VORP: 1.1

Notes: Maysonet wasn't one of the best prospects in the Astros system, but made the best debut of any Astros rookie position player in 2009. His average was high, but his OBP was not impressive. Add to that his complete lack of power and it's not like we have the next Chase Utley here. Still, Maysonet probably deserved more playing time than he got. He'd been known in the minors as a great defensive player and flashed good range in his time with the big league club. The only downside is his minor league track batting record was not very good. Maysonet had a decent season in 2008 at Corpus Christi, but was pretty terrible at Round Rock last season. That could be him reacting to shuttling back and forth from Triple-A to the majors. That could be because he's not ready to hit high-level pitching. Only time will tell.

Tommy Manzella, SS

2009 Season Stats: 5 PA, .200/.200/.200, 0 doubles, 0 triples, 0 HR, 0 runs, 0 RBIs, 0 for 0 stolen bases, 4 strikeouts, 7 OPS+

WAR: 0.0

UZR: -11.6

VORP: -0.5

Notes: The Great Shortstop Hope will be 27 next season and hasn't made a dent in the big leagues yet. There were a couple stories in September about how Manzella was learning from Tejada and soaking it all in, but he still needs to play. Manzella was a very consistent hitter for Round Rock in 2009, batting .289/.339/.417 in 133 games. The one good thing? Manzella is a horse, playing 521 games over the past five seasons in the minors. His defense is good, but it's hard to quantify how good it will be in the majors. In all likelihood, Manzella will be given every chance to be the everyday shortstop next season.

Chris Johnson, 3B

2009 Season Stats: 23 PA, .091/.130/.091, 0 doubles, 0 triples, 0 HR, 1 run, 1 RBI, 0 for 0 stolen bases, 6 strikeouts, -39 OPS+

WAR:-0.4

UZR: -34.9

VORP: -4.2

Notes: Johnson is one of the few Astros prospects I'm not that high on. He gets a lot of credit for being a power hitter, but only hit 13 home runs last season and averaged 10 homers per year in his minor league career. His defense at third is just passable, but probably could be as good as Blum, given time. The question is: is this Astros team ready to take a chance on a young player going through growing pains at the big league level? It's going to take an adjustment for Johnson to be a productive big league hitter, and I'm not sure the Astros can be patient enough for that to happen.

Chris Coste, Util

2009 Season Stats: 112 PA, .204/.259/.252, 5 doubles, 0 triples, 0 HR, 3 runs, 10 RBIs, 0 for 0 stolen bases, 28 strikeouts, 37 OPS+

WAR: -0.5

UZR: -10.9

VORP: -8.1

Notes: After being picked up off waivers on July 10, Coste started a bunch of games when Lance Berkman was injured and then Ivan Rodriguez was traded to the Rangers. The problem is Coste just wasn't that good, either offensively or defensively. Coste didn't hit for much power in his brief stint with the team, but did manage to strike out a ton. So he's got that going for him, which is nice. Seriously, though, by whichever metric you look at, Coste is the prototypical replacement-level player. He's only on the roster because there aren't better options. Hopefully that will change in the off-season.

Matt Kata, Util

2009 Season Stats: 52 PA, .200/.212/.220, 1 double, 0 triple, 0 HR, 2 runs, 5 RBIs, 0 for 0 stolen bases, 5 strikeouts, 16 OPS+

WAR: -0.1

UZR: 8.7

VORP: -4.8

Notes: Kata was more useful for his versatility off the bench than his play. As I mentioned at the top, I don't account much for UZR as the ONLY defensive metric to analyze things, especially when we have to extrapolate it out based on small sample sizes. Still, it appears Kata was at least a decent defensive asset on the bench this season. He's now a free agent.

Jason Smith, Util

2009 Season Stats: 27 PA, .000/.000/.000, 0 doubles, 0 triples, 0 HR, 1 run, 1 RBI, 0 for 0 stolen bases, 9 strikeouts, -100 OPS+

WAR: -0.6

UZR: 21.6

VORP: -7.4

Notes: Smith didn't get much of a chance to show anything at the big league level. What he did show wasn't good. Smith did better with Round Rock, but is probably best suited as a utility guy on the end of a bench. Smith is a free agent and probably won't be back with Round Rock.

Aaron Boone, 3B

2009 Season Stats: 14 PA, .000/.071/.000, 0 doubles, 0 triples, 0 HR, 0 runs, 0 RBIs, 0 for 0 stolen bases, 2 strikeouts, -79 OPS+

WAR: -0.3

UZR: 15.9

VORP: -3.4

Notes: Not much to say here, other than for a guy to go through what Boone did in spring training and still get 14 plate appearances in the same season...well, that's just impressive.

Monday's Quick Hits

davoag — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:28:05 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

3 months ago: Home plate umpire Greg Gibson, left, points during an argument with St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa after throwing La Russa out of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves during the seventh inning Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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Not much going on besides the managerial search, but there were a couple of stories that caught my eye:

Could Tony LaRussa be out in St. Louis? Tony will retire rather than accept a job elsewhere, but it's interesting to think through the possibilities his leaving would potentially have. First off, would the Cards job be more enticing than the Astros job? Will that limit the managerial pool in Houston's search? Second, does that make Dave Duncan available? Could the Astros land someone like Duncan if they threw enough money at him? Just one of those stories that could create potential ripples that will affect the entire off-season.
R.J. Anderson over at D.Ray's Bay wonders if J.R. Towles makes sense as a trade candidate for Tampa Bay. Obviously the Astros don't have much faith in Towles and special advisor for the Rays Gerry Hunsicker has proven to be a fan of guys he drafted with the Astros (see Zobrist, Ben). Does it make sense for the Astros? Jason Castro will get a chance to win the starting job sooner rather than later. I don't think Houston wants to break in a young backstop before breaking in another in Castro, so I could see them taking a one-year flier on someone like Benjie Molina before giving Castro a chance to win the job by midseason. Tampa Bay also has a surplus of pitching, so maybe a swap of Andy Sonnanstine or Jeremy Hellickson would be enough to get it done.
Since we've already discussed some potential deals, would the Astros think about trading for Matt Gamel? The 23-year old is a year younger than Chris Johnson, and has a better minor league record. Gamel flashed more power in the minors, with an career minor-league OPS of .862 compared to Johnson's .726. They're apparently looking for pitching, but would they be happy with Yorman Bazardo or Polin Trinidad? Putting together a bigger deal with Wandy and J.J. Hardy might be more appealing, but an under-the-radar deal for Gamel might make the most sense long-term.
A couple of managerial notes: This report out of Boston shows the Astros have gotten permission to interview Red Sox third baseman Tim Bogar and bench coach Brad Mills. Add them to the confirmed list that includes Manny Acta, who will probably get the first interview this week. I'll have a post later today on Acta going over his background and managerial career. UPDATE: McTaggart added a couple more confirmed names in Bob Melvin and Al Pedrique, while also running down how the hiring process will shake out.

Potential Buy-Low Candidate: J.R. Towles

R.J. Anderson — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:00:57 -0000

Acquiring a new catcher is probably the top priority this off-season. Gregg Zaun may not return, Dioner Navarro turned back into a pumpkin, and the other 40-man options are reserves at best. With limited free agent options (read: budget) the Rays are probably getting said new catcher via trade. This means, the catcher likely won't be a heaven-sent instrument capable of destroying planets with a single flick of the wrist.

Enter J.R. Towles. He's not going to destroy planets -- well, maybe, if you count those little miniature glass globes as 'planets' - but he's almost certainly undervalued by his current team.

In 268 major league plate appearances, Towles has hit .188/.280/.329 - which translates into a .269 wOBA - and has thrown out 30% of attempted thieves. Nothing special about that. In the minors, the soon-to-be 26-year-old has showcased skills that made him one of the trendy rookie picks not long ago. Towles hit .289/.375/.455 in 420 plate appearances at Round Rock Triple-A and had a .864 OPS throughout his minor league career.

Baseball America ranked Towles as the Astros best prospect prior to last season. They had this to say about him:

Strengths: Towles has a chance to have average or better skills across the board. He has good pitch recognition, handles the bat well and controls the strike zone, so he should hit for average. He's adding strength and starting to pull the ball more often, so he could develop into a 15-20 home run threat. He's more agile and runs better than most catchers, with average speed and double-digit steal totals in each of his three full seasons. Behind the plate, Towles moves and receives well and calls a good game. He has a strong arm and his athleticism gives him a quick release.

Weaknesses: Because he has played the equivalent of just two full minor league seasons, Towles still needs polish. His primary goal is to get stronger, so he can tap into more of his power potential and be more durable. He can get pull-happy at times and should drive more balls to the opposite field when the opportunity presents itself.

Jason Kendall was the hot comparison and prior to starring in the 2009 horror project known as "Worst Catcher in Baseball" Kendall was a pretty nice player himself. From 2002 until 2006 (ages 28-32) he averaged roughly 3.5 WAR per season. If Towles can turn in three straight 2.5 win seasons he'd be the best catcher in Rays franchise history.

The Rays should have pretty decent knowledge of Towles since Gerry Hunsicker drafted him way back in 2004 while adding Hunter Pence and Ben Zobrist to the Astros system that same year. Further Houston drafted Jason Castro in the first round in the 2008 draft and Towles suffered through a fractured nose and hamstring issues this year, which lead them to play Ivan Rodriguez and Humberto Quintero at the major league level. Simply put: Ed Wade probably isn't very enamored.

CHONE had Towles with a .320 wOBA and ZiPS said .294. For reference: Dioner Navarro's wOBA was under .260. So yeah, it's safe to say almost anything would be an upgrade over 2009 Navarro. Further, Towles' major league walk and strikeout ratios aren't too far off his Triple-A ratios, meaning the only thing missing is the BABIP. Maybe he has an issue with getting the bat knocked out of his hands in the majors, but that's impossible to tell in only 250 plate appearances spread out over three seasons.

Maybe we can get Felipe Paulino thrown into the deal as well.

Cecil Cooper Firing Rumors and The Friday Morning Astros Round Up

HighLeveragePerformer — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:04:27 -0000

More photos » by Danny Moloshok - AP

Arguing won't increase your job security even a little bit, Coop.

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If you're anything like me, you found that Thursday was a tease. I must have checked the Chronicle's website fifty times throughout the day to see if a certain manager had been fired. Nope. Maybe today will be the day?

Here are a few pieces of speculation that haven't been posted on TCB yet: Ken Rosenthal expects Cooper to be fired soon, despite his signing a contract extension through 2010. Candidates to replace Coop include current third base coach Dave Clark, and former Phillie manager Jim Fergosi. I think if we replace Cooper with one of Ed Wade's old boys from Philly, I probably will upset...to say the least.

Another report basically re-iterates what Rosenthal said:

Cooper appears a goner in Houston after owner Drayton McLane said he will thoroughly evaluate the organization following the season.

Maybe my Joe Morgan inspired trivia question yesterday didn't fool anyone, but the topic of Astros' team MVP did spark a bit of a discussion. Michael Bourn seems to be the front runner in most people's minds, and I tend to agree:

"I'd be hard-pressed to think of anybody more deserving," Astros president of baseball operations Tal Smith said. "I certainly don't want to denigrate anybody else, but Michael has been just superb in all respects, offensive and defensively. His speed is such a factor."

This study on the chattiest baseball announcers absolutely shocked me. Apparently, Bill Brown is a fairly talkative guy in the booth, more so than even the Rangers' Josh Lewin. Say what you will about the Rangers and how well they've played in 2009, but their announcers leave a great deal to be desired. Subjectively, I guess I always associated Lewin as being over talkative and rarely on point.

Without the internet, how much would you know about the Astros' minor league affiliates? Probably not much. Zach Levine started to do a minor league notebook this summer in the Chronicle, but outside of him there isn't very much information to be had. Fortunately, we don't have to worry about that.

**DQ Insert**

J.R. Towles will be returning to the bigs tonight. It doesn't sound like, however, that he'll be given much playing time. Frustrating, frustrating, frustrating. Why not have him work with Bud Norris, Feliepe Paulino and Yorman Bazardo? Why do we need to get further looks at Humberto Quintero? Or Chris Coste for that matter? Why do I consistently continue to hope that decision making will make sense with this team?

Richard Justice, who is pretty much solely responsible for all the "Will Cecil Cooper get fired?" hoopla yesterday, tries to deduce who is to blame for the state of this franchise, and therefore be fired. The arguments are many, but the basic sub-conclusion which Justice reaches and should not be lost is that Cecil Cooper should be fired. Other than that, it seems like Justice might just be stabbing at, but never arriving at the fact that Drayton McLane is his own worst enemy at this point.

Tuesday Morning Astros, etc Round Up

HighLeveragePerformer — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 11:00:15 -0000

More photos » by Lenny Ignelzi - AP

He's baaacckkk.....

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There's a lot of news on the Astro injury front. Roy O will make his return to the rotation today after experiencing no pain in his bullpen session on Sunday. Which is awesome because another starting pitcher, Mike Hampton, has suffered a pretty significant injury. A meniscus tear isn't like an ACL tear, but it is painful, and for someone who was struggling when he was healthy, this could set Mike back even more. Yorman Bazardo will pitch in Hampton's stead on Thursday if he can't make a go of it. On the opposite end of the injury spectrum, both Lance Berkman and LaTroy Hawkins expect to be activated from the DL before the Florida series is over.

On a semi-miraculous note, Aaron Boone has begun making his rehab starts in Corpus Christi, and thinks he should be ready to roll by September 1. Forget baseball- this is tremendous news for a man who had open heart surgery just four months ago. Congratulations on the speedy recovery, Aaron.

Richard Justice points out that the Astros have to go 35-16 the rest of the way to reach Cecil Cooper's predicted 90 wins. I'm gonna go out on a short limb and say it's not gonna happen. On a more frustrating side of things, Drayton McLane has apparently gone mad:

On Friday, Drayton McLane even mentioned the possibility of bringing Pudge back for the 2010 season.

Why, oh why, oh why? Even if Jason Castro isn't ready (and he probably won't be), there has to be a better option. Pudge has been rode hard and been put up wet too many times. I was at Friday night's game, and his bat speed has visibly slowed, and he doesn't move around well at all defensively. I'm no scout, but this obvious to anyone who's watching.

UZR be damned, says Michael Bourn. The opening paragraph from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Monday morning recap says it all:

The Milwaukee Brewers checked the box score after their game Sunday afternoon against Houston to make sure there was only one Michael Bourn playing center field for the Astros.

The Astros have the good fortune of missing Florida starting pitcher Josh Johnson this time around. He's been under the radar, but FanGraphs is of the option that he's a top ten starter in the NL.

The Brewers traded for David Weathers after the series against Houston was over. He hasn't been all that great for the Reds so far in 2009, but he's an extra arm to throw out there when need be.

On the minor league front, props to Drew Locke for surpassing the 100 RBI mark for the season. I realize that RBI isn't the stat of choice for saber-heads, but it's still a cool number to achieve for any middle of the order hitter. His career path has shown that progress for him has been slow in coming, due to injury and the inability to hit for power. As a 26 year old AA outfielder this was his best, and possibly, last chance to show something. The question is- has he ever played infield, because our major league OF seems set.

Jason Castro continues to be productive, despite not showing much pop for AA Corpus Christi. People other than the TCB crew are taking notice, too:

Catcher Jason Castro – the club’s 2008 first-round pick – should be the next significant contributor after surpassing J.R. Towles as the club’s backstop of the future. Castro, 22, began the 2009 season in high-A and hit .309/.399/.517 with seven homers in 207 at-bats. The left-handed hitter was then moved up to double-A where he is currently hitting .304/.358/.405 with two homers in 148 at-bats. His power numbers were probably exaggerated a bit in high-A ball due to the fact he was playing in Lancaster (one of the best offensive parks in minor league ball) and his ISO has dropped from .208 in high-A to .101 in double-A. Regardless, he’s still an above-average offensive catcher who has really improved defensively behind the dish.

The blurb also notes how the Astros have seen solid contributions from farm hands like Hunter Pence and Bud Norris as well the past few seasons. The day we climb out of the cellar in the minor league system rankings, there will be much celebration around these parts.

[DQ Insert so these don't get lost forever]

Brian McTaggart notes that Miguel Tejada needs an off day and that Coop is trying to find the time to do it. It fits pretty well with what I noted in Decemeber, but Coop seems to be showing his tendency to not be able to execute part of his job description (managing players):

"I've been thinking about it," Cooper said. "I really need to do it. I'm sure he wants to play here because he lives down in this area. Maybe on Friday or something like that in Milwaukee we'll give him a break. I've got to find time for him, though, because he definitely needs time off."

An interesting read about regression to the mean, confirmation bias, and the mistakes fantasy owners make. I link it not to discuss fantasy, but to opine that I imagine that MLB GMs also, probably, fall prey to these exact same errors in judgement.

Tuesday Morning Astros, etc Round Up

HighLeveragePerformer — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:00:25 -0000

Bill James has weighed in on the winners and losers of the trade deadline. I feel like my opinions on the subject are worthless on any subject that James opines on, because he's just so damn astute.

One man's perspective from the most recent SABR convention in Baltimore. Sounds like a cool concept, one that I did not know SABR did.

So this is cool: the President of the San Diego Padres invited two of the managers from Gaslamp Ball to last night's Pads game.

When I have time to kill, I usually think, "Hmmm....I guess I'll watch some TV." When other people have time to kill, they build a replica of Fenway Park at their home.

Speaking of ROID-Sox Nation (yea, I went there), a New Yorker is giving out instructions for Yankees' fans this week as Boston rolls into the Big Apple:

So Yankees, fans when the big bloody sock machine pulls into town on Thursday for a four game set at the stadium, leave your blow up syringes and steroid chants at home. You don't live in Boston, YOU live in the greatest city in the world. You, ladies and gentleman boys and girls of all ages, have something your counterparts from the North will never have ... class.

There were some people on here last week that seemed to be in favor of the Astros making a move for hometown guy Scott Kazmir. Well, Buster Olney thinks that the Rays should make a move, and trade him this offseason.

Does J.R. Towles deserve to be called up? RJ thinks so. His points are valid. Pudge is slumping terribly, and Towls has only had a grand total of 197 ML ABs. Could it hurt?

It always seemed like police officers give out too many tickets already, but this is ridiculous!

Friday Morning Astros, etc Round Up: Ed Wade, pay attention

HighLeveragePerformer — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 11:00:10 -0000

More photos » by Pat Sullivan - AP

How would he look in green and gold? Not very good, if you ask me.

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Joe Sheehan is at it again, full of words of advice for Ed Wade. Moves he suggests the Astros should just try out, and see what happens:

See if J.R. Towles, now 25 and two years removed from being loved here, can bring back an upgrade in the infield, maybe Jhonny Peralta or Freddy Sanchez.

Keep in mind that he offered this suggestion before Lance Berkman landed on the DL, so consider that before you give him the benefit of the doubt.

Next up in his bag o' tricks:

Jordan Lyles might be the organization’s best prospect now, but his main value is probably as the centerpiece of an offer for Victor Martinez.

?? Maybe, for the future draft picks we could get if Martinez turned down our arbitration offer, but I still don't know if it would be worth it. I would hesitate to trade a top fifty prospect like Lyles for Victor Martinez. Especially considering that Lance Berkman is our first baseman for the foreseeable future, and that Jason Castro is moving swiftly through the minor leagues. But, wait! That last "roadblock" is solved by Sheehan's next sentence:

Throw a bunch of B- and C-level prospects—the system lacks A-level guys—for Jarrod Washburn. Find out what the industry thinks of Jason Castro

Yes! That's it, Joe! Trade for this guy. Someone who is playing so far above his head, it's mind-blowing. Baseball Prospectus always throws that at the Astros- they play above their heads, they're lucky, blah, blah, blahhhhhh...So why add another one of those supposedly blessed players?

He finishes up by throwing out a Hunter Pence for Matt Holliday and a pitcher from Oakland trade. Bottom line, the Astros must be buyers.

At this point, does Sheehan even research when he writes about the Astros? Or does he just rely on his own subjective opinions and perceptions about the team? I'm gonna go with the latter....

Speaking of Mr. Holliday, the Cardinals are interested in obtaining the Athletics' OF. They're dangling top prospect Brett Wallace to get him. I'd be wary if I were St. Louis- the last time they traded with the A's, this guy got away.

Mr. Bill James weighs in on the steroids controversy. When he talks, we all should listen.

Beyond the Boxscore bumps the Astros up to 24th in their power rankings. Hooray!

I'd be remiss if I failed to mention Mark Buehrle and his perfect game. Perpetually underrated, he sent 27 Rays down in order.

Farmstros Five- Week Six

farm_stros — Wed, 20 May 2009 15:58:25 -0000

The Farmstros Five for the week of May 13-19, 2009

Farmstros Top Performer of the Week

Polin Trinidad, LHP, Corpus Christi. Trinidad threw a complete game seven-hitter with six strikeouts in his only start.

The other four:

Jordan Lyles, RHP, Lexington. Lyles pitched 12 innings in two starts. He gave up seven hits and one earned run, while striking out 17.

Leandro Cespedes, RHP, Lancaster. Cespedes pitched nine innings and allowed seven hits and two runs, in one relief appearance and his first start of the season.

Tommy Manzella, SS, Round Rock. Manzella was 11 for 32 for the week with three doubles, one triple, one home run and two RBI.

J.R. Towles, C, Round Rock. Towles had the game-winning home run in one of Round Rock's two wins. He ended the week 6 for 16 with one home run and seven RBI.

5-Run Nationals' 6th Gives John Lannan 1st W. Washington Nationals 9 Houston Astros 4.

Ed Chigliak — Tue, 05 May 2009 02:57:18 -0000

More photos » by Luis Alvarez - AP

7 months ago: Washington Nationals' Ryan Zimmerman hits an RBI double against the Houston Astros during the seventh inning of a baseball game in Washington on Monday, May 4, 2009. The Nationals won, 9-4. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

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HEADLINES:

5-Run Nationals' 6th Gives DC Seventh Win.

The DC Faithful have seen how it happens so we know how it works, but to see it go against someone else and in the Nationals' favor for a change was something to behold. The Houston Astros have a 4-2 lead after five innings, with Washington rallying for two-runs in the bottom of the fifth on Elijah Dukes' and Austin Kearns' RBI singles. DC starter John Lannan, after giving up three runs in the Astros' fifth, comes back for the sixth and retires the 'Stros in order...

...Lefty reliever Wesley Wright replaces Astros' starter Brian Moehler for the bottom of the sixth and issues a leadoff walk to Anderson "Elvis" Hernandez. Pinch hitter Ronnie Belliard flies out...and then it begins...Cristian Guzzzzz-man singles. Nick Johnson's Discerning Eye draws a walk to load the bases, Wright out, right-hander Felipe Paulino in...Ryan Zimmerman...walks in a run...4-3 Houston. Adam Dunn gets down 0-2, takes two and waits on a 2-2 curve that the Big Donkey lines to right, two runs score, 5-4 Nationals. Elijah "Super" DUKES singles, Zimmerman scores, 6-4 DC. Austin Kearns' takes one on the jersey. Bases loaded? WWJD? Jesus Flores pops out. Anderson "Elvis" Hernandez...walks for the second time in one inning, Dunn walks home from third, 7-4 Nationals. Paulino out. Jeff Fulchino in...Ronnie Belliard makes the last out, 8 batters after he made the first...

Lannan Limits Damage, Nationals' Hitters (Walkers?) Come Through In Win.

DC lefty John Lannan earned his first win 6 starts into the '09 season by hanging around long enough for the Washington Nationals to get to the beleaguered Houston bullpen. Lannan gave up a bunt single on a rain-soaked infield to Astros' leadoff hitter Kazuo Matsui in the first and watched the runner come around to score when Elijah Dukes misjudged a line drive out of the mist by Lance Berkman.

In the 5th, Lannan gave up back to back singles to start the frame and back to back one-out doubles to score three and put Houston ahead 4-0, but the second double was well played by Elijah Dukes in center and Anderson Hernandez, whose relay throw to third caught Michael Bourn trying for three. And in spite of allowing two more singles, Lannan got the third out and escaped further damage.

Following a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the frame, Lannan's replaced in the Nationals' sixth when the DC rally puts them ahead for good, Lannan lasts long enough to claim his first win:

THE KIDS CALL IT THE STREAK!!! IT'S 22-GAMES LONG!!!

It didn't take the Washington Nationals' Face of the Franchise© long to stretch the streak to 22-straight games, as Ryan Zimmerman singles in his first at bat against Houston starter Brian Moehler and singles of Moehler again in the third. Zimmerman doubles and scores in the fifth, walks and scores in the sixth and doubles in a run before scoring another in a two-run seventh to put DC ahead 9-4, leaving Ryan Zimmerman 4 for 4 with 2 doubles, 2 singles, 2 RBI's, 3 runs scored and a .333 AVG after 24 games and 102 at bats in which he's now collected 11 doubles, 5 HR's and 18 RBI's, with 10 walks, a .393 OBP, .588 SLG, .981 OPS...THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!!

Better Your Bullpen...

After Houston starter Brian Moehler allows 8 hits and 2 ER in 5.0 innings, lefty Wesley Wright replaces Moehler for the sixth and allows 1 hit, 2 walks and 3 ER in 0.1 IP. Felipe Paulino relieves Wright and surrenders 2 hits, 2 walks and 2 ER in 0.1 IP, and Jeff Fulchino gives up 4 hits, 2 walks and 2 ER in 2.1 IP.

Lannan puts in 6.0 innings of work, and is replaced by "Wild" Joel Hanrahan who pitches his best inning of the year, overpowering Geoff Blum, Kazuo Matsui and Michael Bourn for a quick, scoreless frame...and then Garrett "What Me Worry?" Mock comes on with two scoreless, allowing just 1 hit in the eighth before retiring the Astros in order in the ninth.

Nationals win, 9-4 final.

For The Completists, Full Game Report (Currently Unedited) After The Jump...

Nationals now 7-17.

Houston Astros at Washington Nationals. Game 24 of 162.

Kaz Matsui bunts the first pitch of the game down the third base line for a leadoff runner on a bunt single. Michael Bourn up, Kaz Matsui gets picked off by DC lefty John Lannan and beaned by Nick Johnson’s throw to second, Matsui's safe. Lannan hangs a 2-2 curve to Bourn, who flies to Elijah Dukes in center for the first out of the game. Lance Berkman hits a line drive to center, and Dukes completely misjudges it and has it fly over his head. Matsui scores. 1-0 Astros. Berkman tries to steal on Jesus, and Jesus Flores puts the throw on the third base bag, right in Ryan Zimmerman’s glove, "You're OUT!". El Caballo grounds out to Cristian Guzman at short to end the Astros' first...Cristian Guzman grounds the second pitch he sees out to second. Nick Johnson’s Discerning Eye draws him a walk. Ryan Zimmerman rips a single under a diving Miguel Tejada to the left of second. Johnson advances. ‘Stros starter Brian Moehler throws a full count fastball by Adam Dunn for the second out. Elijah Dukes takes strike three inside to end the first.

Cristian Guzman fields and throws to first in time to get Miguel Tejada for the first out. Hunter Pence takes 3-1 pitch way outside and walks with one down. Lannan drops a two-strike slider on Jeff Keppinger and gets a grounder to short, Guzman to Anderson Hernandez to Nick Johnson at first, double play...Austin Kearns rips a grounder right back up the middle. Anderson Hernandez punches another single to the left of second and into center. John Lannan K’s trying to bunt a two-strike sinker. Cristian Guzman lines the first pitch right, Pence has it.

Houston catcher J.R. Towles gets hold of a 3-1 pitch, but flies out to center. Brian Moehler skies one to Dukes. Kaz Matsui draws a two-out walk. Michael Bourn hits the third and final out of the inning to Dukes...Nick Johnson flies out to Hunter Pence in left. Ryan Zimmeran beats Miguel Tejada to the backhand. Adam Dunn lifts a 1-2 pitch to the grass in front of the track in left. Elijah Dukes chases strike three into the dirt, 1-0 Astros after three.

Cristian Guzman picks it up at his shoes and throws to first in one motion to get Berkman at first to start the fourth. El Caballo doubles over Dukes’ head in center. Miguel Tejada grounds to Zimmerman at third, Zim throws to first. Guzman fields and throws while charging Pence’s grounder and the Guz is on target, Lannan's through four...Austin Kearns chops one to Keppinger at third. Jesus Flores splits the gap in left center and hustles around to second for a stand-up double. Anderson Hernandez grounds out to third, Flores advances. John Lannan drops a dribbler in front of the plate, the ‘Stros catcher Towles throws to first.

Jeff Keppinger drops a leadoff single over Cristian Guzman’s glove in short center. J.R. Towles singles to short left. Lannan hangs a bender to Matsui who beats Zimmemran down the line for a two-RBI double. 3-0 Astros. Michael Bourn rips one to center and off the wall, Matsui scores, Bourn goes for third and gets nailed by Elijah Dukes and Anderson Hernandez, who get the perfect relay to third. 4-0 Astros. Lannan leaves a 2-2 pitch up, and Berkman slaps a liner to left for a single. El Caballo bounces a hard liner off the third base bag, Zimmerman tries but has no chance with the throw. Tejada flies out to Dukes. 4-0 Houston...Cristian Guzman takes a swing at the first pitch and grounds out to second. Nick Johnson flies out to center. Ryan Zimmerman’s 3 for 3 after a double off the top of the wall in left. Adam Dunn works the count full and walks. Elijah Dukes shatters a bat singling over short, Zimmerman scores, 4-1 Astros. Austin Kearns drives a single to the opposite field!! Dunn scores, 4-2 Houston. Jesus Flores flies to left to end the fifth.

Hunter Pence grounds the first pitch out to short. Ryan Zimmerman slides to field a Keppinger grounder and pops up to throw out the ‘Stros third baseman. J.R. Towles grounds to Guzman, to Johnson, Lannan with a quick scoreless frame...Wesley Wright takes over on the mound for Houston. Anderson Hernandez walks to start the home half of the frame. Ronnie Belliard gets a pinch hit chance in Lannan’s spot. Belliard flies to right, El Caballo catches it. Cristian Guzman works the count in his favor and singles through second. Nick Johnson has a Discerning Eye, and he uses it to walk the bases loaded for Ryan Zimmerman, who’ll face a new pitcher, Felipe Paulino. Paulino walks Zimmerman, 4-3 Houston. Adam Dunn waits for his pitch and rips it right, two runs score, 5-4 Nationals!!!! Elijah Dukes rolls one over the mound and launches it into center, 6-4 DC on Dukes’ RBI single. Jesus Flores pops out to the infield. Anderson Hernandez walks with the bases loaded for the second forced in run and the end of the night for Mr. Paulino. 7-4 Nationals. Ronnie Belliard flies out to end the inning.

“Wild” Joel Hanrahan takes over in the seventh. Geoff Blum pops up to the infield. Kaz Matsui swings through a two-strike fastball. Michael Bourn grounds out to second, Stand up and Stretch...Jeff Fulchino’s on for Houston. Cristian Guzman sneaks one under Kaz Matsui’s glove for a single. Nick “Two-Spot” Johnson lines out to Tejada at short. Ryan Zimmerman lines to right and into the corner, Guzman scores from first, 8-4 Nationals. Elijah Dukes singles under Matsui, Zimmerman scores, 9-4 Nationals. Austin Kearns K’s on a full-count fastball. Jesus Flores fouls strike three into the catcher’s glove.

Garrett Mock’s on the mound in the eighth. Lance Berkman flies out to right. El Caballo singles through short. Miguel Tejada pops up behind the plate...Fulchino’s back against Anderson Hernandez. Willie Harris walks, Guzman grounds into a double play. Nick Johnson takes strike three.

Garrett Mock back for the ninth. Darrin Erstad grounds to first. ONE!! J.R. Towles takes a two-strike slider, strike three. TWO!!! Geoff Blum pops out to third. THREE!! 1,2,3 the Nationals win.

Nationals now 7-17.