Read on Espn that Philly and Phoneix are talking Amare and pieces for Dalambert and Iggy.I was hoping we could get Iggy but if Phoneix is dangeling Amare I cant see Philly passing that offer up. The story was stating that Phoneix was pushing hard to get it done but Philly was kinda wanting to see what else they can get. I think if we are going to get involved we are going to have to give up Scola or a pick.

Adam Miller was Cleveland top pitching prospects for the last few years. Injuries have sideline him and Cleveland Non tender him. He is a Texas native from Plano and has electric stuff. Here are his numbers via alink http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/m/adam-miller-2.shtml here are some info on his pitches Miller amasses strikeouts (9.2 per game) with his 92-95 mph four-seam fastball and 84-88 mph slider (both plus pitches), and induces groundball outs with his 88-91 mph sinker. I hope Ed Wade gives him alook he just had surgery on his middle finger In 2009 he had re constructive surgery on his middle finger. It was stage 1 of a multi stage operation. Recovery time is 6-9 months. He is 6'4 190

Espn Rumor mill has Brett Myers being link to the 2 Texas teams the Rangers and Astros. They say we can either use him as a Closer or a Starter Behind Oswalt, Wandy, Norris(Myers) and Wright? I know last year he wanted to be a closer. So maybe we have a deal with Hawkins to reamin the set up guy and have Myers becoming our new Closer. I will be really suprised if this happens as Lidge and Myers are Buds and I am sure Lidge has probably Dogged us to him.But then again we have no state Tax!!!!

Everyone know our 3rd base situation, earlier in the year I said we should go after Andy Marte when he was placed on Waivers and we did nothing. Know I read on ESPN Insider that the white Sox are going to either trade or release Josh fields. I hope Ed Wade put in a call to his agent if he is released or offer some A ball guy for him. He was the 18th pick in the 04 draft and in 07 he hit .244 23 HR and 67 RBI and had a OPS of 788 in 100 games. He needs a change and he could be our answer to the 40 year old 3 rd baseman. Any thoughts?

Read today that former Rice and 1st rd draft pick Philip Humber could have been picked up on waivers, but no team made a claim on him. Wow we let a Texas kid and former top prospect get away. I sometime wonder what goes thru our GM and Owners head. What makes this worse is Philip Humber is from Carthage and I think that is where Drayton is from. He had to know about him hell they had Philip Humber Day when Rice won the world Series.

Josh is a free agent at the end of the year. Do you think uncle Drayton would have enough brains to try and sign him? All I know is after last nights game we need to go after some pitching. I dont care who it is we cant give up that many runs thru 3 innings!! Ortiz looked horrible and I wont even start with the starter. If we cant keep the other team from scoring it makes no since to keep Roy here.

I play fantasy baseball and I have seen a couple of guys here post on it. I was thinking that it would be great for those of us who play fantasy Baseball to have a spot where we can get other players advise on trades or roster moves or whatever. Sometimes you get a guy pushing a trade and you want to get some advise on what to do. So I purpose that we have a Post that any one who has a question about fantsy baseball can put it here.

Andy Marte at one time was a top pick in The Braves and Indians Minor league system. He was released yesterday as he was out of options. I am hoping that the Astros take a good look at him he is a 3rd baseman and he is only 25 years old. He hit .275 with 20 hr and 74 in 2005. Here is a look at his stats http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/M/andy-marte.shtml We have 2 old men at 3rd wouldnt it be nice to bring a former top prospect and see if we could get him to be our 3rd baseman of the future???

http://hotstove.mlblogs.com/archives/2008/12/andino_still_being_shopped_by.html This would be a great person to trade for to spell Tejada. He is young out of options and could be on our Roster from Day one. If you look at his numbers http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/A/robert-andino.shtml He would be a great person for Tejada to take under his wing and groom as his replacement in a year or 2 maybe even next year as a spot starter for Tejada!!!!

The Oakland A's put Bobby Crosby on waivers. He would be a great fit. Let him work out his issues and he would be a great replacement for Tejada when he becomes a free agent at the end of 09!! Sources told FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal that the A's have placed Bobby Crosby on outright waivers. It probably won't amount to much. If Crosby is on waivers, then anyone can take his current contract, which has one year and $5.25 million left on it. However, it's doubtful that anyone will want him at that price. If he clears waivers, then he'd still be A's property and would continue to top the team's depth chart at shortstop.

Here is the link to who is non tender. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081213&content_id=3716347&vkey=hotstove2008&fext=.jsp Some of the names that stand out for the Astros are; Wil Ledezma 4.71 era 58 inn 53 so he is 6'4 Lefty Daniel Cabera 5.25 era 180 inn 95 so 6'7 righty Clay Hensley 5.31 era 39 inn 26 so 5'11 righty from Tomball Texas. I Hope we can get one of these guys hopefully Ledezma to sign with us and compete for a starters role in 09.

Here is the guy we took in th draft(please see this link) http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/minorleagues/rule_5.jsp. LHP Gilbert de la Vara has been perfect so far for the Rafters, not allowing a run in 5.2 innings pitched. He also has seven strikeouts. The Rafters roster is made up of players from the Royals, Rangers, Dodgers, Indians, and Orioles farm systems, and has a 3-5 record so far this season. Here are his stats http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=$08506&position=P

"Our reports (say Fluchino is a) big guy with a good arm," Ed Wade said early Monday afternoon during the first day of the winter meetings at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino. "Got some big league experience with Kansas City last year. Also pitched a little bit for Florida. He's got options remaining. Our guys think he can come in and compete in a bullpen situation, throw multiple innings, (and provide) good inventory." Fulchino, 29, could fight for roster spot as the club's long reliever a year after finishing 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA over 14 innings through 12 games with Kansas City. "He's a long man, more of the long man role probably at this point," Wade said. "Again, I'm just going off reports that I read this morning. Our guys were working on him." Fulchino's acquisition puts the Astros' 40-man roster at 37 as the winter meetings kicked off Monday. Ed Wade, president of baseball operations Tal Smith and assistant GM David Gottfried arrived at the meetings on Sunday, and the rest of the club's top front office folks are expected to arrive later this evening. We made a lot of contact in advance. I've made two rounds or phone calls in the last 2 ½ weeks, so I've talked to every club. So we have a pretty good sense or feel for where the things stood before we got here. I do think there's enough fluidity to it that some of that might change. Some teams that were sort of parked in neutral, having some casual interest in having a discussion that could become either those type of things could become front-burner items or they could disappear depending what happens with the free agent market or other alternatives some teams may have."

Yahoo! Sports reports that the Texas Rangers are quietly shopping shortstop Michael Young. Young, 32, will start to draw on a five-year, $80-million contract extension in 2009. The contract grants him full no-trade rights next season, then limited protection the following two seasons. The Mets, Angels, Dodgers, and Royals have reportedly all inquired on Young. He would be a perfect fit for the Astros although I dont know what we could offer to get him and with Uncle Drayton cutting back we aint got shot in hell to get him.

There is a lot of talk about us trading Wiggington , Valverde, and now even Tejada. If we trade Wiggy I have a possible solution for 3rd base his name is Dallas Mcpherson. He jacked 42 homer in triple A last year he was also a top prospect in the Angles Organaztion until he threw out his back. Here is the bad he had 2 disk fused and was off the entire 07 season. Florida signned him to a low ball deal. He signed a one year deal in jan of 08. So If i am thinking right and I may not be he should be a free agent? Here are his numbers from triple a .275 average 42 HR 98 RBI. I think he could be a nice replacement for wiggy if we trade him.

Espn is reporting that the New York Yankees are showing som interest in Ben Sheets. Here is a link http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3745862&searchName=stark_jayson&campaign=rsssrch&source=jayson_stark&univLogin02=stateChanged. Here it s broken down There's increasing buzz about the Yankees' interest in Ben Sheets, possibly an indication that they're not confident they're going to be able to sign Burnett. As this blog noted two weeks ago, the difference between Burnett's and Sheets' 2008 and career numbers are smaller than you'd think. So we may not be getting Sheets!!!!

Can someone do a break down of what Jake Peavy numbers would be at Minute Mai vs Petco? My concern is as we all know Petco is huge a fly ball pitcher paradise. I dont think Minute maid is that friendly. I also have seen a lot of teams back a way from dealing for Peavy ( is it cost is to high or are ther concerns he wont pitch that well antwhere else). If someone has the time could we get somthing typed up that would show the a projection for what he would do at Minute maid?

According to the Boston Globe we are willing to deal Carlos Lee if he would waive his no trade Clause. Here is the link http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/articles/2008/11/16/reaching_beyond_the_stars/?page=5 I only see us moving him if we get a shot at landing Peavy, but if we do that who would play Lee OF spot ( Adam Dunn?) Tell me what you think I personally dont see it happening unless we get a boat load of talent!!! What teams would be willing to deal for him?

I was thinking about how we are going to lose Loretta this offseason, and I was trying to figure out who we could sign and put into te same kind of role( partime starter when needed or soild bench guy). Any then it hit me why not Nomar. Here are his career Numbers (His last All star apperance was 06) Year Team G AB R H HR RBI BB SO SB CS OBP SLG AVG 2006 LAD 122 469 82 142 20 93 42 30 3 0 .367 .505 .303 2007 LAD 121 431 39 122 7 59 31 41 3 1 .328 .371 .283 2008 LAD 55 163 24 43 8 28 15 11 1 1 .326 .466 .264 I think he would be a great fit.

Cubs just traded for a reliver form the Marlins. Espn is reporting that Wood wont be back in Chicago. Any chance of him coming home to Texas? It would come down to the Rangers and us. Here is a link to the story. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3700730 Wood, the 1998 NL Rookie of the Year who saved 34 games this year, had been the longest-tenured player on the Cubs. General manager Jim Hendry said Wood was deserving of a three- or four-year deal and the Cubs are not prepared to offer him one. In addition to Gregg, who was the Marlins' closer until the final month last season, Chicago also has a talented setup man in Carlos Marmol. "We're just in a situation -- and Kerry fully understands -- that length of deal for the kind of salary that he could command right now is not our first priority," Hendry said during a conference call.

Going by information from a Harris County Sheriff that Hunts with Adam Dunn. He told me that Adam has told his agent that he wants to come to Houston bottom line doesnt care how he does it just that Adam wants to be here in 09. I also know he is a type A free agent so if we do sign him we lose a 1st rd pick? If that happens where would we play him and would this make us a better ball club?

Heard this rumor at work and wanted to see what everyone thought? I think it would be great if he is healthy and we have already signed Wolf. The starting 5 would be Oswalt, Wolf, Wandy, Moehler and Prior. Then maybe we could go after Jeremy Affeldt to add to the bullpen. And maybe Rocco Baldelli to shore up CF. These are the moves Uncle Drayton will sign off on I dont think we will be able to get Sheets. Anyway tell me what you think.