2007 Astros Predictions
May 22, 2008
Carlos Lee would be a nice addition to any team, but he alone isn’t going to restore Houston’s lineup to the days of the “Killer B’s.” Despite poor offensive production, the Astros have still enjoyed great success in the National League thanks to a great core of starting pitchers. But with Andy Pettitte off to New York and the prospects of the Rocket (Roger Clemens) following him, Houston may just have a problem.
The Astros hope that Jason Jennings, who comes over from Colorado, will be their savior. This is very optimistic thinking considering Jennings’ 9-13 record in a weaker division last year. I’m not sure how he is going to be able to be a legit number two on one of the weaker offensive teams in the NL Central. The big question is if Houston gave up too much to get this unproven pitcher. Losing center fielder Willy Taveras and two rising star pitchers in Jason Hirsh and Taylor Buchholz, the Rockies look to have got the better end of the stick. It appears that the Astros acted a little hastily when Pettitte left and as a result made a bad deal.
Roy Oswalt is a guy that the Astros can count on . He is a legit Cy Young candidate every year. His 98-47 career record would have any team chomping at the bit to snatch this guy up. Hopefully, he is one that the Astros will not let go. Woody Williams finally gets his dream of pitching for his home town team. Wandy Rodriguez likely gets one of the last two spots because he is the only lefty after a starting job. Chad Qualls setting the table for Brad Lidge to close the door looks like a great combo in the pen on paper, but Lidge is going to have to return to his 2005 form for this to be a reality.
Offensively, this team is still among the weakest in the NL Central even with the addition of Carlos Lee. Lee will help Lance Berkman see some more pitches, but no one else is going to produce runs for this team. The Astros are dependent on another big season from Morgan Ensberg like they got in 2005 when he reached All-Star status. He drove in just 58 runs last season. Anything under 80 is not going to be enough to benefit this team. Biggio is still getting it done in the two spot but he doesn’t have the wheels he came into the league with. Speed is definitely a problem for this Houston team which could resort to small ball to make up for their lack of big bats if they had more wheels. Unders when the Astros are playing at home in Houston, especially with Oswalt on the hill, could be a very strong play in 2007.
I’m not going to beat around the Bush. Houston will miss out on the postseason in 2007. After Oswalt, the starting rotation is very thin. Jennings will have to exceed expectations to help shore up the starting five as will Woody Williams. Picking up Carlos Lee won’t be enough. Houston needs at least two more quality bats. I like the Cards, Cubbies, and the Brew Crew to all finish ahead of Houston this season.
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