Team Preview - Houston Astros

2007 Money ($1,781) Moneyline ~ ($2,320) Runline ~ 79-76 Over/Under

2007 Review

Houston should have been a player in the N.L. Central last season but after a decent 20-19 start, the Astros dropped 12 of 13 games and were never able to recover. The team was in the bottom half of the league in hitting, runs, on-base percentage, slugging, ERA and WHIP. The results were obvious, so the Astros needed an overhaul and they were the busiest team in the offseason. This is far from the same Houston team that went to the playoffs just two short years ago and we are not sure if it is good or bad.

2008 Offense

Houston will be without one of the greatest players in franchise history as Craig Biggio hung up the cleats following a season where he picked up his 3,000th hit. The future Hall of Famer will be missed on the field but also in the clubhouse where he was the team leader. That job now goes to Lance Berkman who at 32 years old is the longest tenured hitter. He will be hitting cleanup and he could see some pitches if the Miguel Tejada acquisition works out. Tejada is coming off his least productive season since 1999.

Behind Berkman is Carlos Lee who had a great first season in Houston as he had career high’s in both RBI’s and on-base percentage while his 32 home runs were tied for second most in a season. Hunter Pence, third in Rookie of the Year voting last year, will hit 6th. After that it is a whole new offense. Michael Bourn and Kaz Matsui will hit 1st and 2nd respectively and if they can get on base for the three through six guys, this offense will be hard to stop and could be one of the most improved in baseball.

2008 Starting Pitching

The Astros allowed the most home runs in baseball, giving up 206 taters and while that normally is suicide, Houston actually finished with a respectable 4.70 ERA. Respectable in that it should have been a lot worse and take Roy Oswalt out of the equation and it was far from respectable. Oswalt had a 3.18 ERA, his worst in three years but still solid nonetheless. His 1.33 WHIP, a career high, is a cause for concern. After Oswalt, the Astros are thin in starting pitching but there is promise.

Brandon Backe missed almost two full seasons after having Tommy John surgery. He started five games in September last season and was very solid with a 3-1 record and 3.77 ERA. Wandy Rodriguez has the potential to be great but he needs to learn how to pitch on the road. He had a 2.94 ERA at home but a 6.37 ERA on the road where he went 3-10. Woody Williams is coming off his worst year ever and you have to wonder how much the 41-year old vet has left. Shaun Chacon and Felipe Paulino will battle for the 5th spot.

2008 Bullpen

The Astros stayed relatively the same with starting pitching but the bullpen was completely overhauled. Houston had a 4.69 ERA out of the relievers and the 26 blown saves were the 2nd most in baseball. Dave Borkowski is the only holdover from last season and even his job is not safe after a 5.15 ERA from last year. Brad Lidge was the closer at the end of last season but he was traded to the Phillies. He is replaced by last year’s saves leader Jose Valverde who comes over from Arizona.

Gone is setup man Chad Qualls, who was sent to Arizona in the Valverde deal, but in is Doug Brocail who is in his second stint in Houston following a superb season with the Padres last season. Geoff Geary and Oscar Villarreal had good seasons in the pen in Philadelphia and Atlanta respectively and should contribute right away. After that, the final three sports are up for grabs with 10 pitchers going into camp to try and win the jobs. The bullpen remains a big question in Houston.

2008 Overall Outlook

On paper, Houston looks like a better team in 2008 but it will come down to the mix of young and old arms in the starting rotation as well as the inconsistent bullpen. The offense will be better if the Tejada steroid circus does not get in the way. The Astros were a disappointment last year and that can be good for the wallets this season as this team will be undervalued coming into this year. Oswalt will have big prices but Backe and Rodriguez should give us great opportunities at very good prices.

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