Tell me your kidding 'Stros'.....

I just spent some time on the internet reading through some of the transactions this off-season in Major League Baseball and let me be the first to tell you that it was a busy off-season. For everyone but the Astros that is. I would love to think that this off-season was busy, however lacking the star power of some of the off-seasons in the past, and that the Astros arent busy because there is no one that could help our ball club out there. I mean we were the 2005 NL champions ya know. So I made a list, a short one mind you, of the players that will be changing teams next year, that just might of been benificial to the Astros. In no particular order they are;

Johnny Damon, Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell, Jim Thome,Corey Patterson, Lyle Overbay, Wade Miller, Juan Pierre, Jeremy Burnitz, J.T. Snow, Mike Piazza, Larry Walker, Brian Giles, Kyle Farnsworth, Paul La Duca, Sean Burroughs, Mike Cameron, Rafeal Furcal, Troy Glaus, Reggie Sanders, Sean Casey, Tony Womack, Edgar Renteria, Alsonso Soriano, Milton Bradley, Nomar Garciapara, Kenny Lofton, Steve Finley, Rondell White, Juan Eccarnacion, Mark Loretta, A.J Burnett, Kevin Millwood, Billy Wagner, Coco Crisp, Daryle Ward, Frank Thomas, Kevin Mench, Julian Tavarez and last but not least Alex Gonzalez.

This is just a short list of the many players that are switching teams this year and NOT coming to the Astros. And why not might you ask, is it that our team is already as good as we could be, is it that these players would ruin our team chemistry from a year ago. Would if I told you that is was none of the above, but instead or ownership is just too damn cheap to make this club any better. And for all of you chirping in with information on how we got Roger and Andy Pettite 2 years ago, just do me a fvor and shut up. If you think that we got anyone of the two of them because we offered the most money then you are crazy. If you think we got any one of the two of them because of anything other then the fact we are in Roger Clemes hometown, then please bend over and let me stick a tack hammer right were it counts. And if you are wondering what the Astros did this off-season to better the club, well let me tell you. Here is our list of transactions;

Signed Preston Wilson (not too bad, but it goes all down hill from here), re-signed Russ Springer (thank God, I thought we were were going to have to settle for Julian Tavarez or Kevin Millwood, or Josh Beckett) re-signed Brad Ausmus ( I know he is a vocal leader, but shit does that mean he is not blamed for being the hit-less wonder of our team) released Jose Visciano (led the Astros in batting Avg. in 2003, and possibly our best off the bench reliable hitter) released Orlando Palmero ( if not Visciano then this is the man) re-signed Lidge (this would be great however we really showed him how much we loved him and signed him long term...a 1 year deal) claimed the insurance on Jeff Bagwell sighting he is unfit to play, and last but not least declined arbitration for Roger Clemens (have no fear guys we did sign Russ Springer (pictured here)).

This is why were are the Astros and everyone else isnt.

scott