Astros scouting Colon

[Lefty]

in the Carribbean Series.  Wade & a couple of scouts present.

Article in Spanish:  http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/news/story?id=644072&s=bei&type=story

Roughly translated quotes from Wade:

"We're interested, but want to give it another look before moving forward....

I don't want to discount the possibility, but at this moment we're not at the point of discussing a possible contract."

[toddthebod]

I've seen some articles saying that the Astros would offer Colon a minor league deal.  But didn't the White Sox offer more than that? 

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080127&content_id=2357370&vkey=news_cws&fext=.jsp&c_id=cws&partnered=rss_cws

[Lefty]

But didn't the White Sox offer more than that?

Apparently, he wants to pitch in the NL.

[remy]

"Scouting colon" sounds like some bad euphemism for.. ah.. you know.

[VirtualBob]

"Scouting colon" sounds like some bad euphemism for.. ah.. you know.

TMI

I was trying to avoid admitting to myself that I had had that thought.  Now you've gone and spoiled it.

[Taras Bulba]

Wade needs to get Colon and his horrible visage.  Since Astacio left, there's been no one quite capable as he in scaring the shit out of children and old people sitting near the Houston dugout.

[geezerdonk]

Wade needs to get Colon and his horrible visage.  Since Astacio left, there's been no one quite capable as he in scaring the shit out of children and old people sitting near the Houston dugout.

A poor substitute at best. Zeke (God bless him) is in a league by himself - he's Etchebarren ugly.

[remy]

Astacio

Please, I worked so hard to forget that name.

[JimR]

Z2ke had some good moments

[Limey]

Z2ke had some good moments

Maybe remy meant Pedro...

[Kent's Moustache]

A poor substitute at best. Zeke (God bless him) is in a league by himself - he's Etchebarren ugly.

I once saw him scare four balls right out of the Ballpark at Arlington in 1 1/3 innings back in the summer of 2005.

[remy]

Please, I worked so hard to forget that name face.

fifm.

[JimR]

fifm.

ah, got it.

[Ron Brand]

Last report I saw was that Colon had scared off most of the scouts.  Four innings at mid-to-low 80s and then he was gassed, didn't appear to be in shape or have much command.

[Hornstros]

Last report I saw was that Colon had scared off most of the scouts.  Four innings at mid-to-low 80s and then he was gassed, didn't appear to be in shape or have much command.

That's unfortunate.  He would have fit in great.  He and Berkman and Lee could have all hit up CiCi's buffet after games on Sundays.  Really would have boosted team camaraderie

[Kent's Moustache]

'Tis no man.  'Tis a remorseless eating machine.
   -- Captain McAlister (The Simpsons)

[Limey]

'Tis no man.  'Tis a remorseless eating machine.
   -- Captain McAlister (The Simpsons)

One of my favourite episodes.

"I heard they shaved a gorilla!"

[Duman]

Colon will be pitching in the Caribbean Series today so here is his chance to show what he has.

[toddthebod]

I was watching the game last night on ESPN.  Tejada looks "thick" and wasn't running particularly well.  But hell if I could figure out what was going on.  The players don't have their names on the back.  Everything was in Spanish and I couldn't even hear the announcers over the drumming and trumpet playing.  It's a circus.  In a good way, I think, but still a circus.

[Taras Bulba]

I was watching the game last night on ESPN.  Tejada looks "thick" and wasn't running particularly well.  But hell if I could figure out what was going on.  The players don't have their names on the back.  Everything was in Spanish and I couldn't even hear the announcers over the drumming and trumpet playing.  It's a circus.  In a good way, I think, but still a circus.

You've just described the talk zone during the winter meetings.

[Duman]

Colon will be pitching in the Caribbean Series today so here is his chance to show what he has.

Here is one report of his outing:

Starter Bartolo Colon, who is without a contract and was auditioning for a big league job, allowed two runs on five hits and was chased in the fifth inning.

"He was OK, but there is no stamina there; he doesn’t maintain anything for more than two-inning stints,"said a scout with a National League club. "He started to lose it in the third–the velocity slowed some and he was leaving his sinker up in the zone–and then he was done.

[Taras Bulba]

Here is one report of his outing:

I guess Colon is going out in a blaze of ugly.

[Reuben]

I guess Colon is going out in a blaze of ugly.

maybe he'd make a good reliever. Hard to see him agreeing to that role at this point though.

[MusicMan]

Colon... reliever... I sense more than a few jokes are in the waiting.

[pravata]

maybe he'd make a good reliever. Hard to see him agreeing to that role at this point though.

It's unlikely the Astros will go after him as a reliever, humor value notwithstanding.  They've got a lot of candidates for relievers.  They'll carry 12 pitchers of course.  Footer projects these 5 as likely, Dave Borkowski, Doug Brocail, Geoff Geary, Oscar Villarreal and Jose Valverde.  As for the last 2 spots, here's how she sums up the competiton,

Four more on the 40-man roster will compete for jobs -- right-handers Ryan Houston and Chad Paronto and lefties Mark McLemore and Wesley Wright, a Rule 5 draftee.

Felipe Paulino will also be in the mix, although he's expected to compete for a starting role.

Four non-roster invitees will audition for the 'pen -- right-handers Mike DeJean, Carlos Hines and Brian Moehler, and left-hander Stephen Randolph. Link

I saw in one of the Chron blogs that Cooper even threw out McLemore as a potential starter.   Wade thinks Villareal is also a potential swing man.

[Jacksonian]

I saw in one of the Chron blogs that Cooper even threw out McLemore as a potential starter.   

I responded to that though it hasn't been posted.

McLemore as a starter is pie in the sky.  He has never thrown 100 innings in any season in his life.  He has a history of shoulder injury, missing parts of the 2005 and 2006 season.

[JackAstro]

Colon... reliever... I sense more than a few jokes are in the waiting.

Are you thinking of using Colon for long relief, or for spot doodie?

Thanks, I'm here all week.

[pravata]

I responded to that though it hasn't been posted.

McLemore as a starter is pie in the sky.  He has never thrown 100 innings in any season in his life.  He has a history of shoulder injury, missing parts of the 2005 and 2006 season.

Those types of off hand comments disturb me.  Is Cooper really thinking that?  If so there's more than a little S&M in the Astros plans.

[Jacksonian]

Those types of off hand comments disturb me.  Is Cooper really thinking that?  If so there's more than a little S&M in the Astros plans.

I think it reflects a sense of instability in the rotation behind Oswalt.  Every guy has too many question marks to lock into in any one spot in the rotation.  They're going to look at every possible arm and sort it out by March 31.

[MusicMan]

That "use Roy on his long toss day" idea looks better and better every day.

[JimR]

I responded to that though it hasn't been posted.

McLemore as a starter is pie in the sky.  He has never thrown 100 innings in any season in his life.  He has a history of shoulder injury, missing parts of the 2005 and 2006 season.

perhaps, but he was a starter in RR for awhile.

[Jacksonian]

perhaps, but he was a starter in RR for awhile.

Sorta.  Over the 06 and 07 seasons he started 18 games total while relieving in 42 games.  But he never even got to 60 innings pitched in either year at Round Rock. 

In 05 he started all 15 games he pitched, 73.2 innings, in Corpus then went on the DL. 

The Astros have long recognized he's got the stuff to be a successful starter; he just hasn't been durable.  IMO they babied him the year he was drafted and in the 2 subsequent years when he was in A-level ball.

[DVauthrin]

instead of scouting colon, get livan on a plane to houston ASAP.   Pay the man for a year or two, and feel good that you have a guy who can fill 200 innings in your rotation on cue.   he's not gathering a lot of interest either.

[coop]

I can't help but think that a number of teams are interested in him given the need for pitching.  Perhaps these organizations are afraid of making longer term commitments that he may be seeking or starting a bidding war on him to the point he really becomes overvalued. 

[petersonwc]

I agree with DVauthrin about Livan. He won't win another Cy Young Award, but he'll run out there and pitch a ball game. That's more than we can confidently say about anyone the Astros can run out there, except for RoyO. I'm still hopeful about Wandy. Maybe I'm going blind.

Bill Peterson
Editor
The Texas Baseball Review

[DVauthrin]

I can't help but think that a number of teams are interested in him given the need for pitching.  Perhaps these organizations are afraid of making longer term commitments that he may be seeking or starting a bidding war on him to the point he really becomes overvalued. 

the only reported offer he has is from the nats.    part of it is price driven, but in the astros situation offering him 1 for 10 mil, or 2 for 20 makes a ton of sense.