Berkman's future

[JimR]

if he asks to come back, will the club let him? discuss.

[BUWebguy]

I can't see a spot for him, unless the Astros get rid of Lee or Wallace just looks completely overmatched.

[dirty steve]

as much as i'd like it, i jsut don't know if there is a spot unless Lee is shedded and Lance is OK with leftfield.  i just don't see a match otherwise.

[Jacksonian]

Special Assistant for Vending Machines.

[JimR]

i think LF or nothing. not sure what happens with Lee.

[BUWebguy]

The question then becomes: Is the lure of having Berkman back enough to bite the bullet on Lee's contract? How much is left on his deal?

[Jacksonian]

i think LF or nothing. not sure what happens with Lee.

Lee against RHP this year:

avg      obp      slg .229    .263    .389

A platoon would be one weird deal though.

[chuck]

I've heard it mentioned several different places that Berkman and Lee are having unusually bad years because they are playing on an unusually bad team. Maybe there's merit to that. We'll see. If Berkman goes nutso in the Bronx then maybe there's hope for Carlos in a better lineup.

[MusicMan]

i think LF or nothing. not sure what happens with Lee.

I honestly wouldn't be surprised by unconditional waivers.

[JimR]

I've heard it mentioned several different places that Berkman and Lee are having unusually bad years because they are playing on an unusually bad team. Maybe there's merit to that. We'll see. If Berkman goes nutso in the Bronx then maybe there's hope for Carlos in a better lineup.

not sure i understand that. hitting is hitting.

[Fynn]

if he asks to come back, will the club let him? discuss.

If Berkman really catches on in NY he may change his mind about not really wanting to play there permanently.  Love them or hate them, the Yankees are in the center of east coast baseball.  If Berkman
plays well and gets a ring this year will he really be so interested in coming back?  I doubt it.

[chuck]

not sure i understand that. hitting is hitting.

What I understood from the various sources was they were suffering from a lack of protection and a lack of motivation. I'm not sure I buy either, but like I said let's see what Lance does in a lineup with some protection.

[JimR]

What I understood from the various sources was they were suffering from a lack of protection and a lack of motivation. I'm not sure I buy either, but like I said let's see what Lance does in a lineup with some protection.

i think the protection stuff is bs, if they do not give you something to hit, take a walk. sounds like an excuse to me.

[toddthebod]

Can he play short?

In all seriousness, I would not want him back -- even though he is a classy guy and a great Astros (or Astros great).  

The Astros should not be going in the direction of picking up older players unless there is no internal option.

[L.I. Bill]

If Berkman really catches on in NY he may change his mind about not really wanting to play there permanently.  Love them or hate them, the Yankees are in the center of east coast baseball.  If Berkman
plays well and gets a ring this year will he really be so interested in coming back?  I doubt it.

The Yanx want Berkman now because they signed Nick Johnson to be their regular DH this year and he (Surprise!!) got hurt.
So while they've done with patch-work DHs for the first 100 games and it's given them the chance to give half-days off to Jeter, ARod, Posada, etc by rotating them at DH every once in a while, for the stretch drive they want someone better than the likes of Juan Miranda hence Berkman and plus Austin Kearns (get two DHs in case one breaks).  But with Teixeira being signed thru 2056 (I may be a bit off on that one) and Granderson, Swisher & Brett Gardner all younger in the OF, unless your boy has resigned himself to DH duty on a permanent basis I don't see the Yanx looking to keep him past this season.

[chuck]

i think the protection stuff is bs, if they do not give you something to hit, take a walk. sounds like an excuse to me.

Paul O'Neill, a fellow for whom I have a great deal of baseball respect, went on at some length during the Astros - Yankees series about what having little protection will do to a good hitter in a bad lineup.

That said, Lance is now hitting between Jeter and Tex and he just looked horrible striking out on two consecutive breaking balls in the dirt.

[JimR]

Paul O'Neill, a fellow for whom I have a great deal of baseball respect, went on at some length during the Astros - Yankees series about what having little protection will do to a good hitter in a bad lineup.

That said, Lance is now hitting between Jeter and Tex and he just looked horrible striking out on two consecutive breaking balls in the dirt.

sorry, Paul. i, who know nothing, disagree.

[JimR]

The Yanx want Berkman now because they signed Nick Johnson to be their regular DH this year and he (Surprise!!) got hurt.
So while they've done with patch-work DHs for the first 100 games and it's given them the chance to give half-days off to Jeter, ARod, Posada, etc by rotating them at DH every once in a while, for the stretch drive they want someone better than the likes of Juan Miranda hence Berkman and plus Austin Kearns (get two DHs in case one breaks).  But with Teixeira being signed thru 2056 (I may be a bit off on that one) and Granderson, Swisher & Brett Gardner all younger in the OF, unless your boy has resigned himself to DH duty on a permanent basis I don't see the Yanx looking to keep him past this season.

he has already said no to that.

[JimR]

Can he play short?

In all seriousness, I would not want him back -- even though he is a classy guy and a great Astros (or Astros great).  

The Astros should not be going in the direction of picking up older players unless there is no internal option.

a team needs solid, high character vets.

[dirty steve]

i think the protection stuff is bs, if they do not give you something to hit, take a walk. sounds like an excuse to me.

i agree.  i guess it's just the media wanting everybody t know how bad he had in it in Houston.

[Andyzipp]

If he comes back, it would be as a power hitting lefty off the bench who could give you spot starts at 1b.

And veterans on the bench is precisely what you would want on a young team.

[Mr. Happy]

If he comes back, it would be as a power hitting lefty off the bench who could give you spot starts at 1b.

And veterans on the bench is precisely what you would want on a young team.

Totally agree. Lance against lefties is not what it used to be. It'll be interesting to see how the Yankees use him when a lefty is on the mound. I predict that they'll platoon him.

[S.P. Rodriguez]

I think his only legitimate chance to return hinges on how Wallace progresses the next two months.  As much as I'd like to see Lee moved, I don't see it happening.  If they could pull of that miracle, I think his chances improve.  Personally, I think he ends up a Ranger.  I'm not real sure how I feel about that right now and I really don't want to consider it unless I absolutely must deal with such an outcome. 

As for Berkman, I will not be surprised if he bounces back next year mostly due to the health of his knee.  I know we all think "scoped knee? sure, he'll be back in 2mo."  But normal people, people I know, who had scoped knees told me to avoid it until I absolutely MUST have it (arthritic left knee, with meniscus damage).  Of the folks I talked to, one said his knee never felt good again.  The other two said it took 6 months of dedicated re-hab.  All were highschool athletes who had it done in their late 20's.  I don't remember how much re-hab Berkman put in but I can imagine his right knee might be a huge factor in his performance from the right side. 

[JackAstro]

I honestly wouldn't be surprised by unconditional waivers.

With $43 million left on his contract?

[jaklewein]

I hate to say it, but I think he may be done.  When he's missing 2-0 fastballs right down the middle you know something just isn't the same.  Let's be honest, twenty years ago 34-35 meant you nearing the end of your career.  Steriods helped to turn 35 into the new 25.  I hope I'm wrong but I just have a bad feeling age is catching up with him.  Nothing wrong with that, in fact, it's normal.  Shows you just how good he was in his prime.  Clean as a whistle and maybe only a player or two better with the bat.  Completely underated IMO.

Oh yeah...I'll answer your question.  I'd love to see him back, but where.  If McLane continues to listen and could finally be persuaded to deal Pence, could Berkman play an adequate RF?

[94CougarGrad]

a team needs solid, high character vets.

Yes. And more yes.

[jwhudson]

Agree with Mr. Zipp, bench player, maybe Left field, he shouldn't be putting to much strain on the knee for the rest of the year as a DH from the left side only.  Bring him back.

[Arky Vaughan]

if he asks to come back, will the club let him? discuss.

There isn't likely to be a full-time position on the Astros available for Berkman, and unless he's as close to being done as many people assume, he isn't a good fit for a back-up role. He might not bat .300 with 40 homers again, but I happen to think Berkman isn't that close to being done.

I would really love to see Berkman in an Astros uniform again, but if it happens, it's going to be when all he's really capable of is spot-starting or pinch-hitting. He's not quite there yet.

I also think Lee is going to have a better 2011 than 2010. Indeed, it would be hard for Berkman or Lee to be much worse next year than they've been this year.

I do think Berkman would be willing to play for peanuts to get back to Houston. He loves playing here that much. God bless that man.

[Arky Vaughan]

I think his only legitimate chance to return hinges on how Wallace progresses the next two months.

Unless Wallace turns out to be a Mitch-Meluskey-style malcontent, suffers a major injury, or can't even outhit any of the pitchers, I think any decision on him before the end of the 2011 season at the earliest would be way premature. In other words, the next two months aren't likely to tell us much on Wallace's long-term prospects. He needs longer than that.

[Arky Vaughan]

I hate to say it, but I think he may be done.  When he's missing 2-0 fastballs right down the middle you know something just isn't the same.  Let's be honest, twenty years ago 34-35 meant you nearing the end of your career.  Steriods helped to turn 35 into the new 25.  I hope I'm wrong but I just have a bad feeling age is catching up with him.  Nothing wrong with that, in fact, it's normal.  Shows you just how good he was in his prime.  Clean as a whistle and maybe only a player or two better with the bat.  Completely underated IMO.

Oh yeah...I'll answer your question.  I'd love to see him back, but where.  If McLane continues to listen and could finally be persuaded to deal Pence, could Berkman play an adequate RF?

Were players of Berkman's caliber really done by 34 two decades ago? I'm not so sure.

I think you've got a combination of the natural effects of age, coming off an injury, playing in a pretty uninspiring environment and having an off-year. Berkman could just as soon come back next year and bat 40 points higher than he is now with 25 or 30 home runs. That's not worth $14.5 million, but it's not washed up either.

[Reuben]

Were players of Berkman's caliber really done by 34 two decades ago? I'm not so sure.

I think you've got a combination of the natural effects of age, coming off an injury, playing in a pretty uninspiring environment and having an off-year. Berkman could just as soon come back next year and bat 40 points higher than he is now with 25 or 30 home runs. That's not worth $14.5 million, but it's not washed up either.

I don't think Lance is done as a hitter/starting 1B either. To pull two examples out of my ass:

Jim Rice is known for having fallen off a cliff somewhat earlier than most great hitters. He hit .324/.384/.490 with 110 RBI at age 33, then fell to .277/.357/.408 at 34, and a little lower the next year, then hit .234 in 56 games at age 36 before retiring.

Larry Walker is listed as one of the most similar hitters to Berkman in his early 30's (on bb-ref.com). Walker hit .350 at age 34 to lead the NL, then had two more great years in Colorado, followed by two very good (injury-shortened) years in StL. before retiring, he hit .289/.384/.502 at age 38.

Granted, Lance carries a little more weight than Walker did, but I could see Lance having a similar end-of-career stage if his knee holds up. I think some team somewhere will take a shot on him for about $5mil/1 yr and probably get a very good bargain out of it. I hope he comes back in a few years, when he truly is more fit for a bench role, and retires as an Astro.

[geezerdonk]

I believe that the Berkman/Walker similarity reference is based on their shared feline characteristics, rather than their hitting styles.

[Limey]

Were players of Berkman's caliber really done by 34 two decades ago? I'm not so sure.

I imagine many were, but not all.  We all got used to the steroid-era, when players (both pitchers and hitters) could extend - and even boost - their careers into their late-30s and beyond.  Now we have to reset our brains to accept that those players not blessed with the genes and desire of the likes of Nolan Ryan will start to fade in their early 30s.