Quote: The only thing is that the Astros have rarely done well with signing players coming off injuries the previous years.
Quote: Quote: The only thing is that the Astros have rarely done well with signing players coming off injuries the previous years. Or signing guys with strong Houston/Texas ties. I struggle to think of a big free agent signing in recent memory that didn't have the hometown connection as a major factor.
Quote:Or signing guys with strong Houston/Texas ties. I struggle to think of a big free agent signing in recent memory that didn't have the hometown connection as a major factor.
Quote:Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, Brad Ausmus; free or almost free agent signings.
Quote:Quote:Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, Brad Ausmus; free or almost free agent signings. Why does it matter anyway? Some people keep hollering that because Player X actually *wanted* to play for the Astros, that he doesn't count as actually *signing* with the Astros. WTF? Do they expect guys to come out and say "I really hate the Astros and don't want to play for them, but I signed anyway"?
Quote:The subtext is that the Astros are too cheap to sign a real free agent unless they get him at a discount.
Quote:It's like the bitching and whining about how much they're paying Ausmus, or how much they might pay Rondell White for fear those guys are eating up payroll. When Mclane comes out and says "Player X is available at a reasonable price, but we don't have the money to sign him", it'll be the first time. Until then, there has never, ever been any indication that this would be a problem.
Quote:On the other hand, there are people who believe no one ever says what they're thinking and all public statements should be summarily dismissed as propaganda.
Quote:Quote:On the other hand, there are people who believe no one ever says what they're thinking and all public statements should be summarily dismissed as propaganda. Not all public stetements; just those emanating from Peter Gammons or Fox News.
Quote:Arky: It's all about Park Factors. Everybody knows that Beltran would have hit 50 in MMP.