I have to admit that I am somewhat surprised to hear the criticism of Wandy
since he did go 9-7 with a ?3.54 ERA this season which is by far his best season
ever and highly respectable numbers.?

I am intrigued by the rumors related to Chia-Jen Lo.? I will look into those and
see what I can find out about him.




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I'm getting tired of Wandy Rodriguez. In his career, the guy has a losing
record, is approaching an ERA near 5.00, and averages more than one hit an
inning. Moreover, he'll be 30 years old at the beginning of next season. Why are
we holding on to him?
-- Matthew W., College Station

Because he left-handed and when he's on, his curveball is fantastic and his
changeup is not far behind. I, too, am waiting for Rodriguez to raise his game a
level during a full, healthy season. Next year will be huge for him. He's going
to have to prove he's rotation-worthy. I still think he has too much upside to
give up on him, and hopefully, next year he'll put it all together. He was
moving in the right direction toward the end of last season.

I'm not sure if this has been asked, but would the Astros try to get Jon Garland
this winter?
-- J.S., Houston

Garland will be among a handful of high-priced free agents ripe for the taking
this year. He made $12 million in 2008, the final year of a three-year, $29
million extension he signed in the winter of 2005. He'll be looking for a hefty
pay raise, I'm sure, which begs the question, can the Astros afford him? Again,
they're looking to re-sign Randy Wolf and that won't be a cheap endeavor. If
they do get something done with Wolf, it's highly unlikely they'll pursue a
second expensive free agent.

When the Astros announced last week that they were freezing ticket prices, I
called Ed Wade and asked him if this meant they were slashing the payroll. He
said, "We're raising the payroll." I waited in silence for a few seconds,
waiting for the punch line.

But, Wade was serious. He wants to try to keep the team that ended the 2008
season together, and that's going to cost a bundle. Wolf will command a high
salary, and arbitration-eligible players such as Jose Valverde and Ty Wigginton
are due significant raises. If they are serious about retaining most of these
players, it's highly unlikely they'll be pursuing an expensive free agent from
the outside.

Wesley Wright showed some promise this year. Does he now have a shot at a
rotation spot or will they try to get him more innings as a middle reliever?
-- Mel, League City

?

I wouldn't look for Wright to be a rotation candidate. Had he received
significant starting experience while in the Dodgers Minor League system, the
Astros would have considered it, but at this point, they've targeted him as a
reliever. For now, Wright fills a huge need as a lefty out of the 'pen. I'd like
to see him progress into a back-end guy, maybe a setup man someday. But he's
going to have to improve his numbers versus right-handers, who batted .361
against him last year. That's not nearly good enough, nor is the 6.10 ERA he
amassed while facing righties.

Do you think the Astros will re-sign Mark Loretta?
-- R.F., Kingwood, Texas

It's possible, but I doubt it. Loretta's playing time diminished significantly
toward the end of the season as the Astros took a look at a slew of utility
infielders, including Jose Castillo and David Newhan. I'm in favor of Loretta
coming back mainly because Kazuo Matsui's probably only good for 90 or so games,
which leaves around 70 games that will need to be absorbed by the backups. I
like Newhan and Loretta but there may not be room for both, and Newhan will be
less expensive. We'll see.

Is there any talk about signing Adam Dunn? He is from Texas and the Astros could
put him in right field. I am a huge fan and would love to see this happen.
-- Jackie T., Burnsville, N.C.

What would an offseason be without an Adam Dunn question? I realize he is from
Houston, but as long as Carlos Lee is occupying one of the outfield spots, I can
assure you Dunn will not be on this team. To put it kindly, defensively, it
would be a challenge to have two slow-footed outfielders manning the corners. To
put it not so mildly, it would be a disaster. Also, Dunn has played mostly left
field and I don't foresee Lee moving anytime soon.

Last season there was public discussion about a rift between pitching coach
Dewey Robinson and his pitchers. Some even speculated that he would be dismissed
at the All-Star break. What happened to turn that relationship around and is it
on solid footing?
-- Tom B., New Orleans

There were definitely issues between Dewey and the pitchers, and if I had to
categorize it one way, I would say it's a work in progress. Dewey is very, very
knowledgeable and has been a huge asset to the organization in terms of
developing pitching talent over the years. But translating that experience,
which centered largely on Minor Leaguers, to the big league level, turned out to
be a bumpy transition. Veteran pitchers need guidance more than they need
teaching. They need an extra set of eyes to analyze mechanics. They need a
sounding board.

That said, Robinson has a lot to offer, and I suspect 2009 will be a better year
for everyone -- for all of the coaches and for Cecil Cooper, who had some
missteps in his rookie season as a Major League manager.

Everybody is saying that all we need is pitching and a catcher. But what about
outfield? Rocco Baldelli filed for free agency this week. I don't see why the
Astros wouldn't try to pursue him.
-- Evan C., Houston

I'd like to see that happen, too. I'm just not sure the Astros are going to
allot any of their free agent dollars to the outfield, and it really wouldn't be
fiscally responsible for them to pay someone a lot of money who may or may not
be past the very serious health issues that kept him out of commission for most
of 2008.

Baldelli had a mitochondrial disorder that kept him in a constant state of
fatigue and while he appears to be dealing successfully with the condition,
there are no guarantees he won't have problems down the road.

Is it true that the Astros have signed Taiwanese pitcher Chia-Jen Lo? I read
this on a few blogs but have been unable to confirm it. Any clarification on
this would be much appreciated.
-- Keith S., Houston

I'm hearing it's pretty much a done deal but that it won't be official until he
passes a physical. Once it's official, I'll be able to give a more thorough
report. But yes, it appears the Astros have indeed signed him.

Go get Ken Griffey Jr. I don't care if he is old, he is Griffey. He may have
lost a step, and his bat might have slowed a bit, but he is Griffey. I want an
Astros jersey with Griffey on the back.
-- Daniel H., Channelview

I do too -- if it were 1998. Now? No thanks. He'll sign with someone and he'll
be paid largely on what he's done, not what he will do. I'd take a pass on that
one.

?


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