The Houston Astros have acquired utility infielder Jeff Keppinger from the Cincinnati Reds in return for what will either be cash considerations or a player to be named later.

In a previous post I named Keppinger as a potential Aaron Boone replacement, claiming that Keppinger would be a likely target if Jeff Baker (the most likely candidate) was too costly. According to multiple sources out of Colorado, was not inspiring offers from teams that Colorado wanted. It is likely that the Astros were one of those teams, and as a result indeed turned to Keppinger as their next target.

Jeff Keppinger is more or less similar to Mark Loretta. He is very versatile, with plenty of experience at shortstop, second base, and third base, and has the potential to hit .280+ over the course of the season. His downfall, like Loretta, is a clear lack of power. What Ed Wade liked most about Keppinger, aside from his versatility, was his lack of strike outs; Keppinger has walked more than he has struck out the past 2 seasons. Keppinger is going to primarily platoon at third base with Geoff Blum, but will also be used at second base and shortstop as well.

In other news, the Astros sent Rule 5 pick Gilbert De La Vara back to the Royals for $25,000 dollars. Because De La Vara did not make the major league squad the Astros were required to offer him back to the Royals before sending him to the minor leagues. De La Vara had a decent camp, but with Wesley Wright as a lock and a strong showing by Tim Byrdak to back up his surprisingly successful season in 2008 there was simply no room for a third lefty in the bullpen.

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Cecil Cooper wasn’t lying when he claimed that non-roster invitees would get a fair chance to win a roster spot. With 11 days until opening day it seems that non-roster invitee Russ Ortiz is going to win the fifth spot in the Astros’ rotation. This spring Ortiz leads all Astros pitchers in innings pitched and ERA, and with Brandon Backe being placed on the disabled list it seems inevitable that Ortiz will find himself on the Astros roster for opening day.

Russ Ortiz is a 34 year old righty who is attempting to enter the 11th MLB season of his career. Ortiz was never an elite pitcher but annually put up consistently solid numbers, most notably in 2003 where he earned a spot on the NL All-Star roster. However, after such a phenomenal year Ortiz signed in Arizona to a lucrative deal and fell apart. He dealt with rib fractures and calf injuries that persisted. He was cut by Arizona in 2006 after posting an atrocious 8.14 and posted similar numbers in Baltimore and San Francisco. After the 2007 he underwent Tommy John surgery and therefore missed all of 2008.

But now Ortiz is returning to form. He’s not going to compete for a Cy Young Award, as he did in 2003, but Ortiz claimed to be completely healthy and to have returned to form and his outings this Spring have certainly proven such. In his last start Ortiz managed to pitch 5 innings of 1 run ball (which was a result of a Jason Michaels error) despite battling a stomach virus. Cecil Cooper acknowledged that he was impressed with Ortiz, and specifically his ability to cope with his illness and pitch well regardless. It seems as of now that Jose Capellan, who has similarly had an impressive spring, is his only competition, but Ortiz has an out-clause, that is, he can opt for free agency if he does not make the Astros. Capellan, on the other hand, can be sent to Round Rock without any obstacles. Ortiz’ experience also should give him the upper hand. Barring a significant injury or an absolute disaster in his final start(s) Ortiz is likely going to win a rotation spot.

Less newsworthy, Danny Graves, after being removed from competition for a bullpen spot, requested and received his release from his minor league deal and is now a free agent. Graves has not been relevant in 5 years and was a longshot to make the Astros anyway.

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As I alluded to here Aaron Boone’s premature end to his season leaves a wide open hole at 3rd base and presumably 80+ starts to compliment Geoff Blum. Now that a few days have passed and Ed Wade has had time to scan the market we’ll look at the potential suitors for the vacancy.

Chris Johnson- Quickly emerging as one of the Astros top prospects, Chris Johnson has clearly impressed management and specifically Cecil Cooper this spring. Cooper and Wade have both acknowledged to letting Johnson attempt to win the spot. That said, Wade also implied that he would like to fill the spot through a player not currently within the Astros organization. Johnson will likely start the season in Round Rock as the full time starting third baseman and will most likely be promoted to the Astros by the summer. Johnson has earned himself a chance sometime this season to prove himself, and the Astros being required to add him to the 40-man roster for 2010 (or else risk losing him via the Rule 5 Draft) will give the Astros even more of an incentive to purchase his contract and give him a look by the end of the year. That said, he’s likely not going to be Ed Wade’s solution to filling the spot for opening day.

Jeff Baker- Colorado has a logjam in the infield. Between Atkins, Helton, and Stewart at least one will be on the bench as they rotate in and out. Add Clint Barmes and likely Omar Quantanilla to the mix of bench infielders, and there most likely is not room for Baker. Thus, rumors have begun to spread about the potential departure of Baker, who is notably out of options. Ken Rosenthal supports the idea that the Astros (among other teams) are inquiring about him. I personally speculate that Baker would require a depth pitcher in return; something the Astros perhaps have a surplus of.

Jeff Keppinger- Another player out of options, the Red could look to trade the soon to be 29 year old utility infielder. Though Keppinger was primarily brought up as a second baseman he also has ample experience at both shortstop and third base. Keppinger is a solid fielder who also is a streaky but effective hitter. Through 243 games he has an intriguing .287 avg and .338 OBP, including a respectable .266 avg and .310 OBP last year. The major setback for Keppinger is his lack of power, with a peak of 5 home runs in any single season. He does display gap power, however, with 24 doubles last year. Keppinger might not be Wade’s ideal solution but could very well be an Astro if Wade finds the price for alternate options to be too steep.

Mark Teahan- The most appealing option in makeup alone. Teahan, like the others mentioned, is yet another former prospect with high expectations and underwhelming production. In 2006 Teahan put up an impressive .290 avg .357 OBP with 18 HR and 69 RBI in only 105 games, but as expectations rose he underwhelmed a bit with a .285 average but only 7 HR in 144 games. With the emergence of Alex Gordon Teahan was tried in left field last year, and plummeted in value. This year the Royals experimented with putting him at 2nd base, but that was admitted to be a failure. With that, it’s likely that the Royals would trade him for a solid deal. It’s probable that Teahan is the best option out there and would be a solid addition to the Astros to be productive enough this year. What could easily prevent him from being an Astro is the Royals’ potential asking price; if they want too much then Wade will probably move on to other options.

Juan Uribe: The free agent infielder once put up very productive numbers in Chicago but has faded. The acquisition of Orlando Cabrera last year limited his time and the emergence of Alexei Ramirez finalized his departure from Chicago. Still unsigned, Uribe is at this time the most realistic target if Wade pursues free agency to find his suitor. Uribe has spent most of his career at shortstop but does have 68 games at third base. Uribe would be a potential power threat, averaging 18 HR per season in his career. He is probably not one of Wade’s top priorities but if he is not successful in finding a reasonable trade that fits then he might not have a choice but to at least look into signing Uribe.

With the season arriving in less than two weeks the Astros are going to have to find their third baseman soon. At this time the Astros seem open to giving Chris Johnson a chance to win the job but it’s more likely that Ed Wade finds a match via trade. There are other players who could conceivably be acquired but this group is most likely containing our future 3rd baseman. As of right now Jeff Baker seems the favorite. He is likely not going to find a place on the Rockies’ roster and reputable sources out of Colorado insist that the Rockies are taking inquiries for him. We’ll monitor the market and wait to see what Ed Wade decides to do.

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Update on March 31st: Edwin Maysonet has been optioned down to AAA. Has Jason Smith won a roster spot, or is Jeff Keppinger simply good enough for manager Cecil Cooper? If The Astros do decide that Keppinger can fill the utility role then they would have a roster spot open for what would likely be used for an extra Bullpen arm.

With Mark Loretta now with the Dodgers the Astros have a significant hole to fill in the 25 man roster. Yesterday, Cecil Cooper and Astros management narrowed down the competition for this spot by sending infielders John Gall and Matt Kata to minor league camp. Gall impressed at the plate, hitting for a .375 average in his 24 at-bats. Kata, though less impressive offensively (a .231 average) was a good veteran presence with very sound defense. Cooper acknowledged that either of these two very well could be on the Astros at some point this season, saying that the “veteran guys” are the players you might need “down the road.”

With that, the utility infield spot is down to two very different players; veteran Jason Smith and rookie Edwin Maysonet. The 30 year old Smith, who is a non-roster invitee, has only 257 MLB games in the last 8 years. He had hovered around the Mendoza Line for much of his career, including his .214 average in 22 games with Kansas City last year. Nonetheless, Smith has been praised for his ability to hit as the situation warrants, and plays solid defense. What is likely also appealing to Astros management is his versatility. Smith has spent quality time at shortstop, 2nd base, and 3rd base; a characteristic that made Mark Loretta so useful the past two seasons. On the other hand, Edwin Maysonet is a late bloomer. At 27 years old it’s hard to call Maysonet a prospect, but the past few years he has truly improved incredibly, and last year put up a solid .341 On Base Percentage. Maysonet is also versatile, with ample time at 2nd base and shortstop, though he’s only had 2 games at 3rd base in his minor league career. One element that Maysonet could potentially bring over Smith is speed. While he’s not an elite runner he does have a good amount of speed that could result in double digit steals. With about 2 weeks left in Spring Training the next few games could very well decide who wins the job. While this decision is unlikely to make or break the season it is still exciting to watch as two unlikely candidates, a non-roster invitee journeyman and a late blooming prospect, compete for a spot on the Astros.

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This morning the Astros announced that offseason signing Aaron Boone is out for the year after doctor’s told him that he needed surgery on his heart. According to Boone, the condition is not a serious one and shouldn’t impair his life in any way. The condition is also one that has existed, according to Boone, “since he was in college.” Boone’s season is without doubt and, for all intensive purposes, his tenure with the Astros, over. Whether he returns to baseball at all is not known by Boone either, who said he would wait “ to cross that bridge when [he] gets there.”

Thus, the Astros have an unexpected opening in the 25 man roster. Astros management has acknowledged in the past that the Astros would go with a Blum and Boone platoon at third base this season. That plan is, obviously, irrelevant as of today. There is not a single person in the world that thinks Geoff Blum is capable of handling 140+ starts. In other words, the Astros are going to have to figure out how the replace the 80+ starts they just lost with Boone done. The most exciting option would be to award Chris Johnson, the 24 year old prospect, a roster spot. Johnson has been a solid hitter in the minor leagues the past few seasons, including a .324 average with 12 HR in 84 games with Corpus Christi (AA) in 2008. The knock on Johnson has been his defensive play, though Astros coaches have praised him for improving significantly in that department. Another option would be to sign a non-roster invitee to a contract and assume the role of backup. Guys like Matt Kata and Jason Smith have played the position in the past. However, the solution could very well not be in the organization at this time. Wade will likely, at the least, sniff around the trade market, but more realistically Wade could find the answer in the free agent market. Wade reminded reporters today of something he was advocating this winter; many free agents will become available in the coming weeks after many players signed to minor league deals are able to opted out of their contracts and therefore become free agents.

Cecil Cooper claimed that Johnson will get “every opportunity” to earn his spot, and it is plausible that Johnson wins the spot. However, I think it’s more likely that they want Johnson to get some time in Round Rock before becoming a midseason or September call-up. Ed Wade has made it known in his short tenure with the Astros that he is at no point reluctant to explore outside the organization for acquisitions, and I think ultimately Wade will find Boone’s replacement in this way. With such news unexpected the Astros are justly in no position to fill the void at this time. However, the situation should clear up in the next week or two, and I expect that within a week we’ll find out who will receive Boone’s spot; whether it’s in-house or outside the organization

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After months of Ed Wade vehemently denying any talks with Ivan Rodriguez or his agent, Scott Boras, the Astros have signed Rodriguez to a  one year, 1.5 million dollar deal (with a possible extra $1.5M in bonuses). As recently as this Friday, Astros’ official beat writer Alysson Footer announced that Wade and the Astros were “not pursuing [Rodriguez].” Things sure changed quickly, and pending a physical anticipated to take place after the World Baseball Classic, Pudge will be in Astros camp and preparing for the start of the regular season.

First lets analyze the player at hand. Pudge has averaged a .301 avg  along with 21 HR and 87 RBI’s over the course of his career along with incredible work behind the plate that has earned him 7 gold gloves. Of course, at 37 years old and with multiple injuries over the past few years the Astros are not acquiring a player that is nearly as good as those statistics show. Still, Pudge is nonetheless a solid player at this stage of his career. He managed a .276 average last year backed up by .281 the previous year, so while he might not be the All-Star catcher he once was he still has considerably noteworthy offensive ability. However, the most notable drop off has been his power production; Rodriguez has been unable to muster 15 home runs since 2004 and has not reached 70 RBI’s in the same timeframe. Similarly, his defense has suffered as well, though he is still a component catcher behind the plate. Most notably his arm has deteriorated. His CS% of .325 is remarkably low compared to his .380 over his career. Still, that number is respectable.

Ed Wade has been very adamant throughout the off-season and into spring training that he had no interest in signing Ian Rodriguez and that he never talked to Pudge himself or his agent, Scott Boras. While Wade very well could have been lying, let’s assume he simply had a change of heart and try to figure out what made him change his mind. The departure of Brad Ausmus left a glaring hole at catcher, as he has been the undisputable starting catcher since 2001.  At this time last year the obvious answer would have been to hand off the duties to top prospect J.R. Towles. Towles had progressed greatly in the minor leagues in 2007 and followed that up with a fantastic September when he was called up, posting a .375 average in his 14 games. 2008 didn’t go so well, however, and after 54 games of horrendous hitting was sent back down to AAA for good. He is not showing any signs of a comeback this year either, as he is struggling at the plate this spring and, as far as I can tell, never going to get a chance with Houston.  Wade’s 2nd youth option has been just as erratic. Lou Palmisano was picked in the Rule 5 Entry Draft from the Brewers this offseason, and was supposed to be a top competitor for a catching position. We were told that injuries were “the only thing in his way” to becoming a good catcher in the MLB, and that these injuries were now “long gone.” While Palmisano has apparently impressed Cecil Cooper and his staff defensively, offensively he’s been, similar to Towles, atrocious. Toby Hall was brought in as a veteran presence who would compete for the job. Hall has had both starting and backup experience in the major leagues, and was certainly a competitor for a spot on the roster; that is, until he injured his shoulder badly enough to require surgery, at which point the Astros nullified his contract. Humberto Quintero was the favorite for the Houston starting catching job, and perhaps still is. Year-by-year he has gradually been given a larger workload by Houston, but he has failed to show any reason for anyone to believe he can be a full-time starting catcher, both in terms of endurance and ability. As of now, at 28 years old, Quintero has played no more than 59 games in a season, and his career .230 average is hardly reassuring either. There’s no question he would need, at the very least, a platoon catcher, and neither Towles nor Palmisano has shown any reason to warrant such a role. This is where Pudge fits in. While he is not the athlete he once was, we can absolutely pencil him in for, at the very least, 80 games this season. He is probably an upgrade over anyone in the Astros organization, and will certainly provide both a veteran presence along with a quality player. It seems that not one of Wade’s options has panned out thus far into the year, and he needed to go out and find an alternative. At only one year for under 2 million there is certainly very little risk involved. Who knows how beaten up Pudge will be this year, but one this is for certain; he can’t possibly be worse than any of our other options.

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Welcome to Astros Central. This is this first post of my blog, and I’m confident that there will be many more to follow. To tell you a bit about myself, my name is Adam and I am a Houston Astros fan living in New York. I was originally a New York Yankees fan in the 1990’s and up until 2001. After my favorite players, Tino Martinez and Paul O’Neill, retired, and the Yankees began to move away from building a dynasty and decided to start buying whole teams, I decided to abandon them. At the time I really liked Roy Oswalt, and Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte were two of my favorite Yankees. When they signed with the Astros it was a perfect fit. Since then I’ve been a big fan of the Astros. Thank you for visiting and by the end of the week there should be much more going on here as I post multiple articles along with adding a few other things.

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