Searching for Intelligence -- Still

"Lucky for us, McLane has plenty of money, and money will go a long way toward fixing the problem.

He needs two free-agent starting pitchers. It doesn't sound like much if you say it really fast.

Those two pitchers could add $30 million to the payroll, could push the Astros into the $120 million range.”

There must be something in the water that resides in the home-team club house at MMP, because I read the above, and shot water through my nose -- I’m glad my laptop is still intact. Richard Justice apparently is fully convinced of the following:

1.) That Drayton McLane will do expand pay roll by $25 million in order to net two more starting pitchers. Inching himself perilously close to luxury taxes and also infuriating his best-bud, Bud Selig.

2.) That while increasing payroll at the major league level by 26%, he’ll also pump more money into the farm system; both sign talent and provide them with the instructors and staff to excel.

I’m sure you understand my complete shock now. Justice, asserts that we can fix the 2009 season from the snare of 90 losses, by bringing on board Ben Sheets and one of either Jon Garland or Braden Looper. Looper, who is currently recapturing his youth, will by 35 years of age, and probably will try to ride this season’s resurgence into an inflated number of dollar signs or years on his contract. Even if Drayton were feeling philanthropic to the denizens who fill his ball-park, I would hope he and Ed Wade would shy away from a deal that is only slightly less insane than Woody Williams. So I’ll scratch that off the list. This leaves the team seeking Ben Sheets and Jon Garland. Sheets would probably get along just peachy with Roy and Lance, but Garland probably remembers being low-balled by the Astros two years ago. Also, when was the last time you can remember a team bringing in two highly sought after FA agent pitchers in the same off-season (well, throw out Andy and Roger, because that came down to home town ties)? So it’s incredibly unlikely that such a plan would come off success for, or be desirable. The last point, Justice is willing to concede:

“This course has its price. Signing premier free agents will cost the Astros the draft choices they need.

But there's no perfect solution for a franchise that's broken in so many areas.

It's just one way out. Maybe the best way” (emphasis added).

The best way? The Astros should hedge their bets by not unloading what proven talent they can for young prospects on the chance that we might steal two coveted, scarce resources from the free agent market? Even if Justice’s plan were to succeed, as he concedes, we’d lose out on another year’s worth of top-talent in the draft. We can’t spend our way back into contention. Two free agent pitchers are not going to just land on our door-steps and take us to the World Series. We’d probably be a strong contender in the NL Central, but the Cubs are a team primed to run away with the division for the next few years; with several talented, home grown arms who are waiting in their wings. Further, it’s asinine to believe that Drayton will spend lavishly on both the major and minor league level. This is a team that has been mismanaged for several years now. There are no short-term solutions to long-term issues. Hopefully Drayton McLane will change his mind about how to approach his teams future before July, 31. Otherwise, it’ll be a long five to ten years.

Wholly unrelated, but still totally inspiring:
Apparently, this dude has amassed over 3,000 balls from games. My age six through twelve year old self just at it's heart out.

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