To Salvage The Season
If the Astros have any hopes of salvaging the 2007 season they have to make some really tough decisions for the franchise, easy ones for the fans. They need to trade or cut Adam Everett, Morgan Ensberg, Jason Lane, Humberto Quintero, Orlando Palmeiro, and Brian Moehler at the very least. Ausmus gets a pass for right now because he actually has a higher batting average than the rest of the rabble hogging Astros roster spots.
None of the position players listed above except for Ausmus has a batting average of over .216. These guys are scrubs and they need to go if Drayton McLane really wants a winner in 2007. Time to say to **** with loyalty, to **** with giving people a chance for the 5th time. "If you don’t perform, you don’t have a job" should be the message to the likes of Ensberg, Lane and Palmeiro especially.
The Astros have over $10 million tied up in these losers. Get rid of them and you can replace them with AAA guys who can’t perform any worse and will play for a pittance. That would leave the Astros over $8 million to spend for a player they can trade for before July 31st–Troy Glaus anyone?
Hot Stove and Beyond 
I can tell you’re upset, and I am disappointed as well. We just can’t hit. But I will argue, while some of the guys look like they need a change, You simply do not get rid of a guy who is the best in the league at what he does. Adam Everett is the best shortstop in the league (and yes, a terrible hitter). If the rest of the lineup was contributing, there wouldn’t be a call for the heads of guys who aren’t powerhouse hitters.
I’ll challenge you this: how about a lineup change? I like that idea better. Pence higher up, Biggio down, swap Berkman and Lee, or even play Loretta and bench Biggio… changes like that are far less reaching than cleaning out the joint: and the change of look could do these guys some good.
I am tired of Everett’s defense being supposedly so great that it makes up for his little league offense. If his defense is so great, then how come he hasn’t gotten a Gold Glove for it yet? And I don’t buy the stuff of it being political and batting averages play a part in it. He’s great, but he’s not a superstar with his defense. Everett has got to go. He should’ve been non tendered 2 years ago and the Astros could’ve won the World Series.
I have finally stopped drinking the “best defensive shortstop” koolaid. I gave him and the Astros a chance to show he was that good and it was worth it. But a BA of .188 cannot be made up with even the Roger Clemens, Nolan Ryan, Cy Young equivalent of defense. It’s just bad. If he was hitting at least .250, I could live with his offense. But not at .188.
With the exception of Palmeiro and Everette, those guys do need to be traded. However, you’ve left out the most important change that needs to be made…fire Phil Garner. He brings no discipline to the team and appears more concerned with being everyone’s friend than coaching. His incompetence is even more evident by every one of his post game remarks, if you have any doubts, read them! One more thing, you need pence hitting 3rd followed by Lee. If any of the 1 or 2 batters reach base, then Pence consistently hits for enough extra bases to drive them in. Also, if he doubles or triples, your best RBI guy is right behind him, not to mention with his speed a single and stolen base is very realistic and then he’s in scoring position again for Lee. Well I can’t finish without saying one more thing, if the team is going to get serious about winning, then Biggio is going to have to sit on the bench a whole lot more. No player has contributed more to the team over the years, but this is a business and he can’t perform anymore at the professional level. Bench him but let him continue to get enough at bats to reach 3,000 hits this year or next. Then it’s sianara!
As bad as Adam Everett is, and honestly..that .185 average is bad…hes really not the big problem. Of course, you’d love to see that average up in the .250-.270 range, or at least .230. But you know whats really pushing Adam into the spotlight?
Guys like Lance Berkman..who has less extra base hits than Jason Lane…or Brad Ausmus..or Adam Everett. Or Luke Scott, who was supposed to establish himself after that 2006 campaign as THE right fielder. He currently dragging a .235 batting average.
Carlos Lee has been a very good run producer, but even he carried a .250 batting average into the month of May.
When your big bats in the middle, Berkman…Ensberg (Although you really cant complain about him anymore since he’s been benched for Loretta and Lamb)…Scott arent doing really anything. You wont be succesful, regardless of whether your 7 hole hitter is hitting .390 or .190.
The team needs to do something..but unless you plan on breaking up the obivious strength of the team (The Bullpen), or plucking what little we have in whats a fairly average minor league system (Patton..and uhh..Patton?) then your not going to truly improve this team. And when your scuffling as bad as you are right now, one of the things you dont want to do is make a signficant decrease in one area of the ballclub your actually above average in (Basically Im saying, Dont trade Lidge..which I know is what you want there Rita).
The club can win. If the past years have proven anything, its this club isnt dead. Especially when you look at the fact your only getting any kind of production from 2 or 3 of the lineup spots…Period.