McTaggart tells us a lot of things we already know, or had generally figured out from context clues about the Astros and free agency.
-They won't be signing John Lackey
-Payroll is going down
-They want to bring back LaHawk, Valverde, and Tejada
-If they can find someone to play third base, they'll do it
However, some lessons may not be learned:
And don't be surprised to see Houston take a flier on a veteran starting pitcher willing to come to camp on a Minor League contract and compete for a spot in the rotation.
Wade:
"We've made contact with the agents for a lot of players. We do have a desire to see if there's a way to retain several of the guys who were with us a year ago. We'll continue to explore the market. The goal during the offseason is try to make sure we take advantage of every opportunity to get better.
"Free agency presents certain opportunities, and we have to see who the right fits are from the standpoint of talent, from the standpoint of salary and from the standpoint of length of contract. We'll be aggressive in our pursuit, whether we're out there making a lot of offers remains to be seen."
God help me, if the Astros sign Shane Reynolds or Bert Blyleven, that's it, I'm out.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
