What did Ed Wade give us for Christmas this year?

It's time for a little optimism. What did Easy Eddie give us for Christmas this year?

-Michael Bourn

Let's give it to Eddie. Maybe Cecil Cooper, too. God bless him/them, they stuck with Bourn in CF, and he responded with a +.150 in OPS from 2008 to 2009. Add 61 stolen bases and his first Gold Glove award, and there is reason for optimism. At least with 2/3 of the outfield.

-Bud Norris

So this whole "drafting" thing does work! The 24-year old Norris was 12-25 in his minor-league career, with a 3.67 ERA/1.32 WHIP. So to come out and go 6-3, including his debut (to which I listened) that made a 12-0 loss to the Cubs (thank you, Mike Hampton, for being so awful at Wrigley that it brought in The Troof, memorable. With Norris' spot in the rotation slotted at #3 at best, and #5 at worst, I'm actually going to keep this blog alive.

-Trading Pudge

It was a gamble. A big gamble. And yet, when Pudge hit .251 over 93 games (and it never seemed like his BA was that high), a full-fledged releasing was in order. But to turn around and spin Rodriguez for not one, but two prospects, in Matt Nevarez and Jose Vallejo was like alchemy.

-Sam Gervacio

He only pitched in 29 games in 2009, and 21IP. But 25K:8BB just warms my heart. And in those 29 games, he only allowed a run in four of those games. Drafting him as a 17-year old in 2002 is now paying off. Let's just be thankful that he wasn't traded for Tejada.

-Drew Locke

The Dodgers left him unprotected, where in two seasons with High-A Inland Empire, he had posted OPS's of .737 and .841, respectively. So the Astros selected him in the 2008 Rule 5 Draft, and Locke dominated Double-A, hitting .338/.389/.581, with 84 strikeouts in 558 PAs. He'll be in Round Rock in 2010, looking at a September Call-up (that is, if Eddie believes in them).

-Bobby Heck

Heck has had two drafts with which to work, and has seemingly turned around a farm system which Tim Purpura laid as bare as a centerfold. 2010 will bring us a top-10 pick and, if/when Valverde signs somewhere else, a sandwich pick. This will boost a team that should financially be able to compete in 2013/2014. And hope, however fleeting, is the best Christmas gift of all...