For the first time in a long time, there's a reason to be optimistic about the Astros.Maybe the people in charge are starting to get it. Maybe they understand the need for a new blueprint, a fresh start. The Astros didn't get lousy overnight, and they're not going to be fixed overnight. But they made a significant step in the right direction on Thursday...
...Regardless, it was the right thing to do. Some will argue Wade could have scored better players from other teams, and they could be right about that. He'll eventually have to stop acquiring players he drafted when he was general manager of the Phillies. But there was something larger at work in the Oswalt deal. The Astros acknowledged they needed to take a step back before going forward. Doing so was painful, but also necessary. It seems like forever since they've been a really good team. It may be a while before they're really good again, but they inched back in that direction on Thursday.
My issue is not that Justice now is getting towards writing more glowing reports about the Astros - God knows I love it when he slams them. It was okay to be upset that the Astros didn't get much out of the deal with Philadelphia. And it was okay to be excited about flipping Gose for Wallace. But writing a blog post (as Justice did) slamming the trade before it the details emerged is irresponsible. Leave that crap to us bloggers, who are obviously in our parents' basement in our underwear, eating Cap'n Crunch all day long. Justice's blog post yesterday was bush-league, and we should expect more from our local media.
