November 30, 2007
Outer Space Kaz
The Houston Chronicle reports the Astros are on the verge of signing Kaz Matsui to replace Craig Biggio:
If the season started today, manager Cecil Cooper's first two batters would be players Wade acquired this winter. Center fielder Michael Bourn, who landed in Houston in the Brad Lidge trade, would lead off, and Matsui would bat second. Hunter Pence, Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee will be the next three batters, although it remains to be seen if Pence will hit third or fifth.
I'm not convinced Matsui is a perfect #2 hitter. His batting stats went up after his trade to the Rockies. During his stint with Colorado, his OBA was .405 at Coors, .305 on the road. We'll see what the money is like, but he's more likely to be a black hole in the #2 spot.
Weird signing.
Kaz didn't do well under pressure with the Mets, did well (when healthy) in the very laid-back atmosphere in Denver, and is now in a high-pressure situation replacing the face of the franchise.
I like Kaz and wish him well, but I don't think success is very likely.
Not a bad signing, considering the options available. Chris Burke had a down year in 07, and he is the primary in-house alternative. IMO, Iguchi probably is the best alternative free agent at 2d base. However, if you look at Win Shares (which is ballpark adjusted), Iguchi and Matsui had similar value last year. Iguchi was the better hitter and Matsui provided better base running and defense. Given that the Astros really need to upgrade both team speed and defense, choosing Matsui may not be ideal, but it is understandable.
Looks like another piece of the puzzle for Ed Wade. He's been pretty aggressive and I like what I've seen so far. He put together a pretty nice club before he left Philly.
Re: DeverGregg
I don't see his new role has high pressure at all. No one is asking him to be the new face of the franchise. That role is Berkman's. People were very proud of Biggio, but happy to see him go as his offense has passed him by.
Otherwise, Houston is very low key, so it should be much of a departure from the culture seen in Denver.
