David Newhan released

Astros.com reports that the team has released David Newhan. Newhan had, unless someone picks him up, what must be a frustrating career. He’s played in the majors for 8 of the past 10 seasons, but never really gotten to play, with a maximum of 373 at-bats in a season. He broke his leg in his one good breakthrough chance.

Cecil Cooper said he was looking for a backup shortstop and said Newhan has never played the position. I figured he meant that Newhan had seen very little action at short, but it’s true. Cooper and Newhan and I — and you, probably — have all played the same number of innings at shortstop in the majors. Zero. Going into the season with Tejada and Geoff Blum as your only shortstop options is not ideal.

Or maybe not Chris Johnson

Brian McTaggart of the Houston Chronicle indicated the situation is not quite so settled at third base. Or many other positions, for that matter. He has Cecil Cooper saying, more or less, that Johnson will start at third base — for either Houston or Round Rock.

The way I read this, the Astros are counting on 150-plus games from Miguel Tejada. That seems rather wishful.

Your new third baseman? Stark says Chris Johnson

Jayson Stark says the Astros are leaning toward making Chris Johnson the “primary third baseman” and that Russ Ortiz will make the rotation.

We will see how it works out with Johnson, but he slugged .287 at Round Rock in 101 at-bats last year, which would not be considered a good sign. I don’t see a righty-lefty breakdown for him. Stark also said that the Rockies want a good young starter for Jeff Baker, and the Astros don’t have one, although they do have Russ Ortiz (34 years old), Brian Moehler (37) and Mike Hampton (36).

Table of Astros contracts

Cot’s Baseball Contracts lists MLB contract information by team. This table, with information from that site, shows the Astros’ commitments on a spreadsheet. A lot of money tied up with three players.

Answering your Astros questions

Alyson Footer took your questions this week. Here’s my take on the same questions:

Now that Aaron Boone is gone for the season, who will take up the backup job behind Geoff Blum? And will this free up the payroll to possibly get somebody new, or do we still have to pay Boone?

She thinks the Astros will go outside to get someone rather than promoting Chris Johnson and lists some players who might be available, all of whom have significant flaws, which is why they’re available. Probably so, but the farm system is in such dire need of a rebuild that I’d hate to see the Astros give up much to get one-half of a third base platoon. She also lists some of their spring statistics, which don’t matter. Wow, does Mike Hessman strike out a lot. How many players hang out long enough to rack up 1,654 minor league strikeouts? The 288 home runs are worth noting as well. The names I like are Jeff Baker and Jeff Keppinger, both of whom hit left-handers well last year.

Reggie Abercrombie has put up some great numbers this spring, whereas Jason Michaels and Michael Bourn have not. At this point, do you think Abercrombie will make the team and, if so, could he challenge for a starting spot in center?

Did you know Reggie is the first major-league player named Abercrombie since 1871? However, this one should not be playing center field for the Astros. He and Bourn and Michaels and Erstad all have the same problem: They don’t get on base enough. The one guy who has a chance to get better at that is Bourn, who is also the best defensive center fielder of the bunch. You have to give him another shot and hope he has the same experience Luke Scott had a few years ago, when Scott just tore it up the second time around.

Assuming young guys step up next year, one of our biggest holes might be at closer if Jose Valverde does indeed move on? If Wesley Wright has a great season, do you think he could be our ninth-inning of the future? Is there any other option within the system?

If you get to the point where you’re worried about having a hole at closer, that’s a great sign. I’d rather have a hole at closer than at, say, third base, to name a position at which the Astros have an actual hole. The Astros are paying $8 million for Valverde’s services. Eek. But the point is this: Team after team has gone out and found a closer. The Tigers made the World Series with Todd Jones as the closer. Wesley Wright could be the closer, Bud Norris, someone off the waiver wire. A great closer just isn’t going to change the outcome of that many games.

Will it be Jose Capellan or Russ Ortiz for the fifth starter job? If one makes it will the other get cut or will he go to the bullpen or Minor Leagues?

Sure, Ortiz is the guy, and Capellan will get called up when one of the starters goes down, assuming pitches decently for Round Rock.

Have there been any rumors of the Astros trying to entice Pedro Martinez with a low-base, high-incentive contract a la John Smoltz in Boston?

Wouldn’t that be fun? You could have a Hall of Fame pitcher throwing to a Hall of Fame catcher, neither of whom earned their credentials in Houston.

A comment on Joe Posnanski’s Curt Schilling post

Joe Posnanski had this lengthy, smart post comparing Curt Schilling and Kevin Brown in a Hall of Fame discussion. I added this comment. I have not forgotten watching Brown smoke the Astros in the 1998 playoffs. Unhittable stuff in both games.

Seven in a row

Probably it’s not a great idea to get excited about winning spring training games, but winning is better than losing. Looking for news in the box score:

– Homer and a double for Miguel Tejada. Obviously probation agrees with him.

– Three hits, including a double, for Kaz Matsui, although he wiped out one of the hits with a caught-stealing.

– Michael Bourn was 0-for-4 with a strikeout. All that enthusiasm about playing well in winter ball fades a bit when you’re hitting .206 this late in the spring.

– Roy Oswalt pitched 6 innings with no walks, 6 strikeouts and 1 home run. Right on track for the opener.

Richard Justice on Tejada

Richard Justice’s column is mostly scold-scold-scold, but the can-you-believe-he-said-this part is near the bottom:

The same is true of Tejada, who has been terrific in the clubhouse and pretty decent on the field. He has been almost everything the Astros hoped he’d be.

Several paragraphs earlier, Justice says the Astros got fleeced on the trade. But never mind about that. Tejada has been not very good on the field at all. He had three big weeks to open the season, but from April 23 onward, he had an OBP of .301 and an SLG of .383, with 9 home runs. In Adam Everett’s last full season, he OBP’d .290 and slugged .352. I’d rather have Everett and Luke Scott right now than Tejada.

Miguel Tejada and Forrest Gump

This is not an on-field issue, but … do you think of Miguel Tejada as an Astro? I don’t. He’s had a fine career, but all the good years were with the Orioles or the Athletics. The Astros are Forrest Gump, and Tejada is Jenny, giving the worst years of his life.

Six in a row

So I could just update yesterday’s post. From the box score: 

– Kaz Matsui is hitting .105. That takes some effort.

– Michael Bourn drew two walks. 

– Edwin Maysonet was 2-for-4 with a double. Now hitting .318. 

– 4 strikeouts in 5 innings from Russ Ortiz. What are the odds of getting three solid years from reclamation projects (Mike Hampton, Ortiz and Brian Moehler)?