Astros likely to regret Oswalt's 5-year deal

看板Astros作者Berkman (味全龍迷)時間19年前 (2006/09/02 02:23)推噓4(4推 0噓 2→)

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Astros likely to regret Oswalt's 5-year deal Story Tools: Print Email Blog This Subscribe Ken Rosenthal / FOXSports.com Posted: 2 days ago It's easy to understand why the Astros felt compelled to sign right-hander Roy Oswalt to a five-year, $73 million extension. But chances are, it is a move they will regret. Good as Oswalt is, five-year deals for pitchers stink. The Astros likely view the contract as a necessary evil — either they met Oswalt's demands or risked losing him as a free agent after next season when some other club surely would have met his price. Oswalt, 29, is eight months younger than right-hander A.J. Burnet, a much lesser pitcher who received a five-year, $55 million free-agent contract from the Blue Jays last off-season. What's more, Oswalt might be the Astros' only accomplished starting pitcher next season if right-hander Roger Clemens and left-hander Andy Pettitte retire or depart as free agents. The moment a team parts with an Oswalt, it begins scrambling for a replacement. And while young Astros pitchers such as Jason Hirsh, Fernando Nieve and Troy Patton show promise, they'll face less pressure with Oswalt signed long-term. Here's the problem: Oswalt, 6 feet and 185 pounds, could be the next Tim Hudson, another smallish right-handed power pitcher who hasn't been less effective with the Braves than he was with the A's. Oswalt shows no overt signs of wear-and-tear — he's headed for his third straight season of 30-plus starts despite missing time earlier this season with a back strain. He also has worked nearly 50 innings in the past two post-seasons. But, like Hudson, Oswalt exerts a significant amount of energy in his delivery. He made three trips to the D.L. in 2003 due to a recurring groin problem. And as he gets older, his chances of injury will increase. Only a month ago, the Astros were ready to trade Oswalt, shortstop Adam Everett and a third player to the Orioles for shortstop Miguel Tejada. Why? Because they feared giving Oswalt this type of contract. Tejada, 30, offered more certainty — he's a durable everyday player who is signed for three more years. Very few pitchers prove worthy of a five-year investment — left-hander Randy Johnson did with the Diamondbacks after signing a four-year deal with a club option, and right-hander Mike Mussina has been consistently good if not spectacular for the Yankees during his six-year, $88.5 million deal. Mussina, 6-2 and 185 pounds, is somewhat similar to Oswalt, though even in his prime, he was less reliant on power stuff. David Cone, 6-1 and 190, also enjoyed a long career with a relatively small build, but like Mussina, he developed into more of a craftsman than Oswalt is right now. Perhaps Oswalt will make that transition in the coming years; all great pitchers reinvent themselves, producing different phases to their careers. This much seems certain: One way or another, Oswalt will be a different pitcher in five years. Ken Rosenthal is FOXSports.com's senior baseball writer. http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/5918768 -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 218.166.122.206