Astros Off Season Thread

[eagle eye]

The starting pitching rotation is coming together as two more pieces were added to the Houston starters club. Earlier in the week RHP Scott Feldman was named the opening day starter and today Bo Porter named RHP Jared Cosart the #2 man in the rotation. The #3 man will be LHP Brett Olberholtzer. The naming of Cosart to the starting rotation was evidently not affected by his poor outing earlier this week in which he gave up 6 hits and 5 earned runs. Porter was quoted, "For me, you look at what Jarred Cosart was able to do last year, I was pretty comfortable with him being one of the guys who was going to be in our rotation," Porter said. "Last night, you got a chance to see a guy who has an opportunity to be a front-of-the-rotation guy. When he's locked and if we get that type of consistency, he's going to pitch to his potential."

Porter said right-handers Lucas Harrell, Jerome Williams and Brad Peacock and left-hander Dallas Keuchel are the remaining candidates for the final two spots in the rotation. Harrell got the chance to get back on the mound today after being bombed in his last start. He came back last night facing the Phillies. He went 4-1/3 giving up six hits and only one run. Kevin Chapman gave up 2 runs in relief of Harrell in his 1.2 innings of work but it was reliever prospect Darin Downs who gave up the runs that allowed the Phillies to open up a bit of a lead that became the final margin of victory.

 

One item of note. It is being reported that the smokin hot spring that Marwin Gonzalez is having could actually allow the Astros to keep an extra pitcher on the roster. Gonzalez has played almost every position in the field short of Pitcher and catcher. The one thing that could make the biggest difference is the fact that Gonzalez has worked hard on his hitting and it's paid off so far through 17 games with a Grapefruit League second best BA of .441.