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One of his new teammates has dubbed Carlos Lee "7-Eleven" because "his mouth is always open." No doubt the $100M free agent brings energy and enthusiasm. More important, he provides what the Astros really need: a banger to protect Lance Berkman in the lineup. "But Carlos is more than just a slugger," says Phil Garner. "He makes contact. We got hurt so many times last season because we couldn't put the ball in play." If Morgan Ensberg rebounds, Houston's 3-4-5 will be among the best in the league.
NEEDS FIXING
With the lumbering Lee in left field and converted 2B Chris Burke in center, Houston's outfield defense won't rank among the best. Minute Maid's left field is minute, so Lee's D won't hurt too much at home, but for help on the road he'll look to Burke, who has played outfield sparingly. "In left, I used to look over at the center fielder for help," Burke says. "Now I'm the center fielder. And if I don't get to a ball, I'll wonder, 'Should I have caught that? Does Carlos Beltran make that play?' " The answer is probably yes.
MIDSEASON FIX
"I wouldn't say I'm Babe Ruth, but I do feel I can hit anything right now." -- OF prospect Hunter Pence, after Burke said Pence was hitting like The Bambino in spring camp.
-- Tim Kurkjian
FoxSports: Roster Report
LF Carlos Lee, the Astros' $100 million free agent slugger, looked very good this spring. 3B Morgan Ensberg, RF Jason Lane and RF Luke Scott also played well. CF Chris Burke struggled at the plate horrendously, but he looked decent defensively as he prepared for the transition to playing center full-time.
The Astros were relatively healthy this spring, except for the loss of prospect Hector Gimenez, who hoped to fight for the backup catcher's job. Gimenez had season-ending right shoulder surgery. The key will be for the rotation to step up at the back end.
The rotation is top-heavy, but there are serious, serious questions at the bottom because RHP Chris Sampson, RHP Brian Moehler, Rodriguez and Nieve haven't been very impressive late in camp. There is some very good talent at Triple-A Round Rock, so the young pitchers must step up early if they want to keep their jobs.
FoxSports: Biggio's Quest for 3,000
Second baseman Craig Biggio, the Astros' franchise icon, is only 70 hits away from becoming just the 27th player in major league history to collect 3,000 hits.
There are many reasons why he wants to reach that special plateau, but the biggest four reasons reside in West University. That's where you'll find Biggio's wife of 17 years, Patty, and their three children, Conor, 14, Cavan, 11, and Quinn.
When Biggio began his march toward 3,000 in 1988 as a rookie, he could never have envisioned all the sacrifices he would make. Looking back, however, he hasn't been the only one who has paid a price since he collected his first hit on June 29, 1988, against the Los Angeles Dodgers' Orel Hershiser, the eventual National League Cy Young Award winner that season.
FoxSports: Notes and Quotes
--RHP Matt Albers and Fernando Nieve, backup infielder Eric Bruntlett and catcher Eric Munson were the final four players sent to the minors. Albers, Nieve and Bruntlett were optioned to Triple-A Round Rock. Munson, who isn't on the 40-man roster, was reassigned to Round Rock.
"A difficult day, but I'm not the guy that has to go down," manager Phil Garner said. "We huddle. We make the decisions, and the good news is that it was tough decisions. That means guys played well and guys did their jobs. In all of our cases, we like our personnel. I like the pitchers that we sent down. I love Bruntlett and Munson.
Yahoo: MLB Predictions
SI: Astros Preview/Scouting Report
