Wade: Money to burn.
(c) Houston Astros
|
Unless he is a man of exceeding hubris, newly extended General Manager Ed Wade now has an extra $2 million dollars in the Astros' payroll thanks to winning the arbitration case last week with Wandy Rodriguez. A wise budgeter would have presumed to lose the $7 million case and been thankful to only need to spend $5 million on Wandy's salary, so that means Wade has $2 million to spend he didn't have before the hearing. So, what should he do with it?
Option 1: Find an unsigned free agent who could upgrade the roster. Unfortunately, there are no good fits left to sign, unless you count infielders Felipe Lopez or Hank Blalock or Joe Crede or pitcher Pedro Martinez (pssst! Pedro is now a Phormer Phillie, Ed!).
Option 2: Hold onto the money to gain flexibility for trade deadline manuevers so Wade can spend for a playoff push in July. This assumes we'll be buyers instead of sellers at the deadline which may not be the case.
Option 3: Commit to spending above slot for the four top draft choices we will have in June. After the loss of Jose Valverde, the Astros have four early picks in the summer draft so why not let the money help spend for our future?
Option 4: Pocket the money to buffer an expected drop in attendance.
Option 5: Coax Roger Clemens out of retirement again (just kidding, Ed!).
Whichever way it is spent, Wade is sure to have critics, which seem to just follow him around everywhere he goes. He'll get a chance to show some budgetary acumen as the season moves along.
- Bob Hulsey
|