HOUSTON ASTROS

Starting Lineup
2B Kaz Matsui: has put together decent offensive numbers in back-to-back seasons but has yet to play more than 114 games in a big league season
C Ivan Rodriguez: UPDATE 3/16 - reportedly has agreed to a 1-year deal; hit .295 in 302 AB's with Detroit but struggled (.219 BA in 96 AB's) after being acquired by the Yankees at the trade deadline UPDATE 3/21 - sounds like Cooper is now leaning towards batting I-Rod 2nd in the order
1B Lance Berkman: wore down in the second half of the season (.259 BA, 7 HR) after an incredible first half (.347, 22 HR)
LF Carlos Lee: hit 28 HR's and knocked in 100 runs despite playing in only 115 games due to injury
SS Miguel Tejada: 34 year-old saw his production decline for the 3rd straight season, finishing with a .283 BA and 13 HR's
RF Hunter Pence: although his average dropped .53 points from his rookie season, he still finished with a respectable .269-25-83 season
3B Geoff Blum: set a career high in HR's (14) and RBI's (53) in his return to the Astros; likely to platoon with Boone and fill in at SS behind Tejada
CF Michael Bourn: based on who the Astros gave up to get him (best closer in MLB - Brad Lidge), they'll eventually want to give him another chance to prove he is a capable leadoff man, although every indication in 2008 was that he isn't (.288 OBP), and the Lidge deal will go down as one of the worst in recent memory UPDATE 3/10 - if the season started tomorrow, Bourn would hit 2nd behind Matsui

Bench
C Humberto Quintero: doesn't provide much offense but is very good defensively UPDATE 3/16 - Rodriguez signing pushes him back into a bench role
IF Jeff Keppinger: versatile 28 year-old batted .266 with 3 HR's in 459 AB's in 2008 UPDATE 3/31 - acquired today from the Reds, he'll likely split time with Blum at 3B
IF Jason Smith: career .221 hitter will be competing with Kata, Manzella, and Maysonet for the backup SS job UPDATE 3/12 - appears to be separating himself from the competition for the last bench job with a 9-for-20 start with a double and two triples
OF Darin Erstad: 34 year-old hit .276 in 322 AB's as a reserve OF and 1B for the Astros in '08 and could fill the same role in 2009
OF Jason Michaels: veteran can play all three OF spots, which should put him in line to start plenty of games in CF against LHP's, especially if Bourn struggles again

Starting Rotation
RHP Roy Oswalt: 31 year-old ace is among the best pitchers in baseball, despite playing in one of the best ballparks for hitters
LHP Wandy Rodriguez: put together his best ML season in 2008, posting a 3.54 ERA and 9-7 record
LHP Mike Hampton: last time he pitched for the 'stros, way back in 1999, he was 22-4 with a 2.90 ERA
RHP Brian Moehler: the 37 year-old had his best season since 2000 (12-9, 4.50 ERA w/ Detroit), posting a 4.56 ERA and an 11-8 record in '08
RHP Russ Ortiz: averaged 16.5 victories per season from 1999-2004 but injuries have derailed his career UPDATE 3/11 - pitching well this spring and appears to have a strong chance to make the club UPDATE 3/22 - #5 starter won't be needed until April 15th, meaning whoever wins out between Ortiz and Capellan could open the season in the bullpen or AAA UPDATE 4/4 - officially named the #5 starter

Bullpen
RHP Jose Valverde: saved 91 games in 115 chances over the last two seasons
RHP LaTroy Hawkins: dominating performance after mid-season trade (2-0, 0.43 ERA, 21 IP, 11 H, 5 BB, 25 K) was one of the keys to the team's late-season resurgence
RHP Doug Brocail: 41 year-old pitched in a career-high 72 games while posting a 3.93 ERA in '08
RHP Geoff Geary: posted a 2.53 ERA and allowed only 45 hits in 64 IP in his first season in Houston
LHP Wesley Wright: rule V selection not only stuck on the ML roster the entire season, but he pitched in 71 ballgames, posting a 5.01 ERA
RHP Tim Byrdak: 35 year-old has a chance to stick on the roster again after posting a 3.90 ERA in 59 appearances for Houston in '08
RHP Chris Sampson: will likely miss start of season after elbow surgery, which will knock him out of the running for the #5 spot in the rotation, but he pitched well enough in relief to earn a spot there once he's healthy UPDATE 3/2 - aiming for a mid-March return with an eye on opening day UPDATE 4/4 - made the opening day roster

Disabled List
IF Aaron Boone: 35 year-old veteran could platoon with Blum at 3B UPDATE 3/18 - leaving the team to have open heart surgery; Boone says it's not an emergency but doesn't know if he'll play baseball again
RHP Brandon Backe: will have to fight for a job in spring training after posting a miserable 6.05 ERA in 2008 UPDATE 3/9 - could be out for an extended period of time with a strained intercostal muscle UPDATE 3/13 - entire 2009 salary is guaranteed after April 1st, which gives him a slim chance to stick around with his current injury status UPDATE 3/22 - will remain with the Astros and start the season on the DL

Optioned to AAA
RHP Felipe Paulino: pitched in only 1 game in 2008 because of injuries so he'll likely need to start the season in the minors; could force his way onto the roster at some point if he can locate his high-90's fastball
IF Tommy Manzella: hit only .219 in 228 AB's in AAA last season but appears to be a sure-handed fielder (.989 Fielding Pct)
C Lou Palmisano: a rule V draft pick acquired in a trade with Baltimore, the 26 year-old hit .256 with 11 HR's in AA last season UPDATE 3/21 - offered back to Milwaukee but they declined, which allows Houston to keep him in their minor league system; optioned to the minors
C JR Towles: job was his to lose and he might have lost it after a miserable 2008, in which he batted .137 in 146 AB's UPDATE 3/27 - optioned to the minors
IF Edwin Maysonet: hit .271 with 6 HR's in AAA in 406 AB's and went 1-for-7 after a September callup; he will be in the mix for the backup SS job in spring training UPDATE 3/31 - optioned to AAA
RHP Alberto Arias: UPDATE 3/14 - was pitching well this spring with 4 shutout innings but he sustained a bruised pitching hand after getting hit with a line drive today UPDATE 3/31 - optioned to AAA

Reassigned to Minor League Camp
RHP Clay Hensley: looking to bounce back from two injury-plagued seasons; pitched well in relief in 2005 (1.70 ERA in 47.2 IP) and as a starter in 2006 (11-12, 3.71 ERA) UPDATE 3/15 - no longer being considered for the #5 starter spot
IF Matt Kata: last played in the majors in '07, hitting .222 with 3 HR's splitting time between Texas and Pittsburgh
RHP Bud Norris: the team's #2 prospect, according to BA, throws in the mid-to-high 90's and could be a factor in the rotation at some point in 2009 if his changeup can improve UPDATE 3/27 - reassigned to the minors
UTL David Newhan: 35 year-old veteran hit .260 in 104 AB's for the 'stros in 2008 UPDATE 2/26 - limited experience at SS hurt his chances of making the team UPDATE 3/29 - reassigned to the minors
RHP Chad Paronto: spent most of the '08 season in AAA after being signed last offseason by the 'stros (3.08 ERA in 35 games) UPDATE 3/22 - has allowed just 1 ER in 9.2 IP with 1 BB and 10 K's this spring UPDATE 3/29 - reassigned to the minors
IF Chris Johnson: batted .324 with 12 HR's in AA Corpus Christi in 08'; could win a roster spot at some point if Boone isn't producing as a right-handed complement to Blum UPDATE 3/18 - Boone's departure for open heart surgery could give Johnson an opportunity to platoon with Blum at 3B UPDATE 3/31 - the acquisition of Keppinger means he'll likely start in AAA UPDATE 4/4 - reassigned to the minors on 4/2
RHP Jose Capellan: 28 year-old has been traded three times in his career;signed as a minor league FA with Houston UPDATE 3/11 - has yet to allow a run in 8 IP this spring and is making a strong case to win a roster spot UPDATE 3/15 - battle for the #5 spot in the rotation appears to be down to Capellan and Ortiz UPDATE 4/4 - reassigned to the minors after losing out to Ortiz for the #5 starter spot
OF Reggie Abercrombie: UPDATE 3/6 - off to a great start (8-for-13 with 3 doubles) but still a longshot to make the club with Michaels and Erstad set to fill the backup OF roles UPDATE 3/7 - broken toe won't help his chances UPDATE 4/4 - made it to the final day of spring before getting sent to the minors

Returned to the Kansas City Royals (Rule V)
LHP Gilbert De La Vara (Rule V): it worked out pretty well for the 'stros when Wesley Wright, a rule V lefty, stayed on the roster in '08 and now they'll give it a shot with the 24 year-old De La Vara UPDATE 3/31 - sent back to Kansas City