Good stuff today from my main Astros guy.
First off, the Astros are talking to the White Sox about what it would take to acquire Jon Garland. It’s well known that Garland is on the market, and the Astros do have some interesting young arms that are sure to come up in the discussion. Southpaw Troy Patton had a nice run in high Class A this year, and righty Jason Hirsh righted the ship at Double A Corpus Christi. Both pitchers are very highly regarded by Baseball America. Assuming a well-rested Roger Clemens rejoins the Astros in June, the team could once again rest its playoff hopes on starting pitching.
My source also mentioned that Nomar Garciaparra has narrowed his suitors down to the Dodgers and Astros. I admit, the Astros didn’t cross my mind back in September as a possible destination for the game’s current best available free agent (Clemens excluded). I still think a two-year deal is in order.
