The Astros officially signed Brett Myers to a one-year, $5.1MM deal today. His contract pays $3.1MM in 2010 and has an $8MM mutual option/$2MM buyout for '11. ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick first tweeted that the Astros were talking to the right-hander about a starting job and MLB.com's Brian McTaggart followed up with a couple Tweets of his own, first indicating that the Astros had signed Myers, then passing the specifics along. Alyson Footer tweeted salary details today.
Myers' ERA and hit rates have risen for two consecutive seasons and his strikeout rate dropped for the second straight year in 2009. His average fastball lost velocity and his slider lost effectiveness. To his credit, Myers lowered his walk rate last year and allowed a disproportionately high homer total. He was sidelined for much of the season due to hip surgery.
The Astros are hoping that Myers can recover his 2005-06 form. The 29-year-old made 30 starts in both seasons, keeping his ERA below 4.00. Myers joins Roy Oswalt and Wandy Rodriguez in a rotation that will likely include two of Brian Moehler, Bud Norris and Felipe Paulino. The Astros have committed over $28MM this offseason to Myers, Matt Lindstrom, Pedro Feliz, Brandon Lyon, Jason Michaels, Geoff Blum, and others – more than they were thought to have available.
The band box in Houston might not be the best fit for Meyers but if wants to start and there are limited opportunities with his salary wants he may have to settle for what he can get….Astros are pretty despert at this point it looks like in getting any starter that can fit in their current budget
Minute Maid Park isn’t, and has not been, a bandbox in a few years now.
Yeah it’s always a good thing when a guy allows too many homers. Just kidding Ben, I got your point, but just not sure the high HR/F rate was due to bad luck or more towards Myers simply laying too many fat ones down the middle.
P.S. Maybe I missed the memo, but am I the only person who has to log in each time I want to comment on a new post?
P.S. I have had no issues like that at all….
No I have to log in everytime I want to post as well. Someone suggested Firefox but I cannot get Firefox on my labtop due to our network security in our business. There should be a way to stay logged in w/ IE
Wade just gave Lyon 3/15M, nothing is out of the question with regards to how outrageous of an offer he will offer up to Myers, one of the long finished NL even starters, that was barely passable as an innings eater several years ago.
Go ahead Wade, give out another horrible contract. Feliz, Lyon, is Myers the next this off season?
Interesting that they would consider Myers after they got rid of Julio Lugo several years ago for beating his wife (allegedly).
Only signing Brett Myers could make this team more mediocre than it already is.
I would imagine that with Tejada and Valverde off the books, there is still some money left. Myers wouldn’t be that bad of a signing, well would have been if Lyons wasn’t signed to such a ridiculous contract
And, Feliz was a decent signing, I think. Sure y’all will beat me up over that one.
It wasn’t a terrible signing, he just got overpaid.
as long as he doesn’t take innings away from Paulino, i don’t give a crap (i am a hardcore Astros fan). He can’t be any worse than Moehler… let them battle it out for the #5 spot and the other is the long man in the BP.
Come on man, this is the Astros. You know if we sign him he will take the place of either Norris or Paulino and that Moehler will somehow remain as a starter.
we could have got DUCKWORTH BACK instead
COULD HAVE HAD DUCKWORTH BACK
I WOULD RATHER HAVE HIM THAN MEYERS
Right. The guy is not the worst person to have around at all, just giving a journeyman like this 4.5M is horrendous and Wade makes a habit of doing it.
Put it like this.. Boston was waving Mikey Lowell around to anybody and willing to eat 9M of his 12M salary and he will provide a good bat for sure, his range may not be there, but his bat will for a fact and in Houston can count on it being lethal. Feliz? He couldn’t even put up offensive numbers in Philly, what made Wade think he was going to hit in Houston, much less give him 4.5M? Wade just give out such bone headed contracts, it makes you wonder and he does it every off season.
Shame that Flash Cooper couldn’t have fired him instead last season…
4.5 million is not bad for 12 homers and 82 rbi’s. mike lowell is hurt we dont know what he going to hit this year.Feliz well hit more homers in houston with the short field in left he’s a pull hitter.so u dont know your beaseball sir.
While you allude to Lowell’s declining range somehow you can’t make the leap to understanding the value of Feliz’s defense. I’d agree that trading for Lowell and cash may have been the better move but I doubt that Feliz’s deal will hurt the Astros this season. Because defense is fairly consistent year to year (moreso then offense/injuries) his value at $4.5 versus Lowell at say $3.0 is a good bit less risky.
The problem for the Astros is that they’re such a weak team that they should be taking gambles (Lowell’s higher upside) on one year deals rather then settle for the safe option. Furthermore, they may have been able to get Feliz or a player of his caliber slightly cheaper if they waited the market out a bit.
As for Myers – well, good riddance to a bad human being. As a contract it may be a good value if he bounces back from a couple bad years/injuries but I’m glad to be rid of him.
I want to know the price on this one.
Wow, didn’t even realize Myers was a FA. How much he has fallen is pretty crazy, will be interested to see what the numbers end up at.
Closer, or starter?
FAST EDDY IS THE ONE THAT DRAFTED HIM FOR THE PHILLIES
YOU WILL LOVE HIS ATTITUDE LOL
Does anybody else think that this signing was completely unnecessary?
I’ve seen better bargain shopping at Wal-Mart.
Not really sure what the ‘Stros are expecting from Myers but it’s a typical Ed Wade move. Ex-Phillie, some upside but way too much downside, expensive considering there are still other, cheaper options, etc… I suppose it depends on what Myers gets paid but doubtful it’s going to be cheap enough.
What would we do without guys like Wade to make us all think we’re smart enough to be GM’s?
Yeah, he’s such a bonehead, trading Milton Bradley for Carlos Silva. Oh, wait, that was Jim Hendry! What a d-bag.
Myers will be 30 before the 2010 season ends. For his career he’s 10 wins above .500 but his career whip is 1.357 and his career era+ is 99. Even at his best he still put up era’s of 3.72 and 3.91 (118 & 120 era+ respectively). He’s had essentially two years that he was adequate as a starter and one year when he was adequate as a reliever. He hasn’t been good or particularly healthy the last two years. He’s also had some pretty well publicized off field issues as well.
Add it all up and I can’t see why anyone would spend more than say, $1 million to bring him in for a year and try him out, see if he’s healthy and maybe get someone who can be relatively productive at that price. Only someone like Wade would fall for Myers (mostly unearned) name value and pay him anything close to what Myers thinks he’s worth.
brett myers at 5 million > carlos silva for free
“What would we do without guys like Wade to make us all think we’re smart enough to be GM’s?”
When there are maroons out there like Wade, Hendry, Minay, Moore that make one foolish move after the other and somehow manage to keep their jobs year after year and in the case of Minaya, after wrecking one team (Montreal) get another team to wreck in the Mets.. It’s hard not to imagine that an amateur could take over and do a better job…
MLB wrecked tye expos not minaya
You’re absolutely right. I suggest you write angry letters to each of those men and tell them what maroons they are. That’ll teach ’em.
HAHA. If the records of these teams and the fan base they have is not good enough for them to get tossed out? Who cares? Let them continue to get ran into the ground right?
bring a date to the ballpark the days myers is pitching…chicks love the longball
You just wrote this on the Astros website too. Lame
Need help with the date.
Adding any arm more reliable than Russ Ortiz/Mike Hampton is an upgrade. Whose to say Paulino can turn it around like Wandy did? I’m more than satisfied with Oswalt/Rodriquez/Norris/Myers/Moeller. Put Paulino in the bullpen.
It’s a good signing, much better than last offseason when we signed Russ Ortiz/Mike Hampton to starting jobs. I’m more than satisfied with a rotation of Oswalt/Rodriguez/Norris/Myers/Moehler. Have Paulino in the bullpen, ready to go if someone goes down with an injury, or if someone struggles. Productive offseason.
$5,000,000? Ed Wade is nuts. Drayton should reel him in.
I actually think this is a decent signing for Houston. Much better than the atrocious Lyon signing.
Also, the fact that he got $5MM makes Scott Boras less likely to settle for $5MM on Washburn… good deal. Let’s see Milwaukee snatch him up.
Whats the worst that can happen he stinks it up and they lose 5 million dollars its not that much its just a one year deal anyways. But i would have rather them get younger and try to use those 5 million annually on getting younger by possibly signing Chapman but oh well whats done is done its just for a year so nothing wrong with that. And the Feliz signing is decent his defense alone is worth at least more than half the 5+ million they are going to pay him. I dont know about the Lyon signing i hated it thats just money wasted to me thats the only complaint i have of the Houston signings this off season.
The worst that can happen is that they just wasted about $4 million dollars. Why give him $5 million when he hasn’t done anything lately to warrant it? He seems to be a guy that needed to take a one year, low salary, make good type contract. Maybe give him $4 million in incentives to go along with a base $1 million salary, but not a full guaranteed $5 million.They could have used that money to sign draft picks this summer, maybe go over slot and get better talent. Could have used it for so many other things. Possibly could have gotten in on Chapman, $4 million could have helped pay his salary for a year.But no, Wade paid another mediocre pitcher $5 million dollars. He got Lyon and Myers, worth about $3-4 million this year at best and he spent a combined $10 million on them. That’s the worst thing that could have happened. Wasted money.
– With a competing suitor involved, in the Rangers, I have my doubts about whether or not Myers could’ve been signed for such an incentive-laden deal. Not saying that they didn’t overpay, but to suggest that he could’ve been signed for 20% of the actual amount (guaranteed) seems like a stretch.
– Houston’s signing of draft picks improved dramatically last year and, if I recall correctly, the Astros were the first (gasp!) to “go over slot” to lock up their most recent first rounder, Jio Mier.
– You’re delusional if you ever thought the Astros had a shot at Chapman, and the suggestion that they SHOULD have taken a legitimate shot at signing him sort of contradicts your point that they should be more conservative and careful with their limited resources.
so you would rather have an overpaid rookie (15 million? I think) that hasn’t proven anything, instead of giving 5 mill to a guy that has shown good and will be an instant upgrade to an atrocious back end rotation. Right?
so you would rather have an overpaid rookie (15 million? I think) that hasn’t proven anything, instead of giving 5 mill to a guy that has shown good and will be an instant upgrade to an atrocious back end rotation. Right?
This after the Brandon Lyon signing, Ed Wade hasn’t done a good job this offseason. 5MM to a guy with declining numbers and who had surgery? Not the worst signing but I don’t like it.
where did the astros get $5M to blow? what a waste of money…
Anyone else think the headline “Astros agree to sign Brett Myers” sounds like Myers went to the Stros and pleaded with them to give him a contract?
Well, that’s how it should have happened. But not when Ed Wade is in charge, you can bet he did the pleading!
We’ll see if he follows it up with high profile wash up types like Martinez, Sheets in the 6-8M range now, then with him giving Myers 5M, he probably thinks Martinez is good for 200 innings and Sheets is the talent that led he to be drafted Top way back in like ’99 he is so delusional.
You guys are all under rating Myers. The guy is a quality SP and any team should be thrilled to get him.
I’d take Myers over Wolf anyday and what did he get 3 years 30 mill?
Are you kidding? At least Wolf is still a reliable 3rd starter. Myers is a head case that gives up HRs by the bushel. Add in declining velocity and injury issues and you’ve got major issues.
Myers wishes he was half the pitcher that Randy Wolf still is. (Though I agree that Wolf was ridiculously overpaid…he should have gotten something like $21-24 million, not $30)
Really? Break down his stats for us from the last few years. Where are you seeing the quality?
Really? Break down his stats for us from the last few years. Where are you seeing the quality?
I’d rather have Wolf, period, but, for 5 mill, definitely Myers instead of what Wolf is getting paid. The production to money difference between the two is too far.
I’d rather have Wolf, period, but, for 5 mill, definitely Myers instead of what Wolf is getting paid. The production to money difference between the two is too far.
Good thing Houston isn’t a launching pad…otherwise Bretty’s tendency to have 2 & 3 HR games could be a problem.
Eh.
Oswalt
Rodriguez
Myers
Norris
Paulino
Astros are going to have a crappy 1st half and great 2nd half. My projection there going to come in 3rd.
Cubs
Cardinals
Astros
Brewers
Pirates
Reds
Cubs in first??? LMAO.. what a moronic statement
Ha! Cubs fans make me laugh.
5M for him, 3M for Moeller, you should be able to find much cheaper options than that. And even though Felipe Paulino’s basic numbers looked poor last year, he has pretty good control of his stuff and is a breakout candidate, it’s too bad they’ll send Moeller out there instead, the definition of an average 5th starter.
This team could have been ok this year, they freed up some money and are in a purgatory state where they can’t rebuild or load up, but they spent pretty much 5M each on guys who aren’t going to do much more than average.
They could’ve not signed Lyon and Feliz and tried to get Beltre, or they could have just saved 8M without Brian Moeller and Brandon Lyon and the team wouldn’t have been worse off.
good signing. COuld see him as a starter
“To his credit, he lowered his walk rate last year and allowed a disproportionately high homer total.”
So… what you’re saying is, rather than trying to hit the corners, he pretty much laid it down the middle and got killed. Fantastic.
Are the Astros trying to pick up the Phillies scraps? Feliz, Myers, Michaels…the Phils should offer them Moyer.
A $2 million buyout in 2011 seems like a lot. So this is essentially a $7 million, one year deal?
No its 3.1 million for 2010 and the 2 million buyout for 2011. So the total is 5.1 million.
Ah, I misread/understood it. Thanks!
Doesn’t that sure seem like a lot of money given his shaky health history (surgery), and mediocre stats?
How is $3.1MM anywhere close to an overpay for a guy with #2 upside and #5 downside? You guys aren’t making any sense.
Its a move by the Astros. Part of the terms of service for this website require criticizing any move made by the Astros, regardless of how bad it was or how significant it is. Stick around, the Astros will sign a guy to a league minimum contract to provide minor league depth and this website will explode with people slamming the move and mockingly suggesting that it guarantees them a World Series berth.
It’s not so much the Myers signing on its own, but more to the fact the Astros are committed to paying a combined approximately $12 million next year to Lyon, Myers, and Pedro Feliz. If you’re a GM and you have $12 million to spend, are you really thinking “Boy, I really gotta go grab Lyon, Myers, and Feliz”. It’s simply a poor allocation of resources. Now I know it’s easy to say “Astros should have just signed players D, E, and F instead”, but would the Astros have not been better off targeting a guy like John Lackey, backing up Chris Johnson with a cheap veteran 3B, and being creative in filling out the back of the bullpen (i.e. the way Kevin Towers used to do it in San Diego)?
It’s not so much the Myers signing on its own, but more to the fact the Astros are committed to paying a combined approximately $12 million next year to Lyon, Myers, and Pedro Feliz. If you’re a GM and you have $12 million to spend, are you really thinking “Boy, I really gotta go grab Lyon, Myers, and Feliz”. It’s simply a poor allocation of resources. Now I know it’s easy to say “Astros should have just signed players D, E, and F instead”, but would the Astros have not been better off targeting a guy like John Lackey, backing up Chris Johnson with a cheap veteran 3B, and being creative in filling out the back of the bullpen (i.e. the way Kevin Towers used to do it in San Diego)?
Because the contract is essentially $5.1MM for 1 year when you include the buyout amount. That is a lot of money to pay for a guy that has been not all that impressive for the past two years and is an injury risk. If that extra $2MM was in the form of incentives, I think there might have been a more positive reaction to this signing.
Because the contract is essentially $5.1MM for 1 year when you include the buyout amount. That is a lot of money to pay for a guy that has been not all that impressive for the past two years and is an injury risk. If that extra $2MM was in the form of incentives, I think there might have been a more positive reaction to this signing.
It’s too bad he didn’t stay with the philthies and get lit up again next year with them instead.
only ed wade could do something like this. i am glad he is no longer with phils
No doubt.
Holy crap that’s a lot of money.
Holy crap that’s a lot of money.
No one in the list of players that the Astros have added is above average. None of those players are realistically going to help the Astros compete. At best those players might help the ‘Stros finish at .500 but more likely they’ll again finish with a losing record. And they spent $28 million to do it. Ed Wade, you’re the man!
If you have $28 million to spend and you plan on contending would you waste the money on marginal players or would you perhaps try to get a couple of the best free agents on the market, player who might actually improve your team? We know how Wade answered the question and the ‘Stros are going to pay for it in 2010.
No one in the list of players that the Astros have added is above average. None of those players are realistically going to help the Astros compete. At best those players might help the ‘Stros finish at .500 but more likely they’ll again finish with a losing record. And they spent $28 million to do it. Ed Wade, you’re the man!
If you have $28 million to spend and you plan on contending would you waste the money on marginal players or would you perhaps try to get a couple of the best free agents on the market, player who might actually improve your team? We know how Wade answered the question and the ‘Stros are going to pay for it in 2010.