Houston Astros

In 2010, the Houston Astros played well enough down the stretch to finish a better than expected 76-86.  That was good enough to finish fourth in the NL Central.  This year, however, the Astros are younger and more inexperienced.

With every other team in the division improving its roster during the offseason, the Astros have not done much as they are about to be sold.  With so much uncertainty surrounding the team, can they do as well as they did last year?

Let's analyze each position and see if they can make a run for the Central.

It is being reported this morning that Jason Castro's injury—first thought to be a meniscus tear—is actually a torn ACL, and he will be out for the majority of the 2011 season. This is a major blow to the Houston Astros and their chances this season.

The Houston Astros finished fourth in their division last season with a record of 76-86, it marked the first time Houston finished two straight years with a losing record since the 1990 and 1991 seasons (74-88, 2009). While Houston traded away Roy Oswalt to the Phillies last year, they still expect a strong season from this year's starting rotation.

How many of you remember how the Houston Astros did in the second half of the 2010 MLB season? I’ll give ya a minute.

Okay, time’s up! They did pretty well, finishing 40-33, and a lot of that had to do with the emergence of third baseman Chris Johnson.

Who, you ask?

Well, don’t feel bad, because you can’t even find this guy on most fantasy baseball owners' maps right now, and that’s a really good thing.

Our 2011 fantasy baseball projections will be released one-by-one until the top 100 players have been revealed. These rankings consider past achievements, current performance and expected future results based on standard 5×5 H2H settings.

Hunter Pence has a rare skill set that goes unnoticed by most fantasy managers because he plays on a futile Houston team.

After the Houston Astros traded Roy Oswalt last summer, there has been a glaring need for a true ace, someone who can anchor the top of the rotation and set an example for the rest of the pitchers. Brett Myers pitched well down the stretch for them last year but does not have the talent to be that true ace the Astros need.

Carlos Lee’s days of 30+ home run seem like a distant memory.

In fact, his HR totals have been in the decline since 2006:

2006: 37
2007: 32
2008: 28
2009: 26
2010: 24

While two dozen home runs are nothing to sneeze at, they are not the mark of an elite power hitter anymore. Lee will turn 35 in June, so a return to 30 HR territory seems unlikely.

His power wasn’t the only thing to go in 2010 for Carlos Lee. His streak of four consecutive .300+ seasons came to a crashing end.

With pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training next week, teams around the league are looking to shore up their rosters and prepare for the season ahead. In Houston, Astros GM Ed Wade has some big decisions not only in the next few months, but also important choices for the future of the franchise.

Wade made a lot of big deals this offseason, notably bringing in Bill Hall and Clint Barmes for veteran support in the middle of the infield and also signing veteran ace Wandy Rodriguez to a new three year, $34 million contract.

The New York Yankees were probably very disappointed this week to hear that Andy Pettitte has decided to retire instead of return for another season with the Bronx Bombers. Now heading into spring training this leaves two big holes in their starting rotation that will most likely be filled by either Ivan Nova, Sergio Mitre, Bartolo Colon or Freddy Garcia.

Normally a rookie third baseman who batted .308 with 11 HR and 52 RBI in only 341 at-bats is someone I target in drafts.

Chris Johnson is someone I’m avoiding.