Astros Acquire Randy Wolf

By Tim Dierkes [July 22 at 3:03pm CST]

TUESDAY: The Astros acquired Wolf for minor league pitcher Chad Reineke, according to Tom Krasovic. Baseball America wondered if Reineke could eventually become another Chad Qualls, a guy who blossoms with a move to the bullpen.

 

What are the Astros thinking here? This team is still playing to win, even with their backs against the wall. Perhaps they hope to convince Wolf to stick around in '09. Might be hard though - he just bought Slash's house in L.A.

 

MONDAY: According to ESPN's Buster Olney, the Astros are "engaged in serious discussions to acquire veteran left-hander Randy Wolf of the San Diego Padres." Olney notes that the Astros are not included in Wolf's no-trade clause.

 

It seems that Ed Wade's Astros are playing for 2008, even at ten games out of the wild card. Wolf will be a free agent after the season. He has a 4.74 ERA in 21 starts this year, with a healthy 7.9 K/9. The 31 year-old southpaw has struggled away from PETCO.

 

Ed Wade, you are an idiot and an imbecile. You have no chance of competing in the NL Central, yet trade for a pitcher and hang on to some kind of invisible hope that you are a competing team. The Cubs acquire Harden, the Brewers Sabathia, the Cards are ready to get Wainwright and Carpenter back any day now; all 3 are ahead of your team by 10 games or more, and the move you counter with is the acquisition of Randy Wolf. Well done. You may have honestly and positively moved ahead of Brian Sabean as the worst GM in the game, and you're lucky Bavasi already got fired because you are probably worse than he is too. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

OK, this is a head scratcher, what's Wolf's contract status?

Up at the end of the year I believe.

 

Stupid move. At least he didn't give up J.R Towles (which I thought may actually happen here).

 

But that franchise is just a mess. Worst farm system in baseball, and they'll be stuck in mediocrity for a long, long time it appears.

Just a thought, but is it possible that Wolf will be a Type B free agent? Last year, he scored 50.8 on the Elias rankings, and 58.2 was the lowest score for a B (Rich Hill). But throw out his 2006 (56 ip, 44 k, 5.56 era) and replace that with this year's stats (currently 120 ip, 105 k, 4.74 era) -- maybe that's enough to net a comp pick?

 

I dunno about this. I can easily see him accepting arbitration. Just wondering if it's possible to make sense of this move.

Wolf actually could have been a solid pick-up as a 5th starter to replace Contreras. He has some solid looking periph's. The risk is that his actual ERA isn't that good, especially when you factor that he'd be going from PETCO to the CELL and the NL to the AL.

 

This would have been a solid pick-up for any team actually in contention (ie, not Houston).

Wolf actually could have been a solid pick-up as a 5th starter to replace Contreras. He has some solid looking periph's. The risk is that his actual ERA isn't that good, especially when you factor that he'd be going from PETCO to the CELL and the NL to the AL.

 

This would have been a solid pick-up for any team actually in contention (ie, not Houston).

His road stats are a 6.63 era, 1.62 whip. I'm glad the Sox stayed far, far away.

Wolf actually could have been a solid pick-up as a 5th starter to replace Contreras. He has some solid looking periph's. The risk is that his actual ERA isn't that good, especially when you factor that he'd be going from PETCO to the CELL and the NL to the AL.

 

This would have been a solid pick-up for any team actually in contention (ie, not Houston).

http://www.baseball-reference.com/w/wolfra02.shtml

 

ERA+ is used to help offset some of the league/ballpark differences. His is 82 this year and 100 is an average pitcher, so according to that stat he has been below average. It's a quick stat and a decent guide, his WHIP is also 1.4, so that's not great

I think Wolf would get torched at the Cell. He's been known to give up homers at an astronomical rate and he's dangerously injury prone. He's a hell of a story because of all the injuries he's fought through in his past, but I want him no where near my stadium with a glove and a ball standing on the pitcher's mound.

 

just saw his road ERA on rotoworld...6.63. And that's pitching in the NL. He would be absolutely bombarded in the AL.

Edited July 22, 200817 yr by witesoxfan

Geeze, I liked the strikeouts but the rest of his numbers are downright atrocious.

I still can't figure out how Ed Wade got another job.