Houston Astros 2006 Finish: 82-80, 2nd place | Team Page | Roster	Select Team Angels Astros Athletics Blue Jays Braves Brewers Cardinals Cubs Devil Rays Diamondbacks Dodgers Giants Indians Mariners Marlins Mets Nationals Orioles Padres Phillies Pirates Rangers Red Sox Reds Rockies Royals Tigers Twins White Sox Yankees

Lance Berkman Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Beyond the Box Score Surf's up Catcher Brad Ausmus relaxes in the offseason by surfing near his home in the San Diego area. Ausmus, who grew up in Connecticut, took up the sport when he played for the Padres and watched other surfers from his backyard. Houston third baseman Morgan Ensberg, who is from Hermosa Beach, Calif., has surfed with Ausmus. "He's not bad for an East Coast boy," said Ensberg. Clemens' cup half full The Astros were happy that Roger Clemens pitched only half a season in 2006, allowing him to be effective all the way through September, unlike the previous season when he battled injuries late in the year. Lack of run support tarnished his record again (7-6), but he pitched brilliantly as ever with a 2.30 ERA and 102 strikeouts in 113.1 innings. The Astros would love to get another half year like that out of the Rocket. Bye-bye Baggy To no one's surprise, Jeff Bagwell officially announced his retirement in mid-December after missing all of 2006 with a bad right shoulder. He will remain with the club on a personal services contract, mainly working with young hitters. Bagwell, who played his entire career in the majors with the Astros, said he had no interest in going to the American League to become a designated hitter. "I wanted to remain an Astro," he said, despite needing only 51 more homers to reach 500. "That's not what's important to me. What's important is playing here. I don't want to be average or below. I don't want to embarrass myself." Backe not back Right-hander Brandon Backe, 10-8 for the Astros in 2005, would have been the No. 3 or 4 starter, but underwent elbow surgery Sept. 7. He is expected to miss the entire season.

The addition of power hitter Carlos Lee should help solve the Astros' offensive problems and make them a playoff contender. But Houston needs strong performances from new pitchers Jason Jennings and Woody Williams to overcome the loss of Andy Pettitte, and maybe Roger Clemens, and a bounce-back year from third baseman Morgan Ensberg.

Rotation

Houston had to make a move after losing Pettitte back to the Yankees in free agency. Jennings, acquired in a trade with Colorado, could be the answer. But did Houston give up too much, trading away starting center fielder Willy Taveras and two potential ready-for-prime-time pitchers in Jason Hirsh and Taylor Buchholz? No. 1 starter Roy Oswalt is a Cy Young candidate. He may have an off-game every once in a while, but he has yet to have an off-year. The Astros took an if-you-can't-beat-him-then-sign-him approach in grabbing Williams, a veteran Astro killer. The last two spots in the rotation are up for grabs among left-hander Wandy Rodriguez and righties Fernando Nieve, Chris Sampson and Matt Albers.

Bullpen

Dave Wallace has replaced Jim Hickey as pitching coach and will try to bring closer Brad Lidge back to his nearly unhittable form of 2005 when he saved 42 games in 46 opportunities with a 2.29 ERA. Dan Wheeler could be ready to take the job if Lidge can't do it; it's a part Wheeler played at times last season when Lidge struggled. Chad Qualls, a Lidge look-a-like, is another solid reliever. Trever Miller pitched well last season, but he is the only left-hander unless Rodriguez falls out of the rotation. Dave Borkowski provides solid innings in long relief. Nieve, Sampson and Albers are candidates for long relief duty. Miguel Asencio, acquired as part of the Jennings deal, will also be in the bullpen mix.

Middle Infield

There isn't a better defensive shortstop in the National League than underappreciated Adam Everett. He has range, a quick release and a good arm, making the Astros one of the best double-play teams in the game. Craig Biggio isn't the All-Star second baseman he used to be; his range and arm have surrendered something to age. But he'll never fail to make a play due to a lack of hustle. Chris Burke came up as a second baseman but was needed more in the outfield. He will probably play second base someday. Veteran Mark Loretta, who signed a one-year deal in January, is a solid option at second should Biggio go down with an injury.

Corners

Lance Berkman played the outfield for his first five seasons in Houston, then switched smoothly to first base after Jeff Bagwell couldn't throw anymore. Berkman played first base in college at Rice and last year proved adept at digging balls out of the dirt. Ensberg struggled offensively last year with a shoulder problem but is well above average defensively at third base. Mike Lamb is the perfect team guy, able to play first or third. He hits for average and power and doesn't complain when he's not in the lineup. Manager Phil Garner insists that Lamb is better defensively than people think.

Outfield

The Astros will miss Taveras in center field, where his arm matched his speed. Burke, who never played the outfield until he started in left two years ago, will replace Taveras. Burke's athleticism will make for an easy transition, though there is a lot more ground to cover in spacious center field at Minute Maid Park. Luke Scott will move from left field to right to make room for Lee, who is better with a bat in his hand than a glove. There isn't much ground to cover in left at Minute Maid, which should help Lee. Jason Lane, who played mostly right field last season, is the fourth outfielder. He has a strong arm (he pitched in college) but not necessarily an accurate one.

Catching

Pitchers continue to praise the work of Brad Ausmus behind the plate -- from knowing opposing hitters to calling the right pitches. He turns 38 in mid-April, and it's questionable how long he can continue to catch almost 140 games per year. None of the backups in recent years have shown enough as a hitter or a catcher to even challenge Ausmus for the job. Humberto Quintero and Hector Gimenez will battle for the backup role.

Bench

The versatility of several players makes this one of the better benches in baseball. Left-handed hitting Orlando Palmeiro is a quality pinch-hitter who can play all three outfield positions. He's also a valuable guy in the clubhouse. Lamb, another left-handed swinger, hits with power and can play first or third base. He started 84 games last year. Loretta is a proven veteran who can play multiple spots on the infield, and Eric Bruntlett is extremely valuable, able to play every infield and outfield position. Lane provides power but needs to improve his batting average. The Astros treat him like a prime prospect, but he hasn't earned that respect yet. None of the backup catchers have proven they can do much more than give Ausmus a day of rest.

Management

Tim Purpura replaced Gerry Hunsicker as general manager at the start of the 2005 season and didn't make any major moves last year other than signing Preston Wilson. But who can criticize the GM when the team makes its first World Series appearance in history? This year Purpura brought in the bat that the Astros needed so badly in free agent Lee, plus a dependable starter in Williams, another free agent. When the Yankees outbid Houston for Pettitte, Purpura went into action immediately and traded for Jennings. How well that trade works out could be the defining grade on Purpura's report card.

Final Analysis

The arrival of Lee should improve Houston's offense dramatically. The Astros need Ensberg to hit like he did in 2005 and Scott to hit the way he did in the second half of 2006. The rotation could be a little shaky after Oswalt. The Astros are counting on Jennings to be more effective in Houston than at hitter-friendly Coors Field in Colorado, though he did poast a 3.78 ERA for the Rockies last season. After Williams, the Nos. 4 and 5 spots in the rotation are still up for grabs, which is not a good situation. Will Clemens return for one more season, or half season? The Astros should be better than last year, but so will the Cardinals, Brewers and Cubs in the very balanced NL Central.

• To purchase the 2007 Baseball Preview from Athlon Sports, click here