Mailbag: Seize the moment

However, rest assured that every player you have asked about has been discussed. As GM Tim Purpura said on "Astroline" last week, "We're looking at every player that's out there and available."

With Roger Clemens waiting in the wings, the rotation looks good with Roy Oswalt, Brandon Backe, and Andy Pettitte coming back healthy. I was wondering if there was any attention placed on Tim Redding stepping up and finding out how to get through the fourth, fifth and sixth innings of games. Is this lack of productivity being focused on this offseason? -- Nelson T., Austin, Texas

The front office is hoping so, Nelson. In terms of being more productive in the middle innings, that's something Redding is going to have to figure out for himself. Wasn't it Yogi Berra that said baseball is 90 percent mental and the other half physical? Yogi's math may have been a bit off, but his point is clear.

Redding's physical tools have never been in question. Stuff-wise, there are few pitchers in the organization who are better. But there is a mental side of the game Redding has yet to conquer. In my opinion, he needs to stop worrying about how much confidence the manager may or may not have in him and just pitch his game. When he does that, he's impressive.

Have a question about the Astros?

E-mail your query to MLB.com Astros beat reporter Brian McTaggart for possible inclusion in a future Inbox column. Letters may be edited for brevity, length and/or content


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During the playoffs last year, the Astros added several players to the traveling party who were not eligible for postseason play. I remember watching Brandon Backe take batting practice before an NLCS home game and thinking, "This kid was one of the last to be cut before Opening Day." He was beaten out for a spot on the 25-man roster by Redding and Brandon Duckworth, among others. Then he was the No. 3 starter in the NLCS, and the others weren't eligible for the playoffs for various reasons.

I would hope those players -- Redding, Duckworth, Carlos Hernandez -- were impacted by what Backe accomplished last year. Backe was given an opportunity when the Astros desperately needed him to come through, and he did. If there is ever a time for an unproven pitcher to step up, it's now. The Astros don't know what Clemens is going to do, and even if he does return, there are still spots open in the rotation. The opportunity is there, and now it's up to the pitcher to grab it.

When the media and fans talk about Houston's future, current backup shortstop Eric Bruntlett is never mentioned as a possibility for open positions. He could fight for second base and possibly in the outfield if there is a position available. Under Jimy Williams, Bruntlett played many positions, including the outfield. He showed some good potential in limited playing time last year. What do you think his future is in Houston?-- Ben G.

Bruntlett will have a chance to compete for a spot during Spring Training. He may not be overly exceptional in any specific element of his game, but overall, he's a good, young player who improved tremendously both offensively and defensively during his short time in the Majors last year. He's also one of the first the Astros call up in the event of an injury. Seeing how many roster moves a team makes in one season, having Bruntlett, who can play the infield and corner outfield positions, waiting in the wings is a bonus.

That's what we were asking ourselves this time last year, too. Biggio is entering the final year of his contract and as far as I know, no discussions have taken place for an extension. Bagwell is signed through 2006 with a club option for 2007, so he'll be here for at least the next two years.

If the Astros decide to part ways with Biggio after '05, then yes, this will be the final year for Bagwell and Biggio as teammates.

In the new steroid testing policy there is now a penalty for first-time offenders of a 10-day suspension. This is a farce. Who cares? It is not a suspension without pay, therefore it carries no weight at all. These millionaire children that we fans pay hundreds of millions of dollars to see are not going to be deterred by this slap on the wrist. -- Billy, Katy, Texas

Actually, any suspension will be without pay. But you're right, a few thousand dollars lopped off a paycheck doesn't have a huge impact. There's another provision that emerged from the new policy though -- from now on, players who fail steroid tests will not be protected with anonymity. His name will be out there for all to see. The humiliation and scorn a player would face would not be worth juicing up for an extra 10 home runs a season. Maybe first offenders won't be banned for life under this new policy, but in the eyes of the public? They're done.

I was wondering what you thought the pros and cons of bringing Jeromy Burnitz or Mike Cameron to the Astros' outfield would be. I don't know much about either one of them being primarily an Astros fan, but from what I've read, Burnitz seems to be more of a power hitter, and Cameron seems to be speedy with average power and excellent fielding. If Cameron comes to Houston, and he's unable to play for a few weeks at the beginning, would that be that big of a deal? -- Aaron P.

That's what the Astros are trying to figure out. They like Burnitz because he has home run potential and he can play all three outfield positinos. But they don't like how much he strikes out. They like Cameron because he is a true center fielder with speed, but he has more than $15 million coming to him in the next two years, and he's going to miss all of April after having wrist surgery in December. The Astros already have one outfielder, Berkman, who's going to be out for a month. Do they need another? These are the pros and cons being pondered by the front office.

Do the Astros get draft-pick compensation for losing Carlos Beltran to the Mets? -- Fern L., The Woodlands, Texas

The Astros will receive a compensation pick between the first and second rounds, and they will also get the Mets' second-round pick. This will be a welcome opportunity for the Astros, who have been handcuffed the last two drafts because of free agent signings. They lost their first-round pick to the Giants in 2003 because of Jeff Kent, and because they signed Andy Pettitte last year, they lost their first-round pick to the Yankees.

Before the draft last June, Gerry Hunsicker admitted the club had suffered because of the loss of two straight first-round picks. Considering Craig Biggio, Billy Wagner, Lance Berkman, Brad Lidge (sandwich pick) and Chris Burke were all first-rounders, I would say he had a point.

I read a rumor that the Astros were talking about trading Brandon Backe for Alfonso Soriano of the Texas Rangers. Is this true, or is this something that can be disregarded, and if it is true, then can you explain? It seems like we're losing everyone! What's going on? -- Anita, Poca, W.V.

Right now, the Astros are in no position to trade any of their Major League starting pitchers. The pool is too thin to even think about getting rid of a starter. Right now, the Astros have Oswalt, Backe and hopefully a healthy Pettitte. Until Roger Clemens decides what he wants to do, the Astros are holding onto what they have.

I'm sure the Rangers have asked for Backe. I'm sure teams in the past have asked for Berkman, Lidge and Oswalt, too. That doesn't mean they're getting them.

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.