I can assure you if Wigginton was available to the Astros for that price two months ago, they would have jumped at the opportunity. That, however, was not the case. Wigginton was arbitration-eligible and would have made somewhere in the neighborhood of $7 million in arbitration, if not more.

When the Astros non-tendered him, Wigginton's intention, understandably so, was to find something close to that in free agency, for multiple years. No one could have guessed that the baseball market would crash, so to speak. Instead, the Astros moved on, signing Aaron Boone. I'm not suggesting they received equal value talent-wise -- they obviously didn't. But the Astros really had no way to know when or if Wigginton's price would come down, and quite frankly, I doubt he would have wanted to come back to the same team after being non-tendered and being forced to take a paycut.

This whole offseason has been weird, to put it mildly. No one could have imagined that 100 free agents would still be available at the end of January, and it wasn't until just before the Astros actually non-tendered Wigginton that I actually believed it was something they might have to do.

With Ben Sheets still on the market and his interest to play in Texas, why don't the Astros give a shout out to him with a deal filled with incentives? Even though last year was injury-packed, he put up around 30 starts and a 3.00 ERA. If they reached out to him and signed him, chances are good more fans would go out to see games, bringing in more money and a postseason, right?
-- Andrew B.

Judging from some of the e-mails I've received this offseason, I think there is a perception that the Astros have had serious internal discussions at least entertaining the idea of bringing in Sheets. I have never been given any indication at any point in the last four months that this is the case. Not only is Sheets injury-prone, he's a Type-A free agent who was offered arbitration by the Brewers. This means if the Astros sign him, they forego their first-round Draft pick this year. The Astros are in no position to do that.

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While publicly the Astros are saying they are done spending, privately, I believe they're hoping a quality free agent is still ripe for the taking for a last-minute signing at a drastically reduced price. That doesn't necessarily mean they'll move on anything, but they might be able to convince Drayton McLane if the price really is right. But sorry folks, I seriously doubt it'll be Sheets. It just doesn't make any sense and while there are no guarantees in this game, I cannot picture him getting through the season without at least one physical issue. Remember, this is the same pitcher who was unavailable to his team last October because of arm problems.

How did Michael Bourn do in the fall league? Will he be the starting center fielder for Houston this year and can he get on base often enough to be a productive player?
-- Moe G., Nashua, N.H.

Bourn actually played winter ball, and his numbers were good. For the Aguilas team in the Dominican League, he hit .314 over 25 games with eight doubles and 11 RBIs. He also drew 15 walks and struck out 24 times.

Bourn normally spends five weeks of his offseasons working on his conditioning at the Athletes Performance Institute in Tempe, Ariz. After struggling through '08, however, Bourn decided he'd be better served trying to improve his game, and he should be commended for it. One can't get too optimistic about winter ball stats, yet it's a step in the right direction, and yes, he'll be the Astros' starting center fielder. He'll have to perform, however, or he could see his playing time decreased, as was the case last year.

What is the likelihood of Russ Ortiz making the starting rotation?
-- Jack F., Oxford, Miss.

If Ortiz can be the pitcher he was a few years ago before injuries decimated his career, then I'm all for giving him a chance. But when it comes to non-roster invitees, I'm pretty non-committal. I'll believe it when I see it. Same goes for Clay Hensley and Danny Graves (who will audition for a bullpen role). It doesn't hurt to take a look.

I was looking over Jim Rice's stats and noticed they aren't spectacular -- he wasn't much of a success in the postseason. Does this make a case for Jeff Bagwell to make the Hall of Fame?
-- Jared L., Austin

I hope Bagwell doesn't have to wait 15 years to get in, like Rice did. I'm not sure I'd compare an outfielder to a first baseman or that Rice's election will have an effect on Bagwell's candidacy, but I would like to think Bagwell will get in eventually. Anyone who watched him on an everyday basis can see he is indeed a Hall of Famer, for not only his batting average and power numbers, but also his defense, baserunning and impeccable baseball instincts. However, of the more than 500 Hall of Fame voters, only a handful did watch him play every day, which is one of the biggest problems with the voting system. I believe Bagwell has a good chance to get in the same time as Craig Biggio, and assuming Biggio's a first-ballot choice, Bagwell would get in on his third try. There is also a chance Bagwell will never get in. We'll have to wait and see.

Do the Astros have anybody in the Minors that could make the team out of Spring Training? I see that other teams have 20- and 22-year-olds make their teams and become stars, and the Astros just seem to not be in the same situation.
-- Robert, Galveston, Texas

I have my doubts any of the young players will make the team out of Spring Training, but keep your eye on right-hander Bud Norris and third baseman Chris Johnson. I'm hearing positive things about a half-dozen Minor Leaguers, but those two seem to be mentioned more than others. They could be a factor at some point in 2009.