the times they are a-changin'

i have been preaching for years, 2007 to be exact, that the astros needed to change course. and they have finally heard me. look at the deals from this year:

- July 4, 2012 Acquired INF Matt Dominguez and LHP Rob Rasmussen from Miami for 1B Carlos Lee. Assigned Rasmussen to Corpus Christi (Texas)

- July 20, 2012 Acquired RHP Francisco Cordero, OF Ben Francisco, RHP Joe Musgrove, RHP Asher Wojciechowski, LHP David Rollins, C Carlos Perez and a player to be named for RHP Brandon Lyon, LHP J.A. Happ and RHP David Carpenter from Toronto

- July 22, 2012 Traded RHP Brett Myers to the Chicago White Sox for RHP Matthew Heidenreich and LHP Blair Walters 

- December 14, 2011 Acquired INF Jed Lowrie and RHP Kyle Weiland from Boston for RHP Mark Melancon. Designated INF Brian Bixler for assignment

wandy rodriguez is next. but look what they got for what you could call 'mediocre to poor talent'. these guys we traded had no business playing for the astros anymore. they were part of an attempt to keep from sliding off the mountain. but the quicker we slid off the mountain, the quicker we could begin to climb it again. whatever that means.

i have no idea if any of these new players will turn into anything. the players we received for lance berkman and roy oswalt haven't turned into much. jimmy paredes still has a shot. actually we traded mark melancon, who we received as part of the lance berkman deal, for jed lowrie, which i have now added to the list above. that was also a good deal after a busted deal. the roy oswalt deal netted us brett wallace who has done very little and j.a. happ, who was dealt as part of the blue jays deal. now it should be noted that the berkman and oswalt deals were still part of the ed wade era, an era that could not have ended soon enough.

the point is acceptance. it's time to break down the franchise in every way. bud norris should be dealt as well. trade jed lowrie and jose altuve for more prospects. if these prospects turn out, this team won't be ready to contend for another three to four years. so in that time, if someone pops up like lowrie or altuve that has value, they should go too. that's how you start over.

i have faith in this administration. the astros haven't had a competent front office since gerry hunsicker departed in 2004. it's been a few dark years. but hope is on the horizon. hope for a successful team in 2020!!! let's go astros in 2020!!! world series!!!