I'm concerned about Everett in this lineup next year, assuming Alou won't be here. With a catcher who's been a near automatic out this season, I don't think we can afford a .230 hitting SS, no matter how good his glove is. Where do you bat him?? Batting .250 or below, you can't bat him in the 2 hole (where Lugo bats now). You really don't want to bunch him up with Ausmus at 7 and 8...followed by the pitcher at 9, that's a damn weak end of the lineup. And if Castilla doesn't come back and we're forced to play Truby out there next year, that's an all rookie left side of the infield...not pretty. The Mets have this guy already...he's called Rey Ordonez...and they've been trying to trade him for two years now and can't find a taker!!! Gone are the days where a great defensive SS can make up for being an awful hitter. There's simply too many balls flying over the SS's head (and over the left field wall) to give up another automatic out in the lineup. If the guy can hit eventually, great. But assuming what you see is what you get, I'd take my chance with Lugo. He is, after all, the starting SS for the NL's best team right about now.
One of the keys to solve some of the Astros problems next year is the return of a healthy Bill Spiers. If he is healthy (and that's a mighty big if), he can give them solid innings at third, spot duty at short and be a solid number 2 hitter.
Lugo is HORRIBLE!!! Whenever Biggio gets on base, Lugo finds a way to strike out or fly out... The #2 hitter in the lineup is supposed to be a contact hitter... Lugo strikes out way too many times to be a #2... Also, his fielding is atrocious... I hold my breath everytime the ball is hit to him... Bagwell bails him out everytime... Lugo also makes the most baserunning mistakes of any Astro... He is way too overaggresive, and gets tagged out trying to advance... I say start Everett... If he doesn't strike out much, then I say put him at the 2 spot...
According to the Chronicle, Adam Everett has 25 errors to his credit in New Orleans this season. He isn't being called up for his fielding either. He's being called up for a month look-see. Hopefully, he'll continue to develop, and be a good SS in a few years. It doesn't sound like he's turning out to be quite the number one prospect they hoped.
I certainly hope so! In fact, it's nice to see both the Astros and Rockets move away from their traditional approach of obtaining veterans and going with the youth movement. For a while, it seemed that Houston was the place all former sports stars (Rick Barry, Ced Maxwell, to a certain extent Barkley, Drexler, and Pippen, Archie Manning, Ken Stabler, and so on) went to "die", so to speak.
I don't think Lugo is as bad as many say. Nevertheless, I'd like to have a better SS. I just don't think that guy is Adam Everett. Ultimately, Lugo does make contact....Everett clearly does not even on the minor league level. I don't see how he goes from being a .250 AAA hitter to being a #2 hitter in a lineup that loses the punch of Alou and already has a nearly automatic out in Ausmus. I think that significantly weakens your lineup. I agree that Lugo would best be utilized as a utility guy...he can play CF if you need him to some. But I don't think Everett is an upgrade anytime soon.
