View The MLB Cappers Leaderboard For 2009 \u00a0– Picks Packages for 2010 On Sale Now! \u2014\u2013><\/strong><\/p>\n After a 74-win season, it\u2019s strange to see the Houston Astros go with \u201cstatus quo\u201d as their offseason gameplan. With no truly significant improvements, can they compete in the jam-packed National League Central? <\/p>\n Before we write Houston off, we can at least say its rotation has potential to thrive. Wandy Rodriguez made the jump from solid pitcher to ace last season; for the Astros to have any shot this year, he must show that he\u2019s no one-year wonder. It\u2019s weird to see Roy Oswalt get the \u201cbrittle\u201d label when he\u2019s started 30 or more games for six consecutive seasons. He is, however, showing signs of finally slowing down. Last season\u2019s eight wins and 4.12 ERA were both career worsts. <\/p>\n What about Bud Norris? He went 3-0 with a 1.57 ERA in September last season and he\u2019s just 25 years old. Even more encouraging is his healthy 54 strikeouts in 55.2 innings as a rookie. If one of Norris and Brett Myers can provide quality innings, Houston\u2019s rotation should be competitive enough. Myers is a real wild card; he\u2019s been a 200-inning, 200-strikeout starter before but his flyball tendencies make him a home-run dispenser. Last year, he allowed 18 bombs in just 70.2 innings. <\/p>\n Houston\u2019s offense was below average last season but could improve even with the same personnel. Lance Berkman had his worst season since his rookie year in 2009 but could rebound. At age 32, he\u2019s not in the twilight of his career just yet. Same goes for 34-year-old Carlos Lee, fresh off his third straight .300, 100-RBI season. These two still give the Astros respectable pop in the middle of the order. Their defense is another story. <\/p>\n A real lynchpin for the Houston offense in 2010: Hunter Pence. He\u2019s posted two straight 25-homer seasons, he raised his on-base percentage by 28 points last year and will turn 27 \u2013 the age when most power hitters break out \u2013 on April 13. An ascension to All-Star status from Pence would do wonders for Houston\u2019s lineup. After Berkman, Lee and Pence, it gets dicey. The Astros are hoping rookie Tommy Manzella can replace departed Miguel Tejada\u2019s production at shortstop. They\u2019re also banking on a healthy year from Kaz Matsui, who set a career high in games played with just 132 last season. The rest of the motley crew includes Phillies castoff Pedro Feliz and speedster Michael Bourne. Not exactly a Murderer\u2019s Row. <\/p>\n Though the Astros brought in Matt Lindstrom and\/or Brandon Lyon to close, their bullpen is arguably weaker than it was with Jose Valverde and LaTroy Hawkins (both gone). Relief pitching isn\u2019t bad for Houston per se but it certainly isn\u2019t a strength. <\/p>\n Too much has to go right for the Astros to contend this season. Everyone who broke out has to repeat his success; everyone who struggled has to bounce back; and everyone must stay healthy. It\u2019s unrealistic to expect everything to go that smoothly and the Astros aren\u2019t deep enough to survive when things do go wrong. <\/p>\n They\u2019ll flounder in the Central.<\/p>\nMLB Team Preview \u2013 Houston Astros<\/h3>\n
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