Dan Wheeler back for 2007
The man who should have been closer for 2006 if Phil "Crapiron" Garner had his wits about him will be back, waiting for Garner to pull the trigger on Lidge in 2007:
Right-hander Dan Wheeler, one of the primary setup men in Houston's bullpen, agreed Monday to a $2.1 million, one-year contract with the Astros.
Wheeler was 3-5 with nine saves and a 2.52 ERA in 75 games last season, when he made $950,000. The Astros used him in some save situations last year when closer Brad Lidge struggled, and he shared setup duties with Chad Qualls. Wheeler is 5-8 with a 2.38 ERA and 12 saves in three seasons with Houston.
The 29-year-old held opponents to a .221 batting average, including .184 after the All-Star break. He had a 1.11 ERA after the All-Star break, fifth-best among NL relievers.
As opposed to Lidge, who could have been used by NASA to launch Space Station parts into whatever orbit can be achieved over the Crawford Boxes.
Posted by Laurence Simon @ 01/09/07 04:46 AM | Print | Comments (0)
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