AUTHOR: BoStros TITLE: Astros 2010 Bullpen DATE: 5:33:00 PM ----- BODY:

Brandon Lyon (C) - Though consistency may not be his most valuable asset (He has had an ERA of 2.68, 4.70 and 2.86 over the last three seasons), with last seasons numbers coming up at a 6.4 H/9 and 1.106 WHIP, he could be a quite valuable asset. I for one am definitely looking forward to seeing him this season. Matt Lindstrom - Though he posted poor numbers last season, he has shown us in the past that he is clearly capable of keeping a game in tact for a closer. Posting ERAs of 3.09 and 3.14 in 2007-2008, he is prone to produce the kind of numbers we need in our bullpen. This flamethrower could be a key producer towards the Astros success this season. Jeff Fulchino - Yet, another potential strong point in the bullpen, Fulchino posted some nice numbers last year with a 1.183 WHIP and 3.40 ERA, not to mention racking up a 6-4 W-L record as a relief pitcher on a losing team. Though I believe 100% that the W-L record for pitchers is completely irrelevant, 6-4 has to mean something when you look at the circumstances Jeff was in. Alberto Arias - Going 3.35 last season in 42 games, Alberto is also quite vulnerable when it comes to being a strong piece of the Astros bullpen. Though his effectiveness seemed to be on a low in his frst 3 games with Houston in 2008, Alberto turned 2009 into a breakout season worth noting. I definitely expect to see another season like that of 2009 from Arias and perhaps even more in the future. Tim Byrdak - Byrdak, posting the second lowest ERA of his career last season, should fit right in with the other RPs we have here in Houston. Though he doesn't have a history of keeping his ERA as low as it was last season, all last season he was pretty dang consistent. If he can keep healthy and continue his reign, I wouldn't mind him coming into numerous games for the 'Stros. Chris Sampson - Perhaps a week link in the pen, Chris has only once in his career pitched a season with an ERA less than 4.22. The year I speak of is 2006 when he pitched a career low 34 innings. Not really your first choice when you need to pull your starter and bring in some relief pitching, but of course, our bullpen has its ups and downs. Samuel Gervacio - Probably one of the more anticipated players in the Astros 2010 bullpen, the 25 year old youngster pitched a 2.14 ERA and 196 ERA+ with 21 ML IP in 2009. Many years ahead of this bright, young player; lets hope he performs them well. Overall - 3.5/5.0 - Rounding it all up, I see consistency as the best word for this 2010 Astros bullpen. With most all players hanging around 2.00 and 3.00 ERAs, I am quite proud of how well we appear coming into this next season. The only thing that really gets me here is that we have this keen, polished bullpen with little to no offense to back it up. Quite a drawback, but I suppose we shall see how far the Astros can get with this offensive void.

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