MountVJackets wrote:
I'm not convinced that Crane will ever open the wallet for big name FA's. I'm thinking we're gonna be closer to a Tampa then say like a Texas in terms of payroll.

This is the biggest question I have with this new regime. I understand we have to bite the bullet and continue the rebuild for a couple years. Then what? At what point do we start becoming major players in FA if at all??

I don't think I'm as concerned about forever being a small-market payroll team, but I will say that I was a bit relieved after Crane's lengthy radio interview that I posted here about 2 weeks ago.

At least now he's on the record as saying definitively that he considers Houston a Top 10 market and expects to be a Top 10 revenue team with a commensurate payroll. He also firmly stated that Houston will be much more aggressive in free agency once they've solidified their "core nucleus" of young talent and stabilized the farm into a perennial talent pipeline.

There was no hedging in his statements whatsoever and he left himself no real wiggle room or any way to take it back.

Passan's article on yahoo mentions that the Astros TV deal is potentially more lucrative than the Rangers', in terms of percentage of ownership. Once we've compiled a sufficient level of home grown talent at the Major League level, there can be no reasonable or believable excuse for a payroll level that doesn't address the team's needs.