Lisa Gray at The Astros Dugout took a look today at the spring training performance of some recent, but no-longer Astros in comparison to the guys who replaced them:

– Chad Qualls (D-bax) – 5 IP, no homers, 3 hits, no walks, 5 K in 5 games. Good thing we got rid of THAT good for nothing. Our NEW bullpen guys are SOOOOOOO much better.

– Chris Burke (D-bax) – 15/38 in 14 G – 11 RS, 15 H, 5 doubles, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 4 BB, 2 K, 2 SB, no CS: .395/.489/.763/1.252 – yeah, GOOD thing we got rid of that worthless good for nothing in favor of Kaz Matsui. Oh yeah, of COURSE these numbers are perfectly valid – didn’t we all decide by 20 ABs last year that Burkie-poo was washed up, useless, worthless? That he should be DFAd and Pence installed in center? Oh yes, you did.

The list goes on. You’ll want to click over there to read the whole thing. I mention Chris Burke there specifically because that’s him in the picture. It looks like Astros red, but if you look carefully you can see that it’s actually the crimson of the Diamondbacks. If you’re bothering to look that high.

Our Brewers preview interview was postponed last night due to our recording equipment picking up an errant AM radio station. We’ll try again tomorrow, but in the meantime, the Crack Technical Staff and I catch up on what’s been going on around the division.

Ruh-roh, Astros

• Kaz Matsui has undergone surgery to repair his anal fissure. He’ll be out two to three weeks, and will miss the opening.
• Utility man Mark Loretta will replace Matsui.

Trouble Brewers
Manager Ned Yost has interesting plans for his lineup.

• Mike Cameron will bat 2nd when he returns from his drug suspension. Yost wants Cameron’s replacement to also bat 2nd, so as not to disrupt the delicate order of the line-up.
• Yost will have the pitcher bat 8th.

Tweet tweet Cardinals

• Finally signed Kyle Lohse for 1 year and $4.25 M. What the hell happened to the consensus best free agent starting pitcher? Collusion? Backlash against Scott Boras?

Da Cubs

• Rumors that the Cubs will trade with the Orioles for lead-off hitter Brian Roberts continue to abound and be squashed.
• Kerry Wood looks to be the closer for this season.
• Ryan Dempster might not make the starting rotation.

Ahoy! Pirates

• Steve Pearce, one of the Pirates best prospects was cut and send down to AAA camp.
• Starter Ian Snell signed a long-term deal ($8 M over three years). With options, could buy out a year of free agency.

Watch out for McCarthy, Reds

• Jeremy Affeldt has been moved to the bullpen.
• Rotation looks to be Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo, Josh Fogg, Johnny Cueto, and Edinson Volquez

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Welcome to the semifinals of the Jason Romano Commemorative NLC’s hottest baller contest. 15 of the best-looking players on NLC (plus the newest ex-Mariner) face off in a single-elimination tournament.

Brad Ausmus comes to the final four by way of the nonReds bracket. He defeated Sean Burnett in the first round and Chris Duffy in the second round. Ausmus brings a very traditional tall-dark-and-handsome kind of hotness to the competition.

Even so, Ausmus has his work cut out for him against…

Bubba Crosby is a cult favorite in the competition. He’s already taken down Bronson Arroyo and Matt Belisle, two very well-liked Reds’ pitchers, to make his way into the final four.

Brad Ausmus
ht: 5-11 wt: 190 dob: 04/14/1969

Bubba Crosby
ht: 5-11 wt: 195 dob: 08/11/1976

[poll=25]

Spring Training in baseball is always exciting, filled with the naive optimism that “We can win it this year.” It always seems the players feel that way, too, so I wonder how the marginal players deal with the cuts. It’s one thing if you’re young and a touted prospect, but to be older and hanging on for one more shot has to be hard.

No major moves have been made yet, but here’s a rundown of the cuts that the National League Central clubs have made in the past few days.

• The Astros are letting go pitchers Paul Estrada, Sammy Gervacio, Brad James, Josh Muecke, Fernando Nieve, and Chad Reineke, infielders Tommy Manzella and Lance Niekro, and outfielder Yordany Ramirez. Most of those guys appear to be younger with need of more seasoning.
• The Cubs have trimmed their roster to 42. Pitchers Juan Mateo and Jeff Samardzija and outfielder Jake Fox were optioned to minor league teams, while pitcher Ed Campusano, infielder Luis Figueroa, and catcher JD Closser, all non-roster invitees, were reassigned to minor league camp. Pitcher Shingo Takatsu was released.
• The Pirates got in on the act, chopping 12 players off their roster. I imagine that has to hurt: not being good enough for the Pirates.
• The Reds have yet to start trimming their roster. Their first round involved cutting two pitchers.Rule V pick Sergio Valenzuela was sent back to the Braves, ending a Rule V pick that everyone except apparently Wayne Krivsky knew was doomed to fail, and Ramon Ramirez was optioned to the minors.

 Just two and a half weeks until Opening Day, and most teams have rosters that are well over the 25 man limit. It seems that teams are taking longer to decide on which 25 to take this year. I find the hand-wringing over all of it a little amusing. I mean, the vast majority of the final 35 or so players all make it to the big leagues at some point. Someone always gets injured.

Until then, keep enjoying the starting rotation battles for the Reds, the closer battle for the Cubs, the 25-man battle for the Pirates, and the Cardinals ongoing search for a Scott Spiezio replacement.

I intended to do provide an NL Central injury report on a semi-weekly basis, but work and traveling to Sarasota got in the way. Of course, players keep getting injured, so there’s no real way to be “late” on this. Well, except I didn’t get to write about outfielder Felix Pie’s testicle first.

Other than Pie, the poster boy for the unluckiness that comes from being a Cub, both third baseman Aramis Ramirez and outfielder Alfonso Soriano suffered and returned from injuries. Ramirez came back Friday from shoulder tightness, springing into midseason form by sporting an 0-fer. Soriano played his first game today, seeming to have healed his broken finger magically quickly. His hamstrings, however, still need work.

For the Reds, both catcher David Ross and shortstop Alex Gonzalez are missing games. Ross’ injury is far less serious, or at least it is upon first glance. But anytime “back spasms” are a problem with a full-time catcher on the wrong side of 30, eyebrows have to be raised. Or in Javier Valentin‘s case, mustaches. If Ross doesn’t return by Opening Day, Valentin will be the starting catcher. And I don’t have a problem with that.

Gonzalez’ injury is far more serious as he’s suffering from a fractured left knee. After all his trauma with his sick son preventing him from playing last year, it doesn’t look good for the shortstop this year. He’ll be reevaluated in two weeks, so who knows when he’ll be able to play baseball again. I expect he’ll be starting the season on the DL.

In St. Louis, the Cardinals have lost one of their leading left-handed relievers through the start of the season. Tyler Johnson has been diagnosed with tendinitis and a rotator cuff sprain. No surgery is needed for recovery, just time. Which is great news for Ron Villone, who’s competing for a left-handed bullpen spot.

Also, the right elbow of Albert Pujols is apparently attached with nothing more than grit, stubbornness, and lies about his age. Pujols has a torn ligament, bone spurs, and arthritis. Season-ending surgery is required, but the Cardinals are holding it off because they obviously want Pujols to save his DL year for when they’re going to be in contention.

And lastly, Houston Astros second baseman Kaz Matsui is experiencing a spot of discomfort. He had to miss one game at the end of February and is returning from Spring Training to Houston to see a hemorrhoids specialist, hoping to speed up the healing. I guess they don’t make cushions for second base.