The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and on a day like today, a young person's heart turns, naturally, to baseball. The baseball season is almost upon us, with the evaluation period known 
as spring training beginning in earnest today. The Astros major league camp starts today, with just the pitchers and catchers in camp. The position players will arrive later, but for today we'll take a look at everyone who's currently at the Astros' facility in Kissimmee, Florida, who has a chance of making the team this year, and what role they'll play on the 2008 Astros roster.
Let's start with the starters: the starting rotation.
Roy Oswalt - the perennial Cy Young candidate and the unquestioned ace of the Astros' staff is the only known factor in the rotation at this point. Though he's not as young as he once was, Oswalt's performance can be counted upon. He went 14-7 last year despite a hit-or-miss offense and some bad outings; the important stats from last year were his 200+ innings pitched and 32 starts. If Oswalt stays healthy and consistently goes deep into games, manager Cecil Cooper won't have to lean so hard on the bullpen on those days.
Woody Williams - The elder statesman of the Astros starters had a rough and tumble year last year. Sometimes his stuff had pop, and sometimes he couldn't find the plate to save his life. He was also one of the frequent "beneficiaries" of former manager Phil Garner's tendency to pull pitchers at odd times. Regardless of his performance this year, Williams veteran presence will be a valuable asset for the rest of the young pitchers. He's another possible innings horse; if he can get 200 innings, the bullpen can focus on bailing out the younger kids at the end of the rotation.
Wandy Rodriguez - The lone lefty in the rotation turned a corner last year, when he became nearly unstoppable at Minute Maid Park. Unfortunately, he was weak on the road and his mediocre overall numbers reflect that. Still, he's made significant progress in his mound presence, not getting rattled as easily as he did earlier in his career. Best case scenario: 15 wins and a more even road-home split.
Brandon Backe - the dude from Galveston who makes all the ladies swoon is back after missing most of the past two years after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. Post-Tommy John pitchers can sometimes come back stronger and more durable with their rebuild 'bows, and Backe's strong performances at the end of the 2007 season have many people optimistic about his ability to bounce back to his 2005 Playoffs form. He's got the fire and the determination as always, but will he stay healthy and pitch well? Houstonist is hoping that he shakes the haters off and turns into a legit no. 2 starter.
Chris Sampson - Sampson battled the injury bug most of last season, but had a few flashes of brilliance. There's little doubt that he's got the competitive nature to be a starter, but he could end up in the bullpen. The Astros' no. 5 starter position is very much up for grabs, and Sampson's primary advantage is in seniority. But if another pitcher has a strong spring, he could find himself as a long-relief specialist.
Felipe Paulino - Paulino is the young dog barking at the rotation's heels. He's got a dynamite fastball and a strong build that will make him durable during the longer big league season (compared to AAA). He's an exciting player, but he'll definitely have to prove that he's ready for the responsibility of starting if he doesn't want to end up in the bullpen or at Round Rock. He may be the closer of the future, but for now he's also in the running as a starter.
Runelvys Hernandez - Ladies and gentlemen: the bargain bin! Runelvys hasn't pitched in the majors since 2006, has a reputation as a head-hunter, and has one of the best Dugout screen names ever! Will he make the team? Will he knock out Hunter Pence with a fastball? Who the hell knows. But if someone else gets hurt, he could very well be a part of the 2008 season. *shudder*
So those are the candidates for the starting rotation. A few other names (Matt Cassel and Mark McLemore) have been thrown around as possibilities, but we're convinced that they'll end up in the bullpen. We'll take a look at the firefighters tomorrow.
photo: flicker user B&M Photography
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