How About A Little Love For Our Astros?

Regarding "Aiken’s Tommy John operation doesn’t make club right or wrong" (Saturday Sports C9), sports writer Evan Drellich seems to go out of his way to deny the Astros any closure for the way they handled negotiations with their number one draft choice last year, pitcher Brady Aitken.

Drellich speculates endlessly about the reason that the Astros didn't sign Aitken, including the actual condition of Aitken's elbow, the outcome of his recent Tommy John surgery, what he was thinking, what his agent was thinking, what the Astros were thinking, ad infinitum.

But his mighty labors seem to have only one purpose: to deny giving the Astros any credit for their decision to reduce the signing bonus that killed the deal.  Last year before all the facts were known, this was the hot topic, and the players union and national sports press made Jim Crane and the Astros out to be bad guys for reducing their offer.  There was nary a sportswriter in Houston that defended them.  

The fact is that the Astros thought Aitken was damaged goods, events proved them to be correct, and there are 29 other MLB teams that think likewise.  It's time to give the Astros props for not just being good negotiators, but stand up guys.

It's also time for Houston sportswriters to unclutter their narrative and say that.

Pete Smith

Houston, TX