BaseballTalkOnline.com

Now that Shawn Chacon is a member of the Astros’ pitching staff, Chris Sampson and Woody Williams are on the bubble. Just one day prior to Chacon’s signing, the Astros appeared to be set with a rotation of Roy Oswalt, Wandy Rodriguez, Brandon Backe, Williams and Sampson, however, now the latter two have reason to worry.

“I’ll have to pick it up a little bit, another notch,” Sampson said. “Not that I wasn’t working hard before, but if they felt like they needed to go out and sign somebody, then obviously they weren’t very confident in the guys that were going for the rotation as of right now. I’m going to go out, pick it up and try to do my best to prove them wrong.”

In addition to Sampson, Woody Williams was told that he’d have to have a good Spring to keep his spot in the rotation.

The most likely scenario has Sampson going to the bullpen because he’s experienced success there before. Williams is a proven veteran and would probably have to totally implode to lose his grasp on a spot in the Astros’ rotation.

Chacon signed with the Astros for $2 million and is considered to be a candidate for the starting rotation, but with his history as a reliever, you can’t count out the idea of him being shuffled to the bullpen as their current bullpen lacks a bridge from the starters to Jose Valverde.

Filed under: Chris Sampson, Houston Astros, Shawn Chacon, Woody Williams