re: Great day to be an astros fan!

You kind of have to look at it in the way NFL GM's are running teams today. The teams that try to buy there way into the playoffs aren't breaking .500 on the season, i.e, Redskins... The teams that are successful aren't necessarily "Win Now" teams. Look at Detroit. After picking up stafford, they are just now starting to piece together a young, powerful team.

To tie that into baseball, I think there has to be a mix of both. In the case of the Berkman trade, older stars have to be on the chopping block at some point in order to free up cash and pick up young prospects for the farm league teams. On the other hand, like the Pence and Bourn trades, you're trading off young players for ~4 unproven prospects. If out of the ~8, you get 2 solid players, what was the point? Who cares if your farm league teams are under .500. Last time I checked, the Astros were pulling in more money than the Corpus Christi Hooks and the rest of their flop minor league teams. Also, even in bad years, if you have one or two "star" players like Bourn and Pence, they will put fans in the stands. I know I went to games last year just to see them two play.

Bottom line, you have to prepare for the future, but I think when you have young, proven talent, you hold on to it... Trade off the old talent for prospects.