This is Going to be a Very Big Year For ...

A couple weeks ago, I wrote this piece about a few position players for whom THIS IS GOING TO BE A BIG YEAR. This is something I heard time and again in my recent conversations with John Manuel of Baseball America, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com and others. With the Astros depth increasing, players will need to step up to keep up. For some, it may be a matter of staying healthy. For some, it will be recapturing earlier promise. For some, it will be taking that next step developmentally. Today, let's look at a few pitchers whose ultimate fate in the organization may be either helped or hindered by the year they have.

RHP Paul Clemens
Going into the 2012 season, Paul Clemens was ranked as the number 5 prospect in the Astros system by Baseball America. Coming into the 2013 season, he is ranked at number 27. What happened? Clemens struggled in 20 starts at AAA Oklahoma City (6.73 ERA and 1.741 WHIP) before being demoted to Corpus Christi at the end of the season. Clemens has a great deal of talent and I don't think the 25-year old will be going anywhere even if he  has another subpar year in 2013. However, after seeing him pitch extremely effectively out of the bullpen in Kissimmee during Spring Training, I am convinced that he may eventually get moved in that direction unless he can start showing a more consistent and effective approach in his starts at the higher level.

RHP Josh Zeid
Josh Zeid is one of those guys that you cannot help but pull for. He is extremely nice and genuine, and he was probably one of the best teammates and biggest cheerleaders on the Hooks team last season. He also has excellent "stuff." What he doesn't have is consistency, but it is my sincerest belief that Zeid's lack of consistency is 99% mental. He needs to master the mental part of the game to get to the next level.

LHP Kyle Hallock
Hallock, the 10th round pick in 2011, had a very good freshman season with Tri-City that year but was largely ineffective in his seven appearances at Lexington. He ultimately had surgery to clean out loose bodies in his pitching elbow and was healthy enough to make five rehab appearances at the end of the season. If Hallock proves to be healthy and can recreate his excellent 2011 numbers, the 24-year old could open some eyes this season.

RHP Tanner Bushue
Drafted in the second round in 2009, Bushue took a giant step backward in his development in 2012 as he struggled badly at Lexington at the start of the season and was subsequently sent back to extended Spring Training. He ended up back in Greeneville where he made 16 appearances, all but one out of the bullpen, and ended with a 5.65 ERA, a 1.849 WHIP and 10.7 SO/9 at the level. He finished the season very strongly, however, with a 0.57 ERA, 0.894 WHIP and 13.2 SO/9 in August in seven long relief outings. There is still time for Bushue to get back on track as he will only be 22 in June, but coming into his fifth season in the system, he has a lot to prove and he will need to do so quickly and emphatically.

LHP Christopher Lee
There are two reasons that the fourth round 2011 pick is probably not in danger of being released if he doesn't have a good season. He won't turn 21 until August and he's a lefty. Lefties always get extra looks. But with the infusion of left-handed pitching into the system by Jeff Luhnow and another draft imminent, he could find himself stuck back in Greeneville for his third season. If he can't find his way out of Greeneville and competing effectively at a higher level by the end of the season, all bets are off. Lee only pitched eight and two-thirds innings in five games in 2012 and had very poor results. He was never officially placed on the disabled list, but did not pitch again after July 26th.

Undoubtedly, 2013 will prove to be a BIG YEAR for many players in the Astros organization. These are just a few that I'm keeping my eye on.