Jason Hirsh

Hirsh was limited to 19 starts in 2007 because of a high ankle sprain (suffered while running the bases) and a broken fibula off a comebacker. He showed flashes of brilliance on the mound, but on a whole, was inconsistent. His 75:48 K:BB in 112.1 innings led to a high ERA (4.81) and WHIP (1.344). He had a decent .244 BAA and will start 2008 in the rotation. He is a nice sleeper pick who could win 12-15 games, and while his strikeout numbers won't jump out, they won't slouch too much either.

Hirsh was the top prospect in Houston's farm system, going 13-2 with a 2.10 ERA at Triple-A Round Rock, before they sent him to Colorado in a package for Jason Jennings. His 6'8'' frame makes him very intimidating on the mound, and he throws a fastball with natural sinking action that can hit up to 96 mph on the gun. He also throws a nasty slider and changeup, but scouts worry that he doesn't have an out pitch. He could break into Colorado's rotation this season.

The huge right-hander was dubbed the Astros' top prospect by Baseball America, largely on the strength of a monster '05 in the Texas League. He did pitch well there, but it's a thin thread for a guy who had struggled in A ball and whose size invites concerns about mechanics. The Astros haven't had much success producing starters of late, either. Let someone else buy the hype on Hirsh, and look for better value elsewhere.