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The New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels and the Houston Astros. ???Which one of these isn???t like the other ones, which one of these doesn???t belong???? Whenever Scott Boras looks to send one of his high-priced clients to a new club, the same customers line up to start the bidding. Will Manny be a Dodger? Will Teixeira be a Yankee? It???s time for the Houston Astros to join the party. Now, quite honestly, attempting to buy the World Series has proven to be risky; sometimes teams that rely on high profile free agents wind up with a dugout full of aging, lethargic also-rans. Nevertheless, plugging in one or even two free agents into the correct hole can make the difference between watching the playoffs on FOX and watching them in the stadium. Back to the Astros. Houston often behaves like a mid-sized market, counting its pennies and withdrawing from the free agent merry-go-round. It???s easy to understand why this is so. Houston???s a ???new city??? having experienced ??? like many cities in Texas ??? rapid growth in the past generation. Not long ago Houston was a mid-sized market. Today, Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States. Housing has always been reasonably priced so it has avoided much of the distress caused by the recent financial crisis. The city boasts a robust and diverse economy ??? it???s not just about oil anymore. The fans will continue to support the team with its habitual 3,000,000 paying customers. The Astros ??? especially given their thin minor league system ??? not only need to sign a couple of free agents but can afford them as well. Who should they sign? Here???s a quick rundown on the club: Catcher: Brad Ausmus is gone. Last season???s heir apparent ??? J.R. Towles hit only .143 before being sent back to the minor leagues in July. Towles has the tools; he hit .304 for Round Rock in 2008 and he should be given another opportunity to play full-time. GM Ed Wade is hesitant, according to the Houston Chronicle, to rely on Towles, but the free agent pickings are slim. There are some ???cagey veterans??? out there, probably led by Jason Varitek. If the Astros front office believes they can win this year, perhaps taking a chance on a Varitek or Pudge Rodriguez makes sense. A real gambler gives Johnny Estrada a look. I wouldn???t give up on Towles; he???ll be just 25 years old in 2009 and has always hit well in the minor leagues. First Base: Lance Berkman is obviously a lock at first. Berkman can play right field; Houston could join the Mark Teixeira sweepstakes; at 29, Tex will be entering the most productive portion of his career. Unless the Astros can come up with a young Willie Mays to play center between Berkman and Carlos Lee, defense demands that Lance stay put at first. Second Base: Second base isn???t a strength, but neither is it a pressing need. Kaz Matsui should be a reliable, but not spectacular, every day second sacker in 2009. Third Base: The Astros do not need to sign Joe Crede; third base is a secret strength in Houston. Right hand hitting Ty Wigginton and switch hitter Geoff Blum combined for 37 home runs last season and provided adequate defense. Wigginton???s drifted around from team to team in his career but has been productive at every stop. More, he???s also only six months older than Crede. The Astros should stay with Wiggy and Blum. Shortstop: Sign Rafael Furcal. This is the most painful financial move the Astros need to make. Miguel Tejada is signed through 2009 for more money than he???s worth (he made over $14m in 2008). That???s a lot of money to pay a man who hit .283 with 24 walks and 13 home runs (only three after June 19). Tejada hit into 32 double plays and his range diminishes by the day. Why? Because he???s two years older than the Astros believed when they traded for him. Being named in the Mitchell Report suggests that Tejada???s downward spiral isn???t going to change direction. The Astros have a pressing need to find a leadoff hitter (given Michael Bourn???s struggles last season) and Furcal matches that need very nicely. He???d also provide better defense than Tejada. Tejada ??? batting third or fifth in the lineup all season ??? was a detriment to the club. To stick with him simply because the team made a poor financial decision merely compounds the effects of that decision. Suck up the salary, trade him for prospects if you can, and sign Furcal. Left Field: Carlos Lee had another fine season in 2008 (OPS+ 144). Lee and Berkman are a devastating 1-2 punch and a real strength to build around. Lee???s biggest drawback is his defense which is tentative, at best. A move to right field ??? where range matters less ??? might make some sense. Granted, Lee doesn???t have a right fielder???s arm, but more on that in a moment. Center Field: Last season???s great experiment ??? Michael Bourn, acquired in the Brad Lidge trade ??? proved disappointing. A .288 on-base percentage, no power (OPS+ 57), and only 57 runs underscore Bourn???s miserable season. 41 steals and some decent defensive play cannot overcome his other shortcomings. The solution plays right field. Move Hunter Pence to center (he played 95 games there in 2007) and reduce Bourn???s role until he proves he can hit in the majors. Pence doesn???t have quite as much range as Bourn but he???s got a good arm (16 assists last season) and he???s offensively a much more valuable player (25 home runs, OPS+ 105). Right Field: If Carlos Lee can move to right and Pence to center, then Pat Burrell can be signed and installed in left field. Burrell is one of the top free agents available this winter. Whether he wants to play in Houston is his unknown and whether the Astros can afford to sign both Burrell and Furcal is something only ownership knows for certain. If the Astros can afford Burrell they would have a vicious middle lineup: Berkman, Lee, Burrell. Add a little offense from Pence, Matsui, Wigginton and, if possible Furcal, and there would be a lot of runs scored in Minute Maid. Starting Pitching: Roy Oswalt, assuming he can stay healthy, is the ace of the staff. After some early season struggles, the Wizard won 11 of his last 13 decisions and whittled his ERA ??? which stood at 5.04 on June 15 ??? down to 3.54 by season???s end. There???s more good news; Wandy Rodriguez ??? who looked like nothing more than a back end of the rotation option prior to 2008 ??? developed into a reliable starter. The club resigned Brian Moehler for 2009 and Randy Wolf ??? acquired in mid-season ??? appears to be leaning toward resigning as well. If the Astros elect to keep oft-injured Brandon Backe (who???s also in some legal difficulty) they???ll have a reasonably sound rotation in 2009. In other words, the club doesn???t need to sign a high-priced starter like CC Sabathia or Derek Lowe. Instead, the Astros should shop around for a bargain. Maybe Mark Mulder ??? who was just cut by St. Louis ??? has something left. How much does Odalis Perez or Braden Looper want? They???re less of a risk and might be affordable. Bullpen: After some early struggles Jose Valverde was a very reliable closer last season, converting 44 of 51 save opportunities. Getting to Valverde is the problem. The Astros need to look for some middle relief help. Although 40 years old, former Astro Russ Springer is a good bet to provide consistent, high quality relief work. Joe Beimel, Juan Cruz and Damaso Marte (if he can be pried from the Yankees) are among the more attractive of the many options available this winter. Will the Astros make the moves necessary to build on their 86-win season? It all depends on whether ownership opts to spend some extra money this winter or if it chooses to remain one of the teams that ???doesn???t belong.???