Continuing on our series of posts (previous posts here and here) providing a more thorough statistical analysis of the Stros’ key players, today we examine the star-crossed careers of Craig Biggio and Jason Lane.
Bidg is already a Stros legend and may well be the first true Stros player to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Bidg was the best secondbaseman in Major League Baseball during the decade of the 90’s, and baseball stat guru Bill James has rated him as the fifth best secondbaseman in Major League Baseball history. Accordingly, Bidg’s place as one of the best Stros players of all-time is well-secured.

However, even though Bidg remains a formidable presence at the age of 39, his skills are facing the inevitable erosion that comes with aging, particularly as each season drags into the dog days of summer. Bidg is now barely an above-average National League hitter and he is well below-average defensively. Given his age, Bidg’s performance is unlikely to improve over the next couple of seasons as he pursues his goal of 3,000 base hits, and his presence in the lineup blocks younger players who — given the game experience that Bidg is occupying — would likely produce more for the Stros than Bidg will.
Which brings us to Lane, who is a good example of the complications that occur as a result of the Stros’ decision to placate Bidg. Lane had long been one of the best hitters in the Stros’ farm system and was ready to play full-time in the major leagues three seasons ago. However, the Stros decision to sign Jeff Kent to play second base and to move Bidg to the outfield effectively blocked Lane from a starting role with the Stros until this season.
Thus, rather than a rising star in his mid-20’s gaining valuable playing experience, Lane is now effectively a 29 year old rookie struggling from time to time as he plays his first full season as a Major League starter. As a result, the Stros may well have left several of Lane’s most productive seasons on the bench, and if Stros management placates Bidg’s desire to play at least a couple more seasons at second base, then the Stros risk delaying the development of Chris Burke in the same manner.
So, the Stros face a tough decision with regard to Bidg. The good thing is that Bidg is not a particularly expensive player anymore and remains a great presence in the clubhouse. Nevertheless, players such as Lane and Burke have more productive seasons to provide for the club than Bidg, and delaying those contributions risks hurting the ballclub’s performance.
Finally, as for each player’s statistics, Bidg is a very productive 39 year old ballplayer, but — as noted above — he has seen his better days and now is just an average National League player, at best. Lane has had an up and down season, which is not unusual for a player enduring his first season as a major league starter. He has shown flashes of power, but he lacks plate discipline, which has resulted in far too few walks and, thus, a below-average on-base average. Lane is an above-average defensive player in right field, so if he can develop more plate discipline over the next couple of seasons, he has a chance of being a well above-average National League player for the next five seasons or so. That would fit nicely into the Stros’ nucleus of Berkman, Oswalt, Lidge and Ensberg.
Biggio and Lane’s key statistics are here.