There wasn't expected to be much drama for the Astros this spring. Their starting lineup was set in stone, their bullpen was pretty much determined and only one bench position was up for grabs.

The biggest question mark surrounding the rotation, where the only certainty was ace Roy Oswalt. Brandon Backe and Wandy Rodriguez were considered favorites to join Oswalt, and they pitched well enough to keep their spots.

The Astros signed Shawn Chacon on Feb. 20, and the veteran right-hander locked up the No. 4 spot. The other spot in the rotation was expected to go to Woody Williams, but he struggled throughout the spring

Williams entered the final week of spring training competing with Chris Sampson and Jack Cassel for the starting job, but it was clear the rotation was shaky beyond Oswalt.

Because of the pitching concerns, it's hard to envision the Astros being serious contenders. Backe is a converted infielder who's coming off surgery and has yet to pitch more than 150 innings in his career. Rodriguez has been wildly inconsistent throughout his career.

The bullpen, which was completely rebuilt, struggled, too. Doug Brocail, the setup man, was hit hard several times. Newly acquired Geoff Geary pitched well, as did Rule 5 left-hander Wesley Wright, who was the spring's biggest surprise. Oscar Villarreal was acquired from Atlanta to add depth, and new closer Jose Valverde replaced the unreliable Brad Lidge.

The starting lineup, which was bolstered by the trades for center fielder Michael Bourn and shortstop Miguel Tejada and the signing of second baseman Kaz Matsui, was potent in the spring and scored runs in bunches.

Hunter Pence, who was third in the Rookie of the Year voting last year, and sluggers Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee combined with Tejada to form a potent middle of the order.

With Mark Loretta and Brad Ausmus returning and the signing of Geoff Blum and Darin Erstad, the Astros have a deep and versatile bench. Matsui will start the year on the disabled list, so either Blum or Loretta will start at second on Opening Day.

If the key pieces stay healthy, the Astros have one of the best offenses in the majors, but their pitching is likely to make them longshots to contend.

PRIMED FOR A BIG SEASON
CF Michael Bourn was one of general manager Ed Wade's biggest offseason additions. Until SS Miguel Tejada and 2B Kaz Matsui, Bourn doesn't have much of a track record in the majors, but he has tons of speed and can handle the bat. He should be a spark at the top of the lineup.

ON THE DECLINE
SS Miguel Tejada didn't play in all 162 games last year for the first time since 2000, which dropped his production. Still, he hit below .300 (.296) for the first time since 2003 and had only 18 homers and 81 RBIs in 514 at-bats.

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