MAILBAG: June 2

Q: What do the Astros need besides pitching? Moises Alou is in the last year of his contract. Do you re-sign him? He has led the team in hitting the last two years. Or do you trade him? Daryle Ward is just waiting to get a chance. Decisions, decisions. The time for Houston is now. What are your thoughts? -- Jerry Stephens
Peter Gammons: Putting Roy Oswalt in the rotation may help, but it's a lot to ask of Wade Miller and Oswalt to carry the staff at Enron Field. Scott Elarton went through one of these stretches last season, and must turn it around. But a 6.33 starters' ERA after Miller won't work. The problem is that I'm not sure there's a No. 1 or No. 2 pitcher to get for Alou or Ward, and Moises has a no-trade clause. Maybe they'll deal Richard Hidalgo.

Q: I heard recently that Jermaine Dye of the Royals might get traded. What is his contract situation and what teams might he be going to? -- Eric DeGaetano, New York, NY
PWG: His contract is up at the end of this season, and he can go to arbitration, then go to free agency after 2002. His situation is the same as Johnny Damon's last winter. With Dee Brown emerging, the Royals think they can start to get younger with a Dye deal.

Q: Do you think that the Dodgers will be able to re-sign Chan Ho Park after all the money they have tied down on Gary Sheffield, Kevin Brown, Darren Dreifort and Shawn Green? -- Sam Trachtenberg, San Francisco, Calif.
PWG: Scott Boras would be quick to point out two things: 1. Park is close to a No. 1 and No. 2 starter; 2. He is the best under-30 pitcher on the market. Translation: If Dreifort can get $11 million with a losing record, what can Chan Ho command?

Q: I am very impressed with the Angels' Ramon Ortiz. Can he become a potential No. 1 starter and win 15-18 games each year? -- John Peterson, Clifton, NJ
PWG: I would say so. In fact, I think he and Scott Schoeneweis can win 15-18 games The question on Ortiz is staying healthy and enduring the 200-inning mark annually.

Q: At what point do the New York Mets decide that high-priced talent is not going to give them the World Series ring? Who do they start to dump for prospects and when will it happen? -- Nick Steighler, New Jersey
PWG: Great question. If they haven't turned it on by July 1, I can see them seeing what they can get for Armando Benitez and Robin Ventura (Seattle possibly?).

Q: What's the skinny with all the young Reds howling about contract offers? $7-$10 million for Pokey Reese? Love him, but no way is that guy worth more than Omar Vizquel! And $10 million for Sean Casey? Granted, he hits 20 homers and bats .315 year in and year out (so far), but is it really likely that any other team would sink that kind of money into him? By the way, was your undergraduate roommate the same great cartoonist Jeff MacNelly who did the awesome comic "Shoe"? -- Gene Mullett, Columbus, Ohio
PWG: Pokey claims that Jim Bowden misrepresented his requests. And, yes, MacNelly was my roommate. We were together seeing Percy Sledge at the Stallion Club in Fuquay-Varina, N.C., the night Otis Redding died.

Q: I was wondering what the Cubs plan to do with their outfield? With Sammy Sosa in right, Rondell White in left, and Corey Patterson hopefully in center, there does not seem to be any room for Gary Matthews Jr., Roosevelt Brown, or Ross Gload, let alone Todd Dunwoody. Is GM Andy MacPhail looking to make a deal? -- Zach, LaGrande, Ore.
PWG: They can put White in center and Matt Stairs in left for awhile, and I do think MacPhail will be extremely aggressive trying to find an outfielder who can hit and maybe another corner infielder, as well as a left-handed pitcher. No team makes more sense for David Wells, but Jerry Reinsdorf would never have the heart to make the deal.

Q: Do you see the Cardinals trying to trade for another starter or do you see them try to bring up Bud Smith or Chad Hutchinson? Also, what is Hutchinson's progress and do you ever see him emerging as a frontline starter like he was expected to? -- Mark, Belleville, Ill.
PWG: I think Smith will be up in time, but they also have to figure out what to do with Andy Benes, who -- as hard as he tries -- has been dreadful of late.

Q: Will Shane Spencer play this year and what kind of future do you see with him and the Yankees? -- Walter Murphy, Staten Island, NY
PWG: He is well under .250 at Triple-A Columbus and a ways away physically, so it may be another three weeks. It's best he gets himself completely healthy, for his career and the Yankees. Like Bubba Trammell in San Diego, I still believe Spencer will produce if he gets his at-bats, and there aren't as many corner power outfielders as you'd think.

Q: Will Manny Ramirez play outfield any time soon or will he be left at the DH position? And if Manny does go to the outfield, does this mean that Dante Bichette will be the everyday DH? -- Matt Mahoney, Watertown, Mass.
PWG: This is one of life's great mysteries. Manny's name was in the lineup as an outfielder twice on the last road trip, and he asked not to try it. He should play the outfield when the Red Sox get to Atlanta.

Q: With Kris Benson and now Francisco Cordova out for the year for the Pirates, will we see Bobby Bradley sooner than originally expected? -- Adam, Medford, NY
PWG: Bradley has command and a great curveball and may have to be rushed.

Q: How can the D'Backs continue to sit Erubiel Durazo? This guy will eventually be an All-Star if he plays every day? Will they trade him? -- Phil Murphy, Pearl River, NY
PWG: I don?t think they?ll trade him, because other than Luis Gonzalez and Mark Grace, the D-Backs have struggled. To me, they need to get Durazo in the lineup.

Q: The Indians' pitching seems to be heading for another rough season. The bullpen is being overworked, Chuck Finley looks like he may finally be showing his age, C.C. Sabathia is showing his youth and inexperience, and the health of Jaret Wright and Charles Nagy is questionable. What do you make of their pitching staff and its ability to take them to the playoffs? -- Scott Rebraca, North Royalton, Ohio
PWG: Finley's problems are scary. The league is hitting .303 against him, and Sabathia is going through growing pains. Wright and Nagy are still going to be important. But remember, the Indians could have the second-best bullpen to Seattle by the end of the season, when they could also have the league's best offense.

Q: What is the deal with Mike Young? Are the Rangers going to give him a chance to play now that Randy Velarde went down? -- Brian Springer, San Diego, Calif.
PWG: Yes, as Young had a great spring. In time, it will be interesting to see how Jason Romano, another hot second-base prospect, fits.

Q: With the Padres showing they can contend in the West, where does Sterling Hitchcock fit into the mix when he completes his rehab? -- Jared Pratt, Bonaparte, Iowa
PWG: They still may deal him by the end of July because of the money and the fact that he's a free agent.

Q: I've heard that the White Sox have recently taken the "untouchable" designation off Magglio Ordonez and Keith Foulke. Have you heard about any discussions with specific teams, and how likely is it that one or both will be moved this year? -- Nathan Baird, Chicago
PWG: GMs I've talked to say Foulke is not available. Neither is Ordonez.

Q: What do you see from Luke Prokopec for the remainder of the season? He sure looks like the real deal right now. Also, can you handicap the summer concert season? What are your must-sees? Radiohead, Travis, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers? Thanks. -- Jeffrey Schulberg, New York, NY
PWG: What I love about Prokopec is the makeup. He's a tough kid who wins. There's no reason he can't win 15 games. I would love to see Radiohead, then Petty and Travis.