"Carlos Lee arrived when the Astros operated under the illusion they were a player here, a player there away from running a respectable race for the pennant.

The Astros aren't 1994 Jeff Bagwell and 1997 Craig Biggio away from keeping up with the contenders, and Lee is still cashing paychecks from owner Drayton McLane.

Biggio, Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt left, and Lee is still wearing an Astros uniform.

Hunter Pence and Michael Bourn left, and Lee is still entrenched as the cleanup hitter.

McLane is set to turn over the team to Jim Crane later this month, and Lee is still around to remind fans of the decay of an organization that went to the World Series in 2005.

Lee, 35, is on pace to bat .265 with 15 home runs and 88 RBIs for the worst team in the major leagues.

"If you look at it, this is a business," Lee said. "As players, it's a game, but it's our job. Sometimes teams have to go in different directions. If anything, I'm happy for Bourn and Pence. Now they've got an opportunity to try to make the playoffs."

The business of baseball made Lee a $100 million man, and he didn't put McLane or then-general manager Tim Purpura at gunpoint to close the six-year deal that includes a no-trade provision. He has given the Astros a .286, 120-home run, 470-RBI return on their investment, with an adjusted on-base-plus-slugging of 117 that is actually better than his career norm (114, with 100 being the league average)."