Owner Drayton McLane and general manager Gerry Hunsicker gave Astros fans an early Christmas gift this offseason. Houston free-agent signings typically feature such hot commodities as Kent Bottenfield, Tripp Cromer, Alex Diaz, Doc Gooden, Jack Howell, Pete Incaviglia, T. J. Mathews, Mike Maddux and the inestimable Dave Clark. These lumps of coal have been pushed aside by the acquisition of 2000 National League Most Valuable Player Jeff Kent.