Two more days.
We got two more days until the Houston Astros take the field for their first extra-mural Spring Training Baseball.
With news that Lance McCullers Jr. is going to miss at least the start of the 2023 Houston Astros campaign, the headshop needs to pivot and work on a “Plan B.” A successful title defense need not be reliant on one player’s contribution. In truth, pitching is only half of the equation, and even a 200-inning pitcher is only responsible for roughly 15 percent of all innings pitched through a major league season. McCullers is more likely a 120-150 inning guy at best, or nine-to-12 percent of the workload. Read more here. In the meantime, McCullers’ injury opens the door for a little more juice to the Spring Training festivities.
Houston Astros News
Astros giving Matt Gage the opportunity he’s been craving (mlb.com)
Jake Meyers on health, camp (mlb.com)
Houston Astros may have finally found a George Springer replacement (houston.sportsmap.com)
Don’t get too worked up it’s about Chas McCormick.
Houston Astros’ 2015 first-round draft pick, Forrest Whitley, seeks to make debut on the diamond (abc13.com)
Altuve Makes Admission About His Future With the Houston Astros (si.com)
tl;dr Jose Altuve wants to play his entire career with the Astros.
Clematis By Night to celebrate World Series champs Houston Astros (wbpf.com)
Mets’ Beltrán won’t discuss role in Astros’ cheating scandal (apnews.com)
Wow
AL West News
Angels News: Albert Pujols Reveals Official Title, What His Personal Services Contract Entails (si.com)
Luis Castillo changed the Mariners last season, sets his sights higher for 2023 (theathletic.com)
Decision on Jacob deGrom Rangers Spring Training Mound Debut (si.com)
Funnyball? Why this year’s A’s are the team you can’t help but watch ($sfchronicle.com$
Other MLB News
2023 Top 100 Prospects (Fangraphs.com)
Hunter Brown (34) and Yainer Díaz (79) made the cut.
The most intriguing player for 2023 on all 30 MLB teams (espn.com)
MLB Will Look Into Changing Revenue Structure (metsmerized.com)
Is it any wonder that a Mets blog would publish this?
Bowden’s MLB report card: Offseason grades, takeaways and key questions for all 30 teams (theathletic.com)
This Date in Astros History
Birthdays
Lefty reliever Juan Agosto (65) spent the best part of his 13-season major league career with the Astros. Agosto was 10-2 with a 2.26 ERA in 1988. He played from 1987 through 1990 and 1993 with Houston, and averaged less than half a strikeout per inning. They don’t make them like this anymore. Over his Houston career, he was 24-16 with a 3.18 ERA and 138 K’s in 300 1⁄3 innings.
Ken Boswell (77) played the final three years of his 11-season major league career with Houston. A second and third baseman, Boswell hit .242 in 249 games with Houston, and collected zero of his 31 career homers from 1975 through 1977.
Scott Elarton (47) opened his 10-season major league career with the Astros, playing with Houston from 1998 through 2000. He was 32-21 with a 4.82 ERA while with the team, and worth nearly five wins above replacement. For context, his career-WAR was 2.9.
Edgar González (40) played parts of two seasons with the Astros, in 2012 and 2013. He was 3-2 with a 5.66 ERA over 35 innings. In total, he played in 10 major league seasons.
Transactions
1961 – Houston Colt .45s acquire Jim Campbell from the Milwaukee Braves for Morrie Martin.
2005 – Fernando Nieve and J.C. Gutiérrez re-signed with Houston on one-year deals.
2008 – Michael Bourn re-signed on a one-year deal.
2010 – released Carlos Gil, re-signed Felipe Paulino.
2011 – re-signed Cesar Carrillo, Lance Pendleton, and Matt Downs to one-year deals.
2012 – re-signed Jason Bourgeois to a one-year deal.
2015 – signed Randy Vasquez to a one-year deal.