Happy Valentine’s Day to all fans of the Houston Astros. Everyone else can kick rocks.
Welcome to the Weekend Crawfish Boil!
As my 19-year-old daughter used to say when she was four, “It’s Valenstime’s Day!” She also used to say restaurnaut, but she’s acing college now so it all worked out.
Houston Astros News
Bye Bye Breggy (Chipalatta)
Astros broadcaster pays homage to his dad, a hip-hop trailblazer
Astros manager, GM makes feelings known on Alex Bregman’s $120,000,000 Red Sox move (SK)
Framber Valdez Says There Are No Extension Talks at the Moment (LWoS)
Critical implications, important lessons learned from Astros-Bregman odyssey (SM Houston)
Alex Bregman, a bedrock of Astros’ golden era, leaves void on field and in clubhouse (NY Times)
Framber Valdez’s lack of contract talks the latest sign the Astros are too cheap to keep contending (The Big Lead)
AL West News
Mariners fans get validation from The Athletic with front office criticism (Sodo Mojo)
After tough love, Rangers’ Jonah Heim looks to leave 2024 in past (Dallas News)
Los Angeles Angels Farm System Ranked LAST: Why This Is, Missed Haul of Prospects for Shohei Ohtani? (newswest9)
Kotsay welcomes ‘higher level’ expectations for Athletics in 2025 (NBC)
MLB News
Who’s the No. 1 player right now? We asked the experts (It’s Ohtani, right?)
Time running out for Vladdy extension
Dodgers, Luis Garcia Agree To Minor League Deal (MLBTR) (no not that one)
Padres sign Korean Cy Young winner to one-year deal
The Phillies’ Next Rotation Extension Candidate (MLBTR)
Bubba Chandler Addresses His Power Arsenal (FG)
Boone on Stroman’s absence: ‘He’s within his rights’
Early Notes on the New Bat Speed Data Release (FG)
Jaden Agassi, son of tennis stars Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, to pitch for Team Germany
The 2025 Start of Spring ZiPS Projected Standings: National League (FG)
Houston Astros Birthdays
RHP Paul Clemens (37)
RHP Tyler Clippard (40)
IF Larry Milbourne (74)
RHP Jose Serrano (21)
RHP Logan VanWey (26)
Saturday
RHP Brian Williams (56)
OF Mark Davidson (64)
RHP Larry Yount (75)
LHP Don Arlich (82)
Sunday
RHP Dwayne Henry (63)
OF Eric Bullock (65)
3B Glenn Vaughan (1944—2004)
OF Leandro Morgado (18)