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Astros’ 2015 roster: Is the shuffle complete?
The first spring training for A.J. Hinch is winding down. Perhaps the most important spring training to date for Jeff Luhnow is coming to a close. And, for a few select, remaining players, decision time looms. In Hinch’s mind, most of the roster positions may have already been decided. However, with no public decisions and…
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Astros’ unusual youth movement
When the Houston Astros set their opening day 25-man roster last season, no player would be making their major league debut on that roster. This was extremely unusual for a team that was the youngest in the majors last season. Truth to tell there were eight players on that roster, however, who had never been on a major…
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Monday thought: The Astros’ pipeline is rich
For most of Jeff Luhnow’s tenure, the Astros have had one of the best minor league systems in all of baseball. While the major league club has yet to significantly experience the fruits of his labor, the pipeline is replete with top line recruits working their way to Houston. MLB’s latest rankings list the Astros…
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Saturday scatter shots: No surprises, no frills spring training
It’s Saturday and the regular season is only days away. Let the count down begin to A.J. Hinch’s official tenure with the Astros. You may not remember how many games his first spring training team won, but you will certainly recall how many games his first regular season team wins…or loses. As spring training generally does,…
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Roster crunch time means trade, release time approaches
A.J. Hinch says he’s narrowing down his roster. Pitchers are falling like flies to Tommy John. Spring training is about half over. Other teams are apparently looking on at the so-called glut of players in the Astros’ infield and outfield. What gives? Nothing yet. But there are a handful of players who could be either…
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Astros’ numbers of futility: The story of the 21st century
Numbers and statistics can be misleading. Some tell better stories than others and some are absolutely meaningless. Still others can be manipulated or twisted to support most any story. That’s why there are varying interpretations and arbitrators, and that’s why reasonable people reach different conclusions. When you look at the Astros over the past few years, the…
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Astros’ Discussion: Rating the risks for Jeff Luhnow
When Jeff Luhnow took over as GM of the Houston Astros in December 2011, the organization was in such a lowly state that most of the moves he made were low risk. Fan expectations were that he would continue the actions made under former GM Ed Wade and turn veteran assets into young and controllable…
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Friday discussion: Guys who fly under the radar
Yesterday, my son and I were driving down a street we frequent 2-3 times a week. A long line at a traffic light meant we stopped further back than usual and, as I was looking out to the left, I asked Destin: “Has that nursery always been there?” Indeed, the building wasn’t new, the parking…
