Taking the whole fam to next Saturday's game. After going to every home opener from 87-99, including skipping 3 classes on Opening Day '94, it's nice to be going back so early in the year. I'm on an 8-game, 3-year, 2-city win streak with the good guys!

What I’m hearing in Astros camp: Chas McCormick’s roster spot, Framber Valdez’s future, bullpen construction, Yordan Alvarez’s advice to left fielder Jose Altuve - https://t.co/AUdUqL5ZkQ

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) March 22, 2025

Do you happen to have the contents of that article?

Anybody ready to make some season predictions? Curious to see the pulse of everybody on here

The sad truth is that this probably won't happen for Houston untill the streaming rights expire for Space City Home Network and ATT, Comcast, and DirectTV in 2032.

There'd have to be some special concessions if the contracts were specific on creating an a la carte option https://t.co/OW8ok4qrSK

— Michael Schwab (@michaelschwab13) March 22, 2025

Of course there have not been extension talks between Framber Valdez and the Astros.

Max Fried received 218/8 from the Yankees. He's a lefty like Valdez but older.

So imagine what Framber will pull on the open market.

They could trade him at the deadline if the rotation is…

— Michael Schwab (@michaelschwab13) March 22, 2025

tjack16 said:

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Anybody ready to make some season predictions? Curious to see the pulse of everybody on here

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Maybe wait for Monday when everyone is bored at work.
I'm going to try to get Astros' bingo re-upped then since it failed miserably last week.

Quote:

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Both Zach Dezenzo and Cam Smith have made compelling cases to unseat McCormick as the team's primary right fielder, even though neither prospect is a natural outfielder. The team won't carry Dezenzo or Smith unless everyday at-bats are available. Right field is the only place for either prospect to take them.

McCormick does have minor-league options remaining, so if Dezenzo or Smith makes the team as the everyday right fielder, the club could choose to give McCormick everyday at-bats in Triple-A Sugar Land.

Carrying McCormick as the club's fourth outfielder may be a more sensible option, especially given Espada's late-game tendencies. It stands to reason Jake Meyers or Mauricio Dubn the two aforementioned players with an OPS+ below 90 will be the manager's most frequent pinch-hit candidates.

Removing one of Meyers or Dubn from a game will leave the Astros vulnerable in center field, a position that has never felt more important given Jose Altuve's transition in one corner and, potentially, the inexperience of Dezenzo or Smith in the other. For his career, McCormick has been worth 14 outs above average and two defensive runs saved in center field.

If McCormick does not make the team, Dubn and Meyers are the only players capable of playing a competent center field. Bear in mind, too, that Dubn should see substantial time at second base, either as the primary starter or part of a timeshare with Brendan Rodgers or Luis Guillorme.

…

King, Hader, Bryan Abreu, Tayler Scott and veteran non-roster invitee Steven Okert have separated themselves as virtual locks to break camp with the team, leaving at least three spots up for grabs. Putting Okert on the team would mean paying him $1.2 million, according to Spotrac not a small sum for a team remaining mindful of its proximity to the luxury tax.

…

Luis Contreras and Logan VanWey are the most likely candidates remaining in major-league camp. VanWey isn't on the 40-man roster, but the club can clear a spot by placing one of Cristian Javier or J.P. France on the 60-day injured list. Contreras can provide some length, too, which would be vital early in the season when starters aren't stretched out.

One wild card could be starter Ryan Gusto, whom Houston optioned to minor-league camp earlier this month but used in a one-inning relief role during Friday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Unlike VanWey, Gusto is already on the 40-man roster and, thus, already a part of Houston's luxury tax payroll calculation.

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Lonestar_Ag09 said:

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Do you happen to have the contents of that article?

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If you click link and "Select All" and "Copy" quickly, you can paste it to a word document before it puts the pay wall up.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. Joe Espada uses his entire bench, a fact made clear in his first season as a major-league manager. Espada gave 109 plate appearances to pinch hitters last year, the most in any Houston Astros season since 2016.
The Astros may approach or exceed that number this season, one in which they could commit everyday at-bats to at least two players with a career OPS+ below 90. That Yordan Alvarez will be the only left-handed hitter in the everyday lineup will also force Espada to monitor platoon matchups late in games and, perhaps, increase the number of pinch-hit opportunities.
All of this must be considered as Espada and general manager Dana Brown construct the team's Opening Day roster and evaluate the fate of right fielder Chas McCormick, whose hold on an everyday job feels tenuous at best. Even after annihilating a home run off Sonny Gray on Friday, McCormick is slashing .161/.409/.290 across 31 Grapefruit League at-bats.
"I think (my swing) has been a little better," McCormick said on Friday. "It's not there yet, but I think it's close. I think if I get the ball a little more out front, I think I can be in good shape. I just have to be in good position to hit."
Both Zach Dezenzo and Cam Smith have made compelling cases to unseat McCormick as the team's primary right fielder, even though neither prospect is a natural outfielder. The team won't carry Dezenzo or Smith unless everyday at-bats are available. Right field is the only place for either prospect to take them.
McCormick does have minor-league options remaining, so if Dezenzo or Smith makes the team as the everyday right fielder, the club could choose to give McCormick everyday at-bats in Triple-A Sugar Land.
Carrying McCormick as the club's fourth outfielder may be a more sensible option, especially given Espada's late-game tendencies. It stands to reason Jake Meyers or Mauricio Dubn the two aforementioned players with an OPS+ below 90 will be the manager's most frequent pinch-hit candidates.
Removing one of Meyers or Dubn from a game will leave the Astros vulnerable in center field, a position that has never felt more important given Jose Altuve's transition in one corner and, potentially, the inexperience of Dezenzo or Smith in the other. For his career, McCormick has been worth 14 outs above average and two defensive runs saved in center field.
If McCormick does not make the team, Dubn and Meyers are the only players capable of playing a competent center field. Bear in mind, too, that Dubn should see substantial time at second base, either as the primary starter or part of a timeshare with Brendan Rodgers or Luis Guillorme.
Taylor Trammell and Pedro Len remain sidelined with injuries they sustained earlier in camp while Ben Gamel who may make the club due to his left-handed bat hasn't started a major-league game in center field since 2021. McCormick seems the only option for center-field insurance, no matter how meager the offense may be.

Before his outfield glove arrived in West Palm Beach, Altuve opened the spring using Alvarez's. Asked whether he would give Altuve any additional advice on his transition to left field, Alvarez unleashed a wry smile.
"I don't think I'm necessarily the best person to be giving defensive outfield tips," he said through an interpreter.
Turns out, Alvarez is more than qualified. After Altuve dropped two fly balls with runners on third base this week, he revealed that Alvarez has been delivering tips on how to hold his glove and where to catch the baseball to put himself in better position to throw out runners.
"Yordan has been helping me a lot," Altuve said after dropping another fly ball on Wednesday night, the same day Espada anointed him Houston's everyday left fielder.
"(Alvarez) said, 'Catch the ball up instead of waiting too long. You get better control of the ball when your glove is up versus down.' If you saw yesterday and today, my glove was really low trying to do the transfer. I think that feedback from him and the coaches is going to help me."
Alvarez has been a constant companion alongside Altuve during most of his outfield drills this spring. There has even been good-natured teasing throughout camp regarding Alvarez's place atop MLB Network's offseason list of the sport's top left fielders and Altuve now taking his place.

Following his final Grapefruit League start on Friday, Framber Valdez said the Astros never approached him this spring about a potential contract extension. Asked whether he expects to enter free agency following the season, Valdez responded, "Yes, I think so," a statement that should surprise no one.
Eight months separate Valdez from a market of 30 teams. It would've made little sense for him or his representatives at Octagon to seriously entertain an extension offer from the Astros unless the club made the sort of offer Valdez couldn't refuse. Rarely has this franchise had the appetite for such a scenario.
Under owner Jim Crane, the Astros have never guaranteed a pitcher more than $95 million and that went to closer Josh Hader. No starter during Crane's ownership tenure has ever received a richer deal than the five-year, $85 million extension Lance McCullers Jr. signed before the 2021 season.
That both McCullers and Cristian Javier sustained significant arm injuries shortly after signing long-term contract extensions can't be ignored. Valdez has been a healthy workhorse in every sense of the word across his Astros tenure, but there remains an inherent risk to committing so many resources to any starting pitcher.
The presence of budding ace Hunter Brown might've mitigated the need to secure Valdez. So did the looming return of Javier from Tommy John surgery, though the team's apparent inability to rehab injured pitchers in a timely manner must be taken under consideration.
Valdez is very likely to follow in the footsteps of George Springer, Carlos Correa and Alex Bregman as homegrown Astros who leave for more lucrative deals elsewhere. If and when he does, Houston will be in the market for a mid-rotation arm to complement Brown and Javier.

Though Houston's bullpen is becoming easier to project, turnover may be imminent within the season's first two weeks, underscoring the folly in obsessing over who makes the Opening Day roster.
Kaleb Ort and Forrest Whitley will start the season on the injured list, Brown said on a team-run radio show Thursday night, but it appears neither man will need more than the requisite 15 days before rejoining the bullpen.
Ort, slowed by an oblique issue early in camp, is back to throwing bullpen sessions with no issues. Whitley isn't throwing off a mound yet while he recovers from a bone bruise in his left knee, but appeared in four Grapefruit League games before suffering the injury.
Houston will have to clear roster spots for Ort and Whitley to return to the major-league team, making it reasonable to assume the club will carry relievers with options remaining to facilitate roster flexibility.
Among the pitchers with guaranteed spots in the Opening Day bullpen, only left-hander Bryan King has minor-league options remaining. On Friday, Espada said the 28-year-old southpaw is "one of those guys I feel comfortable giving high-leverage opportunities," a signal that Houston won't be optioning King any time soon, presuming he pitches well.
King, Hader, Bryan Abreu, Tayler Scott and veteran non-roster invitee Steven Okert have separated themselves as virtual locks to break camp with the team, leaving at least three spots up for grabs. Putting Okert on the team would mean paying him $1.2 million, according to Spotrac not a small sum for a team remaining mindful of its proximity to the luxury tax.
Rafael Montero will make $11.5 million next season whether he's on the major-league roster or not, but Houston may try to extract any value it can from the final year of his calamitous contract. Montero can't be optioned to the minors, so carrying him would leave two open spots for, ostensibly, two movable, cost-controlled arms.
Luis Contreras and Logan VanWey are the most likely candidates remaining in major-league camp. VanWey isn't on the 40-man roster, but the club can clear a spot by placing one of Cristian Javier or J.P. France on the 60-day injured list. Contreras can provide some length, too, which would be vital early in the season when starters aren't stretched out.
One wild card could be starter Ryan Gusto, whom Houston optioned to minor-league camp earlier this month but used in a one-inning relief role during Friday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Unlike VanWey, Gusto is already on the 40-man roster and, thus, already a part of Houston's luxury tax payroll calculation.

Lonestar_Ag09 said:

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Do you happen to have the contents of that article?

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Biggest "news" is him speculating that Chas might not make the team. As he also notes, Chas can play CF so that alone makes it unlikely.

I think we could have some interesting trade candidates in Chas, Zach and maybe Spaghetti. Sounds like Dana likes Cam in RF so I dunno where that leaves Zach. Best case scenario is Chas comes out hot, Cam and Zach tear up the minors and we deal Chas and Zach to plug needs in June.

Is it outlandish to think you can put Cam Smith at 3B some times, and led Paredes play second if Rogers and Dubon aren't hitting their weights at 2B?

My early Saturday list of guys who played OF and 3B is not exactly inspiring.
Bobby Bonila comes to mind
Howard Johnson?
Denny Walling?

It seems reasonable to me but I have heard no news this spring on Paredes at 2B and what little I've heard on Cam at 3B isn't inspiring. Dana made a comment the other day that when he scouted Cam predraft he thought he would be a good RF (didn't necessarily say he can't play 3B).

I think it's kind of ridiculous to put it out there that Chas might not make this team. We don't really know if Dezenzo or Smith are actually better offensively than Chas. We know they're well behind him defensively.

IF Chas is not on their team, then Meyers & Dubon becomes much more important. Do we really want that?

Farmer1906 said:

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I think it's kind of ridiculous to put it out there that Chas might not make this team. We don't really know if Dezenzo or Smith are actually better offensively than Chas. We know they're well behind him defensively.

IF Chas is not on their team, then Meyers & Dubon becomes much more important. Do we really want that?

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Feels more like an either or with Smith and Dezenzo. Dezenzo got 60+ at-bats in Houston last year and didn't do much. to prove he's a MLB player. Him in the minors makes more sense with Smith getting the nod in RF and Chas as your 4th OF. If Smith is totally overmatched, Chas takes over in RF and Dezenzo comes up as the 4th OF while Smith goes to Sugarland.

Farmer1906 said:

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I think it's kind of ridiculous to put it out there that Chas might not make this team. We don't really know if Dezenzo or Smith are actually better offensively than Chas. We know they're well behind him defensively.

IF Chas is not on their team, then Meyers & Dubon becomes much more important. Do we really want that?

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If Meyers and Dubon outperform Chas, like they have, then yes we would want that.

Chas still has options, right? He may be a candidate to work on things in the minors.

If one of our other guys does bad, then bring Chas back up.

As a preseason trade, I'd still be talking to the Mets. If you can get Megill and Baty in a package for Framber it makes a lot of sense for both teams. They need an ace and can afford to extend him. Megill has a few years of control and he was a bit of a revelation last year after discovering a 2 seamer (mini HB). Baty gives us a lefty bat that you can put at 3B and push Paredes to 2B. I think you can also send them Chas because Siri is a garbage hitter.

Never knew we needed this until now.

Retro JP3 Basketball Jerseys are the 3/29 giveaway! Presented by @LGIHomes

🎟️: https://t.co/5Q21bImJDb pic.twitter.com/Bmd9FRTHFS

— Houston Astros (@astros) March 22, 2025

This post just told me to workout

Astros wifebeaters.

Yeah no.

EastCoastAgNc said:

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The sad truth is that this probably won't happen for Houston untill the streaming rights expire for Space City Home Network and ATT, Comcast, and DirectTV in 2032.

There'd have to be some special concessions if the contracts were specific on creating an a la carte option https://t.co/OW8ok4qrSK

— Michael Schwab (@michaelschwab13) March 22, 2025

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Masn says it's coming soon for the O's and nat's, so that leaves just the Houston teams in the NBA and MLB to not have a dtc streaming option. And probably not for almost a decade? Shamefully behind the times

Daaaang

Shane McClanahan just left the #Rays game with trainer Joe Benge in the middle of the third after 41 pitches. McClanahan seemed in pain after throwing a pitch and immediately waved to the bench.

— John Romano (@romano_tbtimes) March 22, 2025

Hello TJ.

Forrest Whitley will remain in Florida next week to face hitters while team is in Houston, but said he was hitting 95 mph off flat ground and his knee is fine. Just needs some reps.

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) March 22, 2025

Hayden Wesneski said his foot is fine after being struck by a comebacker the other day. He'll throw a bullpen tomorrow.

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) March 22, 2025

I'd rock that around the pool and lake this summer

Lonestar_Ag09 said:

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Do you happen to have the contents of that article?

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If you are on an apple devIce, tap on the rectangle on the top left of the url bar, then select "Reader View" from the dropdown. Works on a lot of subscription content including the athletic.

Pahdz said:

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I'd rock that around the pool and lake this summer

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That's a no for me, dawg. Not the look for dad bods.

Farmer1906 said:

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Daaaang

Shane McClanahan just left the #Rays game with trainer Joe Benge in the middle of the third after 41 pitches. McClanahan seemed in pain after throwing a pitch and immediately waved to the bench.

— John Romano (@romano_tbtimes) March 22, 2025

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If he's out awhile the Rays may be early sellers. Would love to get Lowe to plug in at 2B.

Ben Gamel released. Guillorme told he isn't making the opening day roster.

Who needs LHH anyways?

tylhair said:

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Hummel keeps batting leadoff. I wonder if he's getting serious consideration. I'd think they would put fringe roster guys at the top who may get an extra AB.

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Latest @astros moves per @brianmctaggart
Ben Gamel has been released,
Luis Guillorme was told he won't make the roster.
Jalen Beeks had an option and granted a release.
Miguel Castro was informed he won’t make the club
This leaving 8 healthy pitchers in camp:
Hader, Abreu,…

— Htown Wheelhouse™️2X World Series Champs '17, '22 (@HtownWheelhouse) March 22, 2025

TRM said:

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Latest @astros moves per @brianmctaggart
Ben Gamel has been released,
Luis Guillorme was told he won't make the roster.
Jalen Beeks had an option and granted a release.
Miguel Castro was informed he won’t make the club
This leaving 8 healthy pitchers in camp:
Hader, Abreu,…

— Htown Wheelhouse™️2X World Series Champs '17, '22 (@HtownWheelhouse) March 22, 2025

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Well I guess no Beeks in the bullpen

Vinnie Pasquantino pulled up while running out a double play to first base. Jumped around favoring his right leg, I believe. He walked directly off the field and back into the clubhouse with a trainer. #Royals

— Anne Rogers (@anne__rogers) March 22, 2025

EastCoastAgNc said:

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Vinnie Pasquantino pulled up while running out a double play to first base. Jumped around favoring his right leg, I believe. He walked directly off the field and back into the clubhouse with a trainer. #Royals

— Anne Rogers (@anne__rogers) March 22, 2025

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That may have some relevance to us because if we are going Cam opening day then Dezenzo is trade bait. He could plug at 1B for them while Vinny is out and play corner OF when he's back. They need offense.

MaxPower said:

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EastCoastAgNc said:

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Vinnie Pasquantino pulled up while running out a double play to first base. Jumped around favoring his right leg, I believe. He walked directly off the field and back into the clubhouse with a trainer. #Royals

— Anne Rogers (@anne__rogers) March 22, 2025

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That may have some relevance to us because if we are going Cam opening day then Dezenzo is trade bait. He could plug at 1B for them while Vinny is out and play corner OF when he's back. They need offense.

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No reason to trade what is basically a prospect... Better to send then big Jon

Got this at the rodeo today. Sports memorabilia booth in the shops area.