Diaz

The Houston Astros made a pair of moves to bolster their offense this winter as they look to become baseball's first back-to-back champion of the 21st century. Team owner Jim Crane and his group of advisors made a major free agency splash when they signed first baseman José Abreu to a three-year, $60 million deal in late November. Fellow veteran Michael Brantley returned on a one-year deal in December , adding a left-handed punch to Houston's lineup. But as Spring Training approaches, there is one piece of Houston's dynasty that could soon be out the door. Yuli Gurriel remains a free agent nearly a month into the new year, and while he could return to the Astros as a key bench bat and part-time designated hitter, there appear to be multiple options for the 38-year-old. Gurriel has reportedly been in talks with both the Marlins and Twins regarding a potential deal, which could leave the Astros without one of their top playoff performers of the last six seasons. So, who … [Read more...] about Houston Astros prospect Yainer Diaz could make surprising impact

Houston Astros owner Jim Crane crossed one major item off of his checklist for the offseason when he hired Dana Brown as the team's new general manager on Jan. 26. The addition of Brown ends a unique period for the Astros in which Crane acted as the effective head of baseball operations. Former general manager James Click left the organization in early November , and between his departure and Brown's arrival, Crane spearheaded the Astros' signing of Josè Abreu and green-lit the re-signing of Michael Brantley . The hiring of Brown should reassure Astros fans who had concerns about Crane's involvement in player personnel, bringing to Houston an impressive track record that most recently includes a stint in Atlanta. As the Astros look to continue their dynasty, the roster appears to be in good hands. So, after Crane rather successfully waded through an uncertain offseason, what is on the agenda of his new general manager? Let's sort through some of Brown's chief objectives … [Read more...] about What’s first on Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown’s checklist?

The Houston Astros are fresh off their second World Series title in franchise history, and a number of players earned some major praise over the last week as MLB Network kicked off its annual positional rankings . The network began the 2023 edition of the series on Jan. 10 as it ranked the top 10 relief pitchers, before moving into the outfield spots. Per Paul Casella of MLB.com, the final rankings are determined by a process called "the Shredder," in which "player performance, a number of offensive and defensive metrics, both advanced data and traditional numbers, and analysis by the MLB Network research team" is taken into account. Fans will invariably quibble with each of the network's top-10 ratings, though at least we do have some criteria to fall back on. So, where do Astros players stand in MLB Network's positional rankings? Find out below, and check back here through Feb. 2 as each position's top-10 list is revealed. Right Fielders – Kyle Tucker, 4th Tucker … [Read more...] about Where the Houston Astros stack up in MLB Network’s position rankings

WASHINGTON - House Republicans' years-long pledge to kick Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) off the Foreign Affairs Committee is facing head winds as concern from within the conference has made it unclear if, but not unlikely, such a motion could pass. The debate has emerged after Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Tuesday unilaterally removed Reps. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) and Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) from the House Select Committee on Intelligence. That action fulfilled part of a pledge he made after Democrats took the unprecedented step last Congress of removing Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Paul A. Gosar (R-Ariz.) from their committees. The vote on Omar's standing remains on hold for one obvious reason: Democrats have yet to officially name which lawmakers will serve on the Foreign Affairs Committee, preventing Republicans from formally introducing a resolution to remove Omar. But Republicans face another problem: a slim majority that allows them to lose only four … [Read more...] about McCarthy faces narrow path in trying to oust Omar from committee

New Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown will do the majority of his adjustments to the 2023 roster during the regular season, when the reigning champs will likely make a roster upgrade or two in hopes of becoming the first back-to-back World Series winner since 2000. But there is one thing left on Brown's checklist in the immediate future. The Astros enter Thursday with one open spot on their 2023 Major League roster, and Brown has a number of directions in which he can fill that final hole. Houston could look to add to its outfield rotation, or perhaps address a perceived lack of catching depth. Perhaps Brown adds another arm, though considering the Astros' presently-stacked rotation , Brown may be content with his current options . As the Astros work to continue their dynasty, their new general manager is working from a place of strength. So who could Brown and Co. add to the roster before Opening Day? Let's evaluate some potential options below: Jurickson … [Read more...] about Five sensible options for the Houston Astros’ final roster spot