Okay, so with a cracked rib to go along with the flu, bronchitis, and the beginning stages of pneumonia, the Astros were pretty low on my list of things of which I was thinking last week. So I didn't post much, mainly because sitting up was extremely hard until everything started kicking in. But I did try to keep up - a little bit - on Twitter. So here are the big stories from last week, along with a HAWT TAKE.
*The Astros do not appear to be one of five teams reported to have made an offer for Masahiro Tanaka, but we do know (think) the Astros met with Tanaka's agent, Casey Close. The New York Daily News said the Yankees (who have money available thanks to A-Rod) and Dodgers (who are just printing money, apparently) have made equal offers. The Diamondbacks apparently offered 6yrs/$120m, and the White Sox and Cubs are in with 6yrs/$100m+ offers, as well.
HAWT TAKE: I had a dream two nights ago that the Astros signed Tanaka, and you should have just seen my beaming, sweating, grey face. It was adorable. I swear, those few minutes before I realized it was just a dream advanced my recovery by at least 24 hours. Then I found out they hadn't, and went to bed for another six hours.
*As Cockroach graciously reminded you last week, the Astros and Jason Castro avoided arbitration with a 1-year $2.45m deal, and they did the same with Jesus Guzman for around $1.3m. Chris Cotillo is reporting via a source that the Astros and Castro have not yet begun negotiations on a long-term contract.
HAWT TAKE: So what? Castro has had one decent year, one good year, and is under team control for two more seasons. Why not see how 2014 goes, and reopen negotiations if it looks like 2014 is sustainable?
*Jon Singleton is still MLB.com's #1 1B prospect heading into 2014.
HAWT TAKE: This may say more about 1B prospects across the league, but Jon Homerton will ride again. He'll likely need to tear the cover off the ball this Spring in order to make the OD2014 roster to jump Wallace, Krauss, and Guzman. And remember, Homerton has less than 300 PAs at Triple-A.
*Alex White had Tommy John surgery last April, began throwing in August, and is expected to be able to participate in Spring Training with no restrictions.
HAWT TAKE: Luhnow plans on White being a part of the Astros in 2014, and it's easy to forget that White made the team out of Spring Training last year before the TJ surgery. It's also easy to forget that Rudy Owens had an outside shot at a roster spot, as well, before the foot isssue.
*Evan Drellich throws out what we know in our brains, but our hearts don't want to agree: The timing of Springer's debut is more important than our fandom. Why? Straight cash homey.
HAWT TAKE: Of course the Astros will want to avoid an extra year of arbitration with Springer, or risk losing him to free agency a year early. Those two factors will outweigh whether or not the Astros are five games under .500 or ten games under .500 when the projected Super Two cutoff will land. (Doesn't mean it won't hurt, though.)
*Way late on this one, but the Astros are moving the Community Leaders signs!
HAWT TAKE: Good.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
