Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Tuesday Morning Hot Links

*Your presumed 2016 Opening Day 1B Jon Singleton has taken the opportunity this offseason to clear his mind.
Just trying to clear my mind and kind of collect my thoughts and kind of build a plan towards what I need to do and where I need to put myself in Spring Training.

*No, says Evan Drellich, the Astros probably won't go out and get Yoenis Cespedes. Luhnow:
We're still in the same spot we've been in. We're monitoring the players that are available and trying to figure out if there's a fit, and when I say available, I don't mean only via free agency. There's discussions with other teams about trade possibilities as well.

*Carlos Correa is David Schoenfield's Most Intriguing Player in the AL West.
If there's one player who can challenge Mike Trout and Bryce Harper for best-player-in-the-game honors, it's Correa.

(Keuchel is #4, Springer is #7, and Ken Giles is #9).

*The Astros have sold 2000 more season tickets than last year.

*Sig Mejdal, former Director of Decision Sciences, is now Special Assistant to the GM, Process Improvement.

*Mark Appel is looking forward to starting over with the Phillies.
I think the expectation of being a first-overall pick was very high. If I'm being honest, I don't think I've reached that expectation. That's on me. Being here in Philadelphia, it's a new chapter.

*Grant Brisbee writes about the possibility of a universal DH, and relates the Astros' switch to the AL as part of the explanation.

*Here is the Hardball Times with a guide on how to survive until Spring Training.