*The Astros avoided arbitration with Dallas Keuchel, George Springer, and Jake Marisnick.
Keuchel will make $9,150,000 in 2017
Springer will make $3,900,000
Marisnick will make $1,100,000
There are four players who did not reach an agreement: Collin McHugh, Mike Fiers, Will Harris, and Marwin Gonzalez.
*Astros pitcher and Atlanta resident Collin McHugh called out Donald Trump for his remarks on Representative John Lewis.
*Alex Bregman will play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.
*Eighteen minor-leaguers got an invitation to Spring Training next month.
*Craig Biggio talked about the Hall of Fame and his buddy Jeff Bagwell.
*Jake Kaplan looked at why some writers are shifting to Bagwell.
*Jose de Jesus Ortiz wrote a column regarding the fans leading the charge for Bagwell and Raines.
*Astros radio play-by-play man Robert Ford has a good story in the FanGraphs' Sunday Notes column.
*Hardball Times: The greatest game Jose Fernandez ever pitched.
*The Indians might follow up their Encarnacion signing with...Jose Bautista.
*Analytics and the NHL.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
