*Is this the year an AL West front-runner wins the World Series?
*Pitchers threw live BP for the first time yesterday.
*Collin McHugh is looking to start the season stronger than he did in 2016:
My goal is never to leave anything on the table when the season ends, and it felt a little bit last year like I kind of shortchanged myself that first half of the year.
*Lance McCullers will use Jose Fernandez's glove this season as a tribute to his late friend.
*Alex Bregman is happy he struggled to start his major-league career.
*The Astros are really hoping that Yulieski Gurriel can bring stability to 1B.
*A.J. Hinch talked about what A.J. Reed has to do in order to get back to Houston.
I do believe he's much too young and rosters are built with so much versatility nowadays that you have to be able to do something else [than just hit]. His mobility at first base is going to be important...He's got to keep that as a priority, because it's very, very difficult to be one-dimensional unless you are David Ortiz.
Hinch plans on giving Reed a lot of playing time this Spring, noting that Reed has to "hit his way to being relevant on our team."
*Michael Feliz is a front-runner for one of the final bullpen spots in 2017.
*Jake Marisnick worked on his swing this offseason.
It's probably the most I worked on my swing and hitting and studying hitting and doing all that. There's plenty to improve on, so I spent a good majority of my offseason doing it.
Eloquent.
*Jim Crane is hosting a dinner for 80 at his Floridian Golf Club, near the new Spring Training facility.
*Who is the best player in a world without stats?
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
