*The Astros returned to Houston yesterday and will play at Minute Maid Park for the first time in 2017 tonight against the Cubs. 7:10pm.
*This Spring Training was very boring, which means it went pretty well.
*The top of the order will look something like this: Springer, Bregman, Altuve, Correa, Beltran, Reddick. Hinch, on Bregman:
I think hitting in front of Altuve is one of the better places to hit in our order.
*David Paulino will join Collin McHugh in staying at West Palm Beach as he recovers from a bone bruise. McTaggart also notes that the decision on Gustave v. Hoyt hasn't been made yet.
*Cuban LHP Cionel Perez will stay in WPB until his arm is ready to join an affiliate.
*Dan Straily is a part of why the Astros are so intent on keeping Brad Peacock.
*Baseball America has a best-case/worst-case scenario for each AL West team
*Over 50 "experts" from MLB.com and the MLB Network weighed in on favorites for key races. They think
a) Correa will be in the AL MVP race
b) Hinch will make noise in the Manager of the Year race
*Check out the renovated center field.
*Lance McCullers hung out with an 8-year old cancer survivor.
*My old local paper talked to Jeff Bagwell about how much his family hated the Red Sox trade. BoSox Injection took a look to see if Bagwell-for-Andersen is the worst trade in franchise history.
*There's a weird feud going on between Kyle Kendrick and Brett Myers about a nine-year old prank.
*Here's Mike Petriello talking about the rise of home runs last year.
*Mariners pitcher Drew Smyly has a "soggy" arm.
*Former Astros Great Paul Clemens signed a minor-league deal with the Twins.
*Will Leitch predicted a 3-2 Red Sox ALDS win over the Astros and I am irrationally angry about it.
*Peter Gammons also thinks the Astros win the AL West, lose in the first round.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
