Friday, January 26, 2018

Friday Morning Hot Links

*The Astros invited 19 minor-leaguers to the Major League side of Spring Training, including Kyle Tucker, Rogelio Armenteros, Garrett Stubbs, Framber Valdez, and Drew Ferguson. Weird that, of all 19 of these guys, Forrest Whitley wouldn't be invited.

*Kyle Tucker is ranked 5th among outfield prospects. Mike Elias:
The blend of hitting for average and hitting for power and the speed on the bases he showed, all of his numbers were great. But he also went through some ups and downs and showed us that he continued to make adjustments, and that's just as important as the statistics that he put up, because that's a part of the sport.

*Justin Verlander FaceTimed Michael Fulmer, and it meant the world to him.

*Aw man, John Royal is leaving the Houston Press. Check out his final column here.

*The Blue Jays signed Former Astros Great Rhiner Cruz, who hasn't pitched in the Majors since 2013.

*Jay Jaffe recapped the 2018 Hall of Fame voting.

*Tim Brown: The theatre of Vlad Guerrero.

*Jeff Passan: No one is blinking in the staring contest between players and owners.

*Jeff Sullivan: Tampa Bay's lost window of contention.

*Thank God. The Tigers are going to unify the "Olde English" D on their jerseys and caps. That they were different made me realize I have a touch of OCD.