Friday Morning Hot Links

*McTaggart notes that the Astros are still after top pitching, but the price for a quality starter was too high for Luhnow & Co. The White Sox wanted Bregman for Sale, and the price tag for Jose Quintana is currently too high, as well, with the Astros considering outfielder Kyle Tucker "untouchable." Luhnow:
Perspective changes a little bit, and there might be a few things done maybe in the next 24 hours that will change other teams' appetite to get it over the finish line, including ours...If we can find a match, we're not going to hold on to our prospects at the expense of our success in '17 or '18.

*Luhnow says a lot of teams are evaluating where they are after the Winter Meetings, which may be the right time to pounce on that starting pitcher everyone says they need. Luhnow:
We just have to be patient, we have to be opportunistic and continue to sort through with clubs as they decide whether or not they're going to make players available based off of what they've been able to accomplish this week. A lot of the trade opportunities don't happen until after they've signed their guy or made a different trade. 

*If a gun was held to Brian T. Smith's head, he would give Jeff Luhnow a B. Or maybe an Incomplete. Luhnow:
I really am excited about the next five years. I think this team has a chance to compete every year and potentially win one or more championships, and that's really what it's all about. We put ourselves in a pretty good spot. Now it's a matter of having a good roll of the dice and making good decisions. 

*A.J. Hinch will focus on not making "catastrophic" baserunning mistakes this year.

*A.J. Hinch said on Astroline that catcher Garrett Stubbs and outfielder Ramon Laureano will be in the big league camp for Spring Training.

*The Rule 5 Draft was held yesterday, and the Astros lost Mike Hauschild and picked up three in the minor league phase.

-The Rangers selected 2012 33rd Round pick Mike Hauschild, who had a career 3.50 ERA in 565IP in the Astros' system, including a 9-10 year at Fresno in 2016 where he posted a 3.22 ERA/1.27 WHIP with 119K:40BB in 139.2IP. He'll be 27 next month.

-The Astros picked up 23-year old catcher Eduardo de Oleo from Arizona, who played in 21 games in 2016. Luhnow:
He's got tools, especially behind the plate. He's a good defender, he's got a really plus arm, and he's a guy we've seen some power out of, and hopefully we'll see it manifest itself in games. 

-They selected righty knuckleballer Jared Mortensen from Tampa Bay. The 28-year old Canadian was signed out of independent baseball at 25, and pitched in Double-A last year with a 5.23 ERA and 86 strikeouts (and 56 walks) in 72.1IP. His 38 wild pitches in 2016 highlight just how hard it is for Double-A catchers to pick up his stuff. Kevin Goldstein:
[2016] is the first year...he became a full-time knuckleballer. You can see a lot of walks, but he struck out nearly 11 per nine. The pitches really danced. We're going to give him a shot and see how it works out. 

-The Astros also selected Blaine Sims from the Braves. Sims might sound familiar because he was an Astros minor leaguer in 2014 and 2015.

*Dallas' Tim Cowlishaw thinks a healthy Dallas Keuchel is the key to the Astros winning the AL West.

*Reid Ryan talked about having Little League practice at the Astrodome.

*The Fayetteville, NC City Council accepted two agreements to begin construction on the Astros' minor-league stadium.

*Call it the Brady Aiken Rule: the top 50 draft pitching prospects can now submit to a voluntary MRI

*Congratulations, and best wishes, to Rangers 3B coach Tony Beasley, who received a clean bill of health after an 11-month battle with cancer.

*The Philadelphia Inquirer's Claire Smith became the first woman to win the Hall of Fame's Spink Award.

*Ambassador to Japan Bobby...Valen...tine?

Winter Meetings Day 4

Your Winter Meetings Day 4 running post!

12:32pm: Rosenthal says the Tigers are signing Joba Chamberlain

12:20pm: The Rangers will offer Choo five years. Boras wants seven years.

12:11pm: The Tigers are in talks with Joba Chamberlain

11:39am: Evan Drellich says that landing Tanaka and/or Choo is not impossible, just not likely.

11:37am: Luhnow tells Evan Drellich that they're not making offers just to make offers.

11:36am: One GM says he thinks Houston is the likely landing spot for Shin-Soo Choo

9:56am: Morse deal is for $6m guaranteed + incentives

9:54am: Jon Heyman says Milwaukee and New York are meeting about Ike Davis and lists Houston among teams still looking for a 1B.

9:49am: Evan Drellich says injuries slowed Ravel Santana down, but "he's a five-tool guy"

9:15am: Morse's contract with San Francisco is for a base salary of $5m with incentives.

9:10am: Meanwhile, in court, the Rockets are taking over from the Astros as lead negotiators in the CSN Houston fiasco. Follow David Barron on Twitter for updates.

9:02am: Rick Ankiel is working out, but hasn't told Boras if he wants to play again. But he Will. Not. Pitch.

8:53am: The Astros made a strong push for Mike Morse, but ultimately Morse wanted to sign with San Francisco.

8:52am: The Astros did indeed send Patrick Schuster to the Padres to cpmplete the Anthony Bass trade.

8:45am: Michael Morse is nearing a deal with the Giants

8:44am: The Astros have "several offers" out to free agents.

8:43am: The Astros finalized the Anthony Bass trade by sending the first Rule 5 pick, Patrick Schuster to the Padres in exchange for cash.

8:39am: Rockies join the Astros in J.P. Howell interest

8:39am: The Cubs trade Brian Bogusevic to Miami for Justin Ruggiano.

8:31am: The Astros select knuckleballer Blaine Sims from Atlanta, who spent 2013 with the Braves' GCL, Low-A, and High-A teams, compiling an 8.44 ERA/2.04 WHIP with 56K:44BB.

8:26am: The Astros selected LHP Carlos Vazquez, from the Mets' Double-A roster.

8:25am: The Rays selected Enderson Franco off the Corpus roster. Franco had a 5.05 ERA/1.47 WHIP for Greeneville last season.

8:24am: Read our post on Ravel Santana.

8:19am: With the first pick in the Triple-A phase of the Rule 5 draft, the Astros selected OF Ravel Santana from the Yankees. Santana will not have to be on the 25-Man roster - in minor-league phases, you just pay the draft fee and he's yours. 

8:17am: Read our post on Patrick Schuster.

8:11am: The Astros didn't lose anybody in the Major League portion.

8:08am: The Astros passed with their first pick in the 2nd Round.

8:07am: Wait. The Padres just passed in the Rule 5 draft. So maybe Schuster isn't going to San Diego? So much confusion wow. As TCB reminded us, the Bass deal was for a PTBNL or cash. Maybe the Astros keep Schuster and just send fat stacks of nickels over to San Diego.

8:05am: Hooray! The White Sox didn't take Carlos Perez!

8:04am: The Astros select LHP Patrick Schuster from Arizona, and will send him to San Diego.

8:00am: Carlos Perez is an often-talked-about name to get selected in the Rule 5 draft.

The Anthony Bass trade with San Diego yesterday is a trade for the Padres to move up in this morning's Rule 5 draft. The Astros will pick first and send that player to the Padres.