Friday Morning Hot Links

I had a really cool thing happen yesterday and, no, I'm not going to tell you about it. And I will not let what popped up ruin that. Let us also observe that paranoia and conspiracy theories arise out of a place of distrust. And while nobody trusts the Astros, there's an awful lot of distrust getting thrown towards Manfred and MLB. Anyway, just to be on record, let's do this.

*Everyone's favorite YouTube jacknut Jomboy had himself a flawed theory and, since he had a lot of funny Ejection Videos and isolated some trash can banging, everyone went ALL IN. 

Noted Imbecile Jomboy claimed that there were a couple of tweets from Carlos Beltran's niece saying that Altuve was wearing a buzzer on his shoulder when he hit the Pennant-Winning Walk-Off (and he had five different anonymous parties corroborating it).

Plot Twist: It was not Carlos Beltran's niece. In fact, there's some chatter that the initial tweets came from a player's burner account. Oh, and also that Mike Trout takes HGH and MLB has known this for two years. Sure, let's burn everything down and go back to the days of barnstorming. Of course Altuve denied it.

Jomboy got a taste of the big time when everyone legitimized his spending hours upon hours of watching the Astros beat the Yankees. And now he can just tweet whatever InfoWars douchebaggery he wants to make himself feel better and get instant validation. A great recipe!

*Joel Sherman got a quote from MLB:

MLB explored wearable devices during the investigation but found no evidence to substantiate it.

*Ranking the absurdities of this week in baseball. 

*Marc Carig said the Astros started the biggest scandal in sports since Steroids.

*Tom Verducci: Baseball is in an ethical crisis.

*Josh Reddick became the first player to speak out about the Astros' Winter of Discontent, saying:

We're not talking much about it...We've got to keep our focus on winning. It's as simple as that. We keep our focus on winning and everything will work itself out.

*The Astros interviewed Buck Showalter on Wednesday, John Gibbons yesterday, and will interview Will Venable today. McTaggart:

A source told MLB.com the Astros would like to have a manager in place by Feb. 1 before the club turns its attention to finding a new general manager.

Dan Connolly writes that Buck Showalter is a perfect candidate:

...Two of Showalter's best attributes are the two things that the Astros probably need the most right now: He brings immediate accountability and credibility, and he's a maestro at getting a team to believe that it is them against the world.

Dusty Baker said he's interested, hasn't been contacted, but "there's a few questions" he'd want to ask.

*George Springer avoided an arbitration hearing with the Astros when he agreed to a $21m deal for 2020.

*Dean Deetz, who was DFAd last week, was assigned to Round Rock.

*The 2017 Astros are here to wreck all the franchises: Carlos Beltran stepped down before ever managing a game. His statement was strong to quite strong.

*File this under, "I Thought This Happened Two Years Ago:" Carlos Gomez retired.

*Alyssa Nakken is about to become the first woman to be on an MLB coaching staff.

*GQ: Why is Putin's power play so shocking?

*Japanese billionaire's girlfriend entrants top 20,000 to go to the moon.

*A Musical Selection:

Friday Night Hot Links

So late Thursday night the Astros traded Peyton Battenfield and Cal Stevenson to Tampa Bay for RHP Austin Pruitt.

Pruitt, 30, was born in The Woodlands (aka Fenway/Yankee Stadium Southwest) and went to the University of Houston. In 199.2IP for Tampa from 2017-19, Pruitt has allowed 222H/108ER, with 147K:50BB, for a 4.87 ERA / 1.36 WHIP. Is it impressive? No. Is it projectable? Sure.

Peyton Battenfield was the Astros' 9th Round pick in 2019. At Tri-City this season Battenfield threw 39.1IP, 23H/7ER, 46K:15BB (1.60 ERA / 0.97 WHIP). He'll be 23 next August.

Cal Stevenson was acquired by the Astros on July 31, 2019 in the trade that brought Joe Biagini and Aaron Sanchez from Toronto for Derek Fisher. Aaron "Not The Guy From Chopped" Sanchez threw the first 2/3 of a no-hitter and was never heard from again, and Biagini was funny and was also never heard from again. This closes the book on the Derek Fisher trade. Long may it remain in our collective amnesia.

Austin Pruitt, whose first name I have initially typed as "Jeremy" on no fewer than three occasions already in this post, is out of options. So, as McTaggart notes, he will either make the back end of the rotation, or he will go to the bullpen. Luhnow:
We're going to give him a chance to compete. He's started in his Major League career, so he's capable. He's got two different breaking balls, a good fastball and really good command, which means he should be able to get through some innings.

Tags also notes the spin-rate on Pruitt's curveball, which ranks 9th in MLB. Keep in mind Pruitt is also coming over from Tampa, who is really good at this sort of thing, and not the trash-ass Pirates, who didn't know how to use Gerrit F. Cole. That said, he only threw his curve 13% of the time in 2019. That's probably going to go up.

Dean Deetz was DFA'd to make room on the 40-Man Roster.

*The Astros avoided arbitration with Carlos Correa, who signed for 2020 for $8m. They also avoided arbitration with Chris Devenski, who will make $2m in 2020. At the time of writing, there's no word regarding the arbitration cases of George Springer, Roberto Osuna, Brad Peacock, and Aledmys Diaz.

*Alex Bregman is MLB.com's pick to still be an Astro in 2030.

*FanFest isSaturday, January 18. And Altuve, Bregman, Yordan, Kyle Tucker, Forrest Whitley, Aledmys Diaz, and others are scheduled to attend.

*FanGraphs' Craig Edwards: How winning and financial power affect free agent spending.

*125 Essential Movies according to Martin Scorsese.

*Charles Pierce: Parchman State Prison is like the vestibule of hell. It's not alone in Mississippi.

*Smithsonian Magazine: The Charlatan of the Ozarks still looms over the haunted Crescent Hotel.

*Medium: I body-hacked for 10 weeks to try to live forever.

*A Musical Selection:

The reason Reymin Guduan was suspended

So, some background here right quick. We here at Astros County don't do this kind of thing terribly often. We knew that Brad Ausmus had interviewed back in August 2012 for the managerial position that went to Bo Porter. McTaggart refuted the rumor the next day. Then we were vindicated by Ken Rosenthal about a month later. Point is, we don't Break News terribly often. That said, it was reported on August 4 that Reymin Guduan was suspended for the remainder of the season for a "disciplinary issue." Luhnow said:
[Guduan] broke our team rules and is being disciplined because of it. 

On August 10 there was a report that the suspension would go through the rest of the minor-league season, which ends at the beginning of September, but could possibly be called up once rosters expand. Luhnow indicated that the team had not decided if he would be reinstated.

So here's the situation as recounted to us by a source with knowledge of the situation and not denied by multiple relevant parties:

Dean Deetz is a little bit of a character, and talks a lot of smack. He was giving Reymin Guduan The Bidness about not being able to throw a strike. Guduan responded by throwing a shoe at Deetz and  missed (badly, apparently), to which Deetz responded "See?" That is legitimately funny. What happened next is not. Guduan picked up a bat, swung it, and hit Deetz in the head. Guduan apparently didn't get a great swing on it, but "it definitely dazed" Deetz.

Guduan was removed from the clubhouse, but came back later, this time with a knife. "He didn't do anything with it, but he stood at his locker and glared at Deetz." No one called the police, but the Astros did suspend Guduan. That, by any standard of the law, is assault. You'll notice on Round Rock's website that Dean Deetz did not pitch between July 26 and August 5, which was a span of eight games in nine days.

Whether or not that Guduan pitches with his left arm, with varying degrees of success, should qualify him for helping the Astros in September and in the playoffs is up to you.

UPDATE: There are maybe 3-4 sources who have - since this was posted, around 12pm on Friday - since let me know there is more to the story. The framework is basically the same, but there's some nuance. Will update this post when things are confirmed.

Tuesday Morning Hot Links

At least we only have to wait four more days before the Astros play again. Maybe Carlos Correa and George Springer will be completely healed by then.

*Alex Bregman and Justin Verlander were named Most Valuable Player and Pitcher of the Year, respectively, by the Houston Chapter of the BBWAA.

*Brian McTaggart has the FAQs for the Astros heading into the ALDS.

*FiveThirtyEight's simulations have the Astros winning the ALDS 63% of the time, 34% to the World Series, and the World Series 22% of the time.

FanGraphs gives the Astros the ALDS by a 58-42 margin, with a 24% World Series rate. According to FanGraphs' simulations, the likeliest World Series matchup is Houston-Los Angeles.

*Here's ESPN's Ultimate MLB Playoff Preview. They give the Astros a 67-33 nod in the ALDS, would be favorites regardless of the other ALCS team, as well as any NL opponent in the World Series. ESPN's numbers say the Astros are 32% to win the World Series. I feel like this is lulling us into a false sense of security. Who's simulating the simulators, is what I want to know.

*Anthony Castrovince ranked all 45 possible playoff matchups.

*David Schoenfield: Why Alex Bregman could be the next Mr. October. Bregman, on being in the spotlight:

Oh, hell yeah. I love it. Love it. Love it. I want all eyes. My biggest moment. I love it. I don't know what it is about those situations, but I get pissed when I don't get the opportunity, and I'm fired up when I get the opportunity. I'm not afraid to fail. I'm not afraid to get out in those situations. 

*Chandler Rome: The playoffs offer Carlos Correa a clean slate.

*Dennis Eckersley and Don Orsillio will call the Astros-Indians on TBS.

*Dallas Keuchel picked up the remaining tab on a GoFundMe and adopted a dog that got hit by a car. Stroking karma in advance of the ALDS: I LIKE IT.

*Dean Deetz, Kyle Tucker, and Reymin Guduan were all sent to the house yesterday. Framber Valdez and Cionel Perez will head to West Palm Beach and stay ready in case of an emergency.

*Yasiel Puig, celebrating after beating the Rockies in a Game 163:
We're going to win the World Series. We're bringing the 2018 championship here. 

*The Astros are driving the revitalization of downtown Fayetteville, North Carolina.

*Shoutout to College Station's WTAW for the "Astros, Rangers wrap up regular season with losses" headline. The Rangers just had 36 more of them along the way.

*NL Central Division Champs https://t.co/ymLzqk6t07

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) October 1, 2018

*Extremely sad news. ABC13 reports that 15-year old Haidin Land passed away after a struggle with cancer. 

*A Musical Selection:

Thursday Morning Hot Links

Well. The Astros were held to a five-hit shutout as Seattle's Bullpen Day made Houston taste their Elimination Pain. Houston is 95-57. Oakland beat the piss out of the Angels much like Seattle beat the piss out of Houston, so it's a four-game lead with ten to play. Today is the last off-day of the regular season.

*The Astros end the season series with Seattle with a 9-10 record, outscoring them 80-74 even with last night's shellacking. Houston went 2-7 at Minute Maid Park against the Mariners. Houston did not win a home series against the Mariners in 2018.

Houston vs the AL West, 2017-18:
Arlington: 24-14
Oakland: 24-14
Seattle: 23-15
Anaheim: 22-13

It's the first time the Mariners have won a season series against Houston since 2014.

*The Astros were shutout for the 9th time this season, and the 9-run margin ties the July 22 14-5 loss to Anaheim and the July 27 11-2 loss to Arlington for the worst of the season. Chris Devenski pitched in both of those games. Eight of the nine shutouts have been at home.

*It's just the 3rd shutout of the Astros since the All-Star Break.

*Houston has been held to five or fewer hits 37 times this season.

*1-2-3 in the lineup (Springer-Altuve-Bregman) were each lifted early but combined for 1x7, 0K:2BB.

*Alex Bregman is going through a 1x17 stretch over his past six games, with 2K:6BB.

*Evan Gattis is 1x20, 8K:1BB in September.

*Houston had more GIDPs (two) than extra-base hits (0) or runs (also, 0).

*Dallas Keuchel had a rough one: 5IP, 6H/5ER, 3K:2BB, throwing 52 of his 81 pitches for strikes. It's the 7th time this season Keuchel has allowed 5ER, including two of his past three starts.

By the time Keuchel threw his 19th pitch of the night, Seattle had a 3-0 lead. Hinch:
They came out and ambushed Dallas. Within the first five pitches (Single, Double, Single), we were in a mess and never really recovered from it. They continued to tack on, and we didn't have an answer...You just have to chalk it up to a bad night. 

Keuchel, Innings 1-7, 2018:
1st Inning: 32IP, 45H/26ER, 22K:14BB, 7.31 ERA / 1.84 WHIP
2nd Inning: 32IP, 28H/11ER, 28K:7BB, 3.90 ERA / 1.09 WHIP
3rd Inning: 32IP, 27H/8ER, 23K:4BB, 2.25 ERA / 0.97 WHIP
4th Inning: 32IP, 21H/5ER, 20K:11BB, 1.41 ERA / 1.00 WHIP
5th Inning: 30.1IP, 31H/18ER, 24K:7BB, 5.34 ERA / 1.25 WHIP
6th Inning: 24IP, 31H/12ER, 22K:9BB, 4.12 ERA / 1.38 WHIP
7th Inning: 11.2IP, 13H/7ER, 7K:2BB, 5.40 ERA / 1.29 WHIP

Note: Couldn't tell in B-Ref this morning which of these runs were unearned, so there's a strong possibility the ERAs are a little lower than what is listed above. 

26 of the 88 runs Keuchel has allowed have come in the 1st Inning (29.5%). Keuchel:
I haven't really had a lot of success against the Mariners this season. It's kind of a coin flip with them right now. I tried to put my best foot forward and still gave up three in the first. I settled down. Just the way it goes. 

Keuchel was asked by a reporter if he thought this might be his final start as an Astro at Minute Maid Park (Keuchel's remaining regular season start(s) will be on the road):
Honestly, no. I've had some good runs here. Hopefully, there's a few left for us. That means we're doing well in the playoffs...It's not something I want to think about right now. 

*Dean Deetz allowed 3H/2ER in 0.2IP, including a home run to Mitch Haniger.

*Astros pitchers allowed three home runs for the first time since August 19.

*Chris Devenski got his first 1-2-3 inning since July 10.

*A.J. Hinch doesn't want to talk about the playoffs until the Astros clinch. Hinch:
We haven't won anything yet. We haven't advanced to the playoffs yet, so I don't think we can talk or consider any of that. When you start distracting yourself with scenarios...I will think about it, but let's qualify for the playoffs, let's go out and win the division first, then we can talk about it.

*Hinch says Rondon's struggles and his wrist injury are unrelated.

*Jayson Schroeder, Freudis Nova, Jeremy Pena, Seth Beer, and Alex McKenna will participate in the Instructional League starting today.

Wednesday Morning Hot Links

*Charlie. F. Morton. The Astros enjoyed a career night from Alex Bregman and a 5-run 8th inning that they didn't really need in order to beat the Blue Jays, 7-0. Houston is 53-28.

*The Astros' +173 run differential after 81 games is the 5th-best mark in AL history, and the best since the 1939 Yankees.

*Charlie Morton: 7IP, 4H/0ER, 13K:2BB.

Morton came into last night's game with 109 strikeouts in 88.2IP. In 2011 he had 110 strikeouts in 171.2IP. It was Morton's 5th 10+ K start of 2018.

Double-digit strikeout games, Charlie Morton:
2008-2016 (161 starts): 1
2017-2018 (41 starts): 8

Hinch, on Morton:
Just incredibly dominant. The swings that he was getting. The takes that he was getting. When he's got 97-98, locating it where he did, and the big power breaking ball was exceptional tonight. He as in attack mode. Everything was working.

By the time you realize Charlie Morton is in attack mode you're already dead.

*Blue Jays starting pitcher Ryan Borucki held the Astros to 6H/2ER, 3K:4BB over 6IP in his major-league debut.

*Alex Bregman was 4x5 with three doubles and a home run and 2RBI. He's the 4th player in franchise history with four extra-base hits in a game, joining Kevin Bass, Jeff Bagwell, and Jose Altuve. It's the second 4-hit game of his season and career. He has six hits in his last nine PAs. He had not had more than two extra-base hits in a game this season. The last time Bregs had three extra-base hits in a game was July 24, 2017 - two doubles and a homer. Bregman raised his OPS from .834 to .866 last night.

*Jose Altuve was 1x1 with 3BB. It's his 5th career 3+ BB game. You have to go all the way back to June 23, 2018 to find the last time Altuve walked three times in a game. In 2011 Altuve needed 184 PAs from July 20 through September 9 to record three walks.

Altuve is hitting .419/.571/.774 in his last ten games, with 4K:11BB.

*Josh Reddick was 3x4, his first 3-hit game since April 4. He has made 11 starts since returning from the DL and has a hit in ten of them. Last night's double was Reddick's first extra-base hit since May 20.

*Jake Marisnick was 2x3 with a walk and a three-run home run. Look for the incoming 10-year extension later today. From June 2-12, Marisnick was 0x10 with 7K:2BB. Since then he's hitting .381/.458/.762.

An outstanding, wall-climbing catch by #Astros Jake Marisnick to end the inning. #MLB #BlueJays pic.twitter.com/OEu2ed4cfU

— Matt Johnson (@MattJ_Sports) June 27, 2018

Charlie Morton said Jake Marisnick was the "best outfielder" in baseball following tonight's game.

Alex Bregman said he's the "best defender in center field in the league."

— Christian Boutwell (@byCBoutwell) June 27, 2018

*George Springer snapped an 0x20 skid with a double and asked for the ball.

*Carlos Correa was out last night with back stiffness, and Christian Boutwell notes that the upcoming schedule is why.

*The Washington Post's Neil Greenberg says that the Astros are on pace to be one of the more dominant teams in MLB history.

*Mike Scott's division-clinching no-hitter is David Schoenfield's pick for the most dominant pitching performance in Astros history.

*Buies Creek's Hector Perez threw a CGSHO against Myrtle Beach yesterday: 7IP, 7H/0ER, 8K:0BB. Perez's last four outings: 20.2IP, 11H/2ER, 27K:6BB.

*Dean Deetz - suspended 80 games for testing positive for a PED - was reinstated yesterday. The Astros' 40-Man roster has 38 Men on it.

*SI: The Second Act of Sammy Sosa.

*Jayson Stark in The Athletic: The future of starting pitching is ominous. Stark:
When a Max Scherzer or Gerrit Cole spins off an epic 15-strikeout, 2-hit kind of evening, that's baseball theater at its greatest. But when it's seven pitchers combining for a three-hour, 36-minute, 15-strikeout, two-hit kind of evening, that's "mind-numbingly bad baseball."

*Craig Calcaterra: Dayton Moore's defense of child molester Luke Heinrich "stinks to high-heaven."

Wednesday Morning Hot Links

*Two Astros minor-leaguers were suspended yesterday for various substances for which they pissed hot (Piss Hot Stove amirite?):

Jon Singleton tested positive for a third time for a "drug of abuse," and will be suspended for 100 games without pay.

Dean Deetz, who was added to the 40-Man Roster ahead of the 2017 Rule 5 Draft, tested positive for Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone, and will be suspended for 80 games without pay.

This seemingly slams a door that was already closing on Singleton's tenure with the Astros, and perhaps his career in baseball. His first positive drug test was in 2012, followed by a second in 2013. The AP's Kristie Rieken had a remarkable interview with Singleton in March 2014 in which he detailed his marijuana use and his 30-day stint in an inpatient rehab facility. Singleton:
At this point it's pretty evident to me that I'm a drug addict. I don't openly tell everyone that, but it's pretty apparent to myself. I know that I enjoy smoking weed, I enjoy being high and I can't block that out of my mind that I enjoy that. So I have to work against that.

Singleton signed his "controversial" 5yr/$10m deal in 2014 but was removed from the 40-Man roster in November. When he signed the contract then-manager Bo Porter told the Chronicle:
You get Jonathan the man right, and the baseball part will take care of itself.

Singleton will end up making about $750,000 of the $2m he was due this season. But I can almost guarantee you that the Astros will decline his $2.5m club options for 2019, $5m for 2020, and $13m for 2021.

Dean Deetz's suspension is a little more surprising. And no one was more surprised than Deetz, apparently. Deetz:
Let me say first and foremost that I have never knowingly taken a performance-enhancing substance of any kind. I come from a small town and know how fortunate I am to call myself a professional baseball player. I would never jeopardize that opportunity, or betray those who have supported me along the way, by trying to cheat in order to gain an advantage. As I explained to the arbitrator in my appeal, I have no idea how I could possibly have tested positive, and although I am disappointed by the outcome, I will abide by his decision.

Bluebird Banter has a better recap of the substance (known as a favorite of the East Germans and aka "Oral Turinabol") than I could ever put together before I need to get in the shower and get ready. The New York Times noted in 2016 how it was becoming a popular substance among baseball players.

*Related: George Mitchell sat down with Jerry Crasnick and talked about the legacy of his report, PEDs, and the Hall of Fame.

*Dallas Keuchel hopped on SportsRadio 610 and had this to say about his impending free agency:
Veteran pitching is always looked upon and sought after because it wins and you saw it with Verlander, what happened when we traded for him. If this is my last year here, I'm going to enjoy every single moment and I'm going to give everything I have. Not to say that I haven't before, but just really really enjoy it...I would love to be in Houston.

*Josh Reddick talked to high school students about the rotation and his singing voice.

*Wow what a surprise that Astros fans like Jim Crane and his ownership group.

*Kirk Bohls can't imagine the Astros losing the division or the Rangers finishing better than 3rd in 2018.

*Cool story from Buster Olney about Trevor Hoffman and how he was forced to discover the changeup that might take him to the Hall of Fame today.

*Norwich, Vermont (Pop. 3000): Cradle of Olympians.

*My favorite soccer team unveiled their new crest, and people hate it.

Wednesday Morning Hot Links

*I drove for 10 hours yesterday and hit 75 South in McKinney at 5:05pm. 0/10 would not advise.

*Random Astros fact:

AL West guaranteed contracts for 2019, not including arbitration or options (all numbers via Baseball-Reference):
Angels: 5 ($104.1m)
Mariners: 4 ($69.3m)
Rangers: 3 ($68.7m)
Astros: 3 ($43.9m)
Oakland: 0 ($0)

*The Astros will each receive about $438,000 for winning the World Series - an MLB record.

*SportsTalk 790 will re-broadcast Games 5 and 7 starting at 6am tomorrow.

*Just catching up, because this actually happened on Monday afternoon (and I forgot to take my computer on our quick trip): the Astros traded outfielder Ramon Laureano to the A's for RHP Brandon Bailey. Laureano put up impressive numbers between Lancaster and Corpus in 2016:
-Lancaster (357 PAs): .317/.426/.519
-Corpus (148 PAs): .323/.432/.538

But in his 2017 follow-up in Corpus, Laureano struggled, hitting .227/.298/.369 in his Age-22 season. The Astros had to either trade him, put him on the 40-Man roster, or expose him to the Rule 5 draft, so the Astros went with the option that guaranteed a return.

Brandon Bailey, a 5'10" 175lb RHP, was the A's 6th Round pick in the 2016 draft out of Gonzaga. Between the Midwest League (57IP) and the hitter-friendly California League (34IP) Bailey threw 91IP, 68H/33ER, 120K:31BB.

OaklandClubhouse says of Bailey:
Bailey has swing-and-miss stuff dating back to college and he has a starter's repertoire. He has a four-seam fastball, a four-seam changeup, a spike curveball and a slider. Bailey was also working on a cut-fastball late last season.

The Astros added Cionel Perez and Dean Deetz to the 40-Man roster, which is now full.

*Late last night I wrote up some thoughts on Joe Morgan and the Baseball Hall of Fame

*Y'all know I pimped the mess out of some t-shirts that I had a hand in helping design. Starting tomorrow (Thursday) through Monday, BreakingT is offering a Black Friday sale in which you get:
-25% off the entire store
-Free shipping at $50

So click this link and check out the Houston collection. Get your friends and family some *actually affordable* shirts you can't get at Academy.

*MLB debuted the 2017 Astros documentary last night to a packed house that included Jeff Luhnow and A.J. Hinch.

*ESPN will show the Astros' season opener at Arlington at 2:30pm on Thursday, March 29 as well as the Astros' home opener against Baltimore on Monday, April 2.

*Mark Appel was designated for assignment by the Phillies.

*Jonah Keri wrote up the 2017 Offseason Power Rankings, and here's how it shakes out for the AL West:
Houston: 1
Anaheim: 13
Seattle: 16
Arlington: 17
Oakland: 22

*You can watch the 5-minute SportsCenter piece on George Springer overcoming his stutter. And you can watch the 45-minute Jose Altuve documentary "Big Dreams."

*Rosenthal: Prominent Asian-Americans are troubled by Gurriel's delayed suspension.

*So I guess Kevin Comer was signed by the Tigers.

*The Braves got absolutely hammered.

*SportsNet's Jeff Blair might *only* vote for Bonds and Clemens this year.

*Meet the guy who built a homemade rocket. To launch himself into space. To prove that Earth is flat. The big yellow "RESEARCH" tag below the cockpit lets you know he's for real.

Wednesday Morning Hot Links

*Mike Fiers threw very well - he didn't give up a home run in a start for the first time all season (last night was his 10th start of the year). Fiers, 1st inning: 3H/2ER, 1K:2BB, WP. Fiers, 2nd-6th innings: 2H/0ER, 7K:1BB. Astros win 7-2.

*A.J. Hinch:
It was a great performance by Fiers. He came into the game having been told he's out of the rotation. He gets back in the rotation and comes out and puts up a performance like that. He controlled the first inning, which was key, and really dialed it in from then on to the end of his outing. Really proud of him. 

*The Astros have 21 wins in May. It's the fifth time in franchise history they've had at least 21 wins, and a win today would tie the franchise record of 22 (twice). These 21 May wins are equal to or greater than the total number of wins for the Marlins, Phillies, and Padres.

*On this six-game winning streak, the Astros have 71 hits.

*Jose Altuve was 4x5 with 2RBI. While he's hitting .320/.383/.510 in 2017, his home/road splits are striking:
Home: .237/.278/.364
Road: .439/.521/.720

Altuve:
I realize that I'm playing better on the road. I don't know why, but I think it's just coincidence. It's not a reason why I'm doing that. I'm just trying to be the same player...and help my team.

*Josh Reddick, who drew five walks in all of April, drew three walks last night. It's the 2nd time this season he's had a 3BB game (May 4 vs. Arlington), and the 4th time in his 835-game career.

*Alex Bregman batted 9th for the third time in his career and went 2x3 with a home run and 2RBI.

*Joe Musgrove was placed on the DL with a sore shoulder. Given that it's retroactive to Saturday, it's possible he only misses his start today. David Paulino will start today against the Twins, instead. Musgrove:
For now, we expect to make that start. It doesn't feel like anything too serious. But it's enough to where I can't throw comfortably and I can't go through a normal delivery.

25 minutes ago the rotation was Keuchel/McCullers/Morton/Musgrove/Fiers. Now it's Keuchel/McCullers/Fiers/Paulino/Peacock. Life comes at you fast.

*FanGraphs: The Mostly-Legit Marwin Gonzalez

*Lefty reliever Reymin Guduan was promoted to Houston from Fresno and will join the bullpen.

*Kyle Tucker and Jason Martin were promoted from Buies Creek to Double-A Corpus Christi yesterday. Tucker was hitting .288/.379/.554 as a 20-year old in High-A. AC Favorite Dean Deetz and Alejandro Garcia were promoted to Fresno.

*Houston Press: Don't celebrate anything yet

*The preservation/revitalization of the Astrodome can move forward.

*Read this article from the New Yorker about Kip Litton: Marathon Man

Searching for internal rotation help

On Sunday, May 17, 2015 the Astros beat the Blue Jays to improve their record to 25-13 with a 5.5-game lead over the 2nd-place Angels. Brett Oberholtzter had just gone on the DL with a blister and the Astros planned to slot Jake Buchanan in to start against the A's on May 18. Instead the Astros announced that Lance McCullers would make his Major-League debut, skipping Fresno and Triple-A entirely.

It made sense, although McCullers had only thrown 32IP at Double-A. In those 32IP, however, he allowed 16H/2ER, 48K:14BB. Dude was ready, and the Astros had a need in the rotation to keep their division lead rolling (plot twist: it didn't.)

Now the Astros find themselves in a similar situation. They're (gulp) 36-16 with an 11-game lead over 2nd place. That said, the back end of their rotation features Joe Musgrove, Brad Peacock, and Mike Fiers. That's not exactly Spahn-and-Sain-and-pray-for-rain. The Astros need another starter (maybe two). Is there help in the minors? Let's take a look at some of the candidates:

David Paulino: Paulino had his start for Fresno scratched, and it seems highly likely that he's on his way to Houston to replace the recently-departed Jordan Jankowski. Paulino is somewhat of a known commodity, having appeared in three games for the 2016 Astros (7IP, 6H/4ER, 2K:3BB). A consensus Top-100 Prospect coming into 2017, Paulino has been battling injuries this season and has only thrown 14IP for Fresno in 2017, allowing 11H/7ER, 13K:9BB. Those walks are concerning and, while all three of his appearances were starts, it'll be interesting to see if the Astros shift him to the bullpen while they take a little more time to evaluate Peacock/Fiers.

Francis Martes: Good Ol' Frankie Tuesday! The highest-ranked pitching prospect in the system (#15 by Baseball America, #20 by MLB.com, and #28 by BP), Martes has struggled in his first shot at Triple-A. In 29.2IP, Martes has allowed 34H/15ER, albeit with 36K:24BB. His first two starts at Fresno saw him throw 9.1IP, 7H/0ER, 10K:9BB. Again with the walks. Then he allowed 4ER in three straight starts, but in his last two starts (10.2IP), he has allowed 8H/3ER, 16K:5BB with a season-low one walk in his last outing on May 26 at Tacoma. He's trending better, but he hasn't dominated to the point where the Astros might feel comfortable bringing him up.

Brady Rodgers: Dammit if Rodgers didn't have Tommy John Surgery last month. Were it not for that, I bet he already would have been up.

So let's take us a gander at Corpus and see if there is a lurking Lance McCullers-type pitcher, worthy of jumping a level to help a pennant push...

Rogelio Armenteros: Armenteros, a 22-year old Cuban RHP (he'll turn 23 at the end of June), has dominated Corpus this season. In 41.2IP, Armenteros has allowed 27H/5ER, with 55K:14BB - a 1.08 ERA/0.98 WHIP. In his last four starts (18.2IP), he has allowed 10H/0ER, and with 25K:5BB. While those numbers aren't quite McCullers-esque, they're not far off from what McCullers had done before his call-up.

Dean Deetz: My love for Dean Deetz is well-documented. Deetz has cut his walk-rate from 4.3 BB/9 in 2016 at Lancaster to 2.0 BB/9 for Corpus this season. In 39.2IP in 2017, he has allowed 27H/8ER, 42K:9BB. His still averaging over a strikeout per inning, but that walk rate is so very nice. He's coming off his "worst" start of the season, allowing 6H/3ER, 9K:0BB in 5IP against Tulsa on Sunday. Prior to that start Deetz had thrown 34.2IP, 21H/5ER, 33K:9BB. He's probably more of a risk, and is the least likely of the three to get called up to pitch at this point in the season.

Do the Astros have options? Yeah, maybe. But with an 11-game lead and the offense hitting like it has so far this season, the Astros might just decide to see what they can get out of Peacock and Fiers, and let Musgrove learn on the job before making a drastic move - either through call-ups or trade(s).

Sunday Morning Hot Links

*Chris Devenski walked Kole Calhoun to lead off the 9th and he later scored in a 2-1 walk-off Angels win. Hinch:
We didn't do enough with our opportunities. We had some runners on. They turned some double plays and we had one punch out with first and second, but we couldn't really mount much once we got a couple of runners on. It felt like we had somebody on base every single inning, but it wasn't our night. 

It was only the 3rd walk Devenski has allowed all season.

*The Astros were 1x8 w/RISP and had 8 LOBsters.

*Lance McCullers: 7IP, 2H/1R (0ER), 4K:2BB.

*Ken Giles has been throwing his breaking pitches more.

*Yo this Houston Justice of the Peace is living that gangsta life.

PreStros Report: Games of May 6

Fresno (13-17) is a walking reminder that there's no starting pitching help coming from Triple-A. Colorado Springs scored 4, 3, 2, 9 in the first four innings on their way to a 19-7 win over the Grizzlies. Former Ranger Mike Hauschild allowed 8H/9ER, 1K:6BB, 2WP in 3IP for a Game Score of -2. Yeah, there's a negative in there. Keegan Yuhl allowed 7H/8ER, 0K:1BB in 0.1IP. Sean Stutzman allowed 4H/2ER, 1K:1BB in 2.1IP. Aaron West and outfielder Andrew Aplin threw 2.1IP, 2H/0ER, 2K:1BB. Once again, A.J. Reed doesn't pitch and a dream of mine remains unfulfilled. Jon Kemmer was 2x5 with a solo homer; Derek Fisher (RBI), Max Stassi (2 2B, BB, RBI), and Andrew Aplin (2B, BB, RBI) had two hits each. Jack Mayfield hit a 2-run double.

Corpus (15-14) scored two late runs but it wasn't enough in a 3-2 loss to San Antonio. Kent Emanuel threw 5IP, 6H/3ER, 2K:2BB while Dean Deetz threw 4IP, 2H/0ER, 4K:3BB (rare). Deetz's ERA is now 0.79. Drew Ferguson was 2x4 with a double. Tyler Wolfe was 1x3 with a two-run homer in the 8th. Garrett Stubbs was 1x3 with a double and a walk. The bottom three in the Hooks' lineup last night (Laureano, Hyde, Wolfe) are all currently hitting .189, .184, .167, respectively.

Myrtle Beach took an 8-1 lead over Buies Creek (19-11) after six innings and held on for an 8-4 win.
Justin Ferrell allowed 7H/4ER, 2K:1BB in 4.1IP, Ralph Garza gave up 3H/3ER, 1K:0BB, 2HR in 0.2IP. Alex Winkelman came in for three innings of relief and allowed 2H/1R (0ER), striking out six. Kyle Tucker hit his 5th and 6th homers of the season. Pat Porter was 2x4 with a double and an RBI.

Forrest Whitley had a rough one as Lake County beat Quad Cities (15-12) 13-3. Whitley threw 2IP, 5H/4ER, but with 6K:0BB; Reggie Johnson allowed 4H/5ER, 0K:2BB in 1IP; Jorge Alcala allowed 4H/1ER, 7K:2BB in 4.2IP. Salvador Montano gave up 4H/3ER, 4K:1BB in 1.1IP. Stephen Wrenn was 3x4 with two doubles; Rodrigo Ayarza was 2x4 with an RBI. Randy Cesar was 1x4 with a double and 2RBI. Daz Cameron was 0x3 with a walk and is now hitting .178.

Employees of the Month: April 2017

The Astros are 16-9 and are 1st in the AL West. Life has meaning again and everything is fun. Let's get to the Employees of the Month. These players get to park at the front and get 10% off in the Team Store.

Houston

Evan Gattis: Hitting .321/.400/.518 with 9K:7BB gets Gattis the Employee of the Month for April. Gurriel was a strong possibility but Gattis' top-to-bottom month gives him the nod.

Dallas Keuchel: No-brainer for Pitching Employee of the Month. Keuchel allowed 25H/6ER, 36K:11BB in 44.2IP for a 1.21 ERA/0.81 WHIP. These are stupid numbers.

Fresno

Jon Kemmer: Kemmer hit .356/.406/.559 for Fresno in April.

Brady Rodgers: Limited by elbow trouble, Rodgers still gets the nod because the rest of the pitching staff has been hot garbage. Rodgers made three starts, allowing 14H/2ER, 11K:1BB in 16.1IP.

Corpus

Catching prospect Garrett Stubbs hit .341/.413/.634 in eleven games in April - the next-highest OPS trails Stubbs by 191 points.

Dean Deetz: Deetz threw 13.2IP, 4H/1ER, 13K:3BB in three April games for a 0.66 ERA/0.51 WHIP.

Buies Creek

Kyle Tucker hit .301/.372/.566 with six stolen bases in April.

Franklin Perez pitched in three games, throwing 14.1IP, 3H/0ER, 14K:3BB for a 0.00 ERA/0.42 WHIP.

Quad Cities

Even though he only played in ten games, I'm rolling with Marcos Almonte over Jake Rogers. Rogers hit .258/.370/.565 with ten of his 16 hits going for extra-bases. But Almonte hit .359/.406/.667 with 6K:2BB in 39 ABs.

Carson LaRue: Over 20IP, LaRue allowed 12H/2ER, 18K:7BB. Walks are a little high, but a 0.90 ERA/0.95 WHIP over a month will play.

In appreciation of: Dean Deetz

I have done these posts from time to time over the life of Astros County, where I highlight an unheralded player who's doing a pretty good job in the minors. The last time was 2013, when I did this for Kenny Long, who was released less than a year later, so you can understand my hesitation in my jinxing powers, which are real (Don't believe me? Show me your Houston Astros World Champions shirt). But maybe my powers have eroded.

It's time to talk about Dean Deetz. Deetz was selected in the 11th Round of the 2014 draft out of Northeast Oklahoma A&M College - the first of three players the Astros selected from that school (Ramon Laureano, 16th Round; Brad Antchak, 39th Round) in the 2014 draft. The most successful NEOKAMC, as far as the Majors are concerned, is Jason Dickson whom, I was surprised to learn, was an All-Star in 1997 and finished 3rd in AL Rookie of the Year voting (Nomar Garciaparra was the unanimous AL ROY).

Deetz missed the entire 2013 season to Tommy John surgery but returned to strike out 56 batters in 41.1IP. Though he was ranked 140th on MLB.com's Top 200 Draft Prospects list, they had this to say:
Deetz has an exceptionally quick arm but is still learning to harness it. He has trouble throwing strikes and locating his pitches on a consistent basis.

Not so much anymore. (One sentence paragraph? Check. I'm basically a newspaper columnist at this point).

His first pro season - 2014 - saw mixed results, mostly bad results. 25.1IP, 30H/25ER, 24K:19BB. So that's 6.8 BB/9 with an 8.88 ERA/1.93 WHIP. 2015 was markedly better: 63.2IP between Tri-City and Quad Cities, 39H/12ER, 50K:23BB. Strikeouts took a dip, but he cut his walk rate in half.

2016 saw Deetz start in Lancaster, where he got Lancastered: 93.1IP, 86H/44ER, 86K:45BB. Walks up slightly, but K/9 up from 7.1 in 2015 to 8.3. After having allowed two homers in 89IP to that point, Deetz allowed nine at Lancaster, which is akin to playing on the surface of the moon.

Deetz was promoted to Corpus in 2016, where he made two starts (12IP). In those two starts he allowed 7H/0ER, 17K:2BB. Starting 2017 in Corpus again, so far he has thrown 8.2IP, where he has allowed 2H/1ER, 10K:2BB. So in 20.2IP at Double-A, Deetz has allowed 9H/1ER, 27K:4BB - a 0.44 ERA/0.63 WHIP.

In 2016, Deetz held righty hitters to a .229/.345/.349 slash line - and that's including 23 appearances at Lancaster. Lefties hit .243/.302/.426 - again, Lancaster'd.

I don't know what the future has in store for Deetz, but if he continues anywhere near the success level he's had at Corpus, he should be seeing California again soon.

Saturday Morning Hot Links + Farm Report

*Happy Jackie Robinson Day!

*Nori Aoki and Brian McCann each had two RBI and Dallas Keuchel threw 7IP, 4H/1ER, 7K:2BB to lower his ERA to 0.86. Chris Devenski struck out the side in the 8th and Michael Feliz gave up a solo homer to Trevor Plouffe in the 9th to "preserve" a 7-2 win over Oakland. After scoring 21 runs in their first eight games, the Astros have scored 24 in their last three.

*It's the Astros' 2nd three-game win streak of the season. The 2016 Astros didn't get their first W3 of the season until May 24-26. And the Astros are 14-6 in their last 20 games against Oakland.

*Once again Jose Altuve was 3x3 with two walks, extending his on-base streak to 11 plate appearances. Two more will tie the franchise record set by Bill Spiers. Click the link for how Altuve is driving the ball to the opposite field.

*The A's played Careless Whisper for Josh Reddick.

*Keuchel was done after 100 pitches, and thought he could go more:
I feel like there's a little bit of a leash on me right now. I don't think anybody wants to say it, but I'll say it. I'd like to get that harness taken off. It's early and I understand. 

*Keuchel threw 95+ pitches in 23 of his 26 starts in 2016, and he has thrown 85, 93, and now 100 in his first three starts of 2017 - all going 7IP.

*Keuchel has thrown 21IP, allowing 8H/2ER, with 15K:5BB. It's his best three-game streak since throwing 23IP, 7H/1ER, 15K:5BB from April 18-29, 2015.

*19-year old pitcher Lupe Chavez, whom the Astros acquired from Toronto in exchange for Scott Feldman, retired. Way to just give up Cincinnati's ace for nothing, Lose-Now.

*The Astros look smart by keeping Brad Peacock on the 25-Man roster, having pitched in four of the first 11 games and allowing one hit in 5.2IP.

*Jonathan Bernhardt asks, in light of Giles' and Gregerson's struggles, if the Astros have a bullpen problem.

*Jon Heyman was on his BS again, writing on Thursday that Correa would never sign an early extension, noting that Correa hasn't even signed his 2017 contract:
Word is (the Astros) offered somewhere around $565,000 and were perhaps willing to go a bit higher, but Correa wasn't going to put his name to something he didn't believe in, his friends say.

Not one bit of that makes sense. And Correa pooped on it:
I've still got five more years of being here, so if the Astros come to me and they want to negotiate and the price is right, we'll consider it. Right now I'm in the stage of my career where I'm just going to play baseball and try to put up numbers. They try to do something, it's got to be early...I've got to focus on playing good baseball so I can have good arbitration years. 

So everyone calm down.

*Jon Heyman also wrote one of the most worthless Notes pieces on the Astros, if you care to read it.

*Todd Radom in the NY Times: Why I love ugly uniforms (specifically, the 1975 Astros unis)

On The Farm

*Edison Frias threw 5IP, 6H/4R (3ER), 1K:5BB and Tyson Perez and Jordan Jankowski threw scoreless appearances, but the Grizzlies lost 3-2. Tyler White was 3x4 to raise his average to .382, Tony Kemp added a 2x5 night to preserve his .400 average. Reid Brignac had two hits. Jon Kemmer was 1x4 with an RBI triple.

*Corpus scored three runs in the bottom of the 8th to beat Arkansas 5-4. Kent Emanuel threw 4IP, 5H/4R (3ER), 2K:1BB and Riley Ferrell threw a perfect inning in his Double-A debut. Dean Deetz had another stellar outing, throwing 3.2IP, 1H/0ER, 2K:0BB. In 20.2IP at Double-A (across the last two seasons), Deetz has allowed 9H/1ER, 27K:4BB. Ramon Laureano was 2x4 with two doubles. Six players in the Hooks' lineup last night are hitting under .200 and they're still 5-3.

*Buies Creek got a series sweep over Winston-Salem with a 4-3 win. Matt Bower allowed 3ER in 4.1IP, and Franklin Perez threw a perfect four innings with 2Ks. Jason Martin was 2x5 with 3RBI while Anthony Hermelyn and Pat Porter had two hits each. Kyle Tucker was 1x5 with a triple.

*Quad Cities enjoyed an 11th-inning walk off to beat Kane County 2-1. Brett Adcock threw 4.1IP, 4H/1ER, 8K:2BB; Erasmo Pinales and Derick Velasquez threw the final 6.2IP, combining for 4H/0ER, 7K:1BB. Alexander De Goti and Stephen Wrenn each had a hit and a walk as the River Bandits managed to win despite six total hits.

Sunday Morning Hot Links

Midas Whale call it ALDS Game 8 all over again. (Royals' Alex Gordon said: "We might have mentioned it a little in the dugout, just joking around). Six outs away from going to 4-2 on the season, Luke Gregerson encountered the following against the Royals:
-Walk
-Single
-Sacrifice
-Double
-Single
-Homer
-Homer

And that's how you waste Dallas Keuchel throwing 7IP, 2H/1ER, 4K:1BB. Springer, Bregman, Altuve, and Correa combined for a 2x14 night.

*Hinch, on Gregerson:
He didn't say much on the bench, but the results are what they are. And that inning was just a bad night for him. 

*Gregerson had never allowed more than four runs in an inning in his career.

*Gregerson manned up and left the clubhouse before the media was allowed to enter.

*George Springer is okay after sliding into the wall trying to catch a foul ball.

*Collin McHugh is not okay and will be out for at least another six weeks with a posterior impingement (think: compression of the soft tissue/cartilage) of his right elbow. Hinch:
It's a setback for us, but luckily we came into this season with an extra starter. We believe in the five guys we have out there, so we'll try to get him right and continue to go forward with the guys we have. 

*Tyler Kepner writes about the promise of Charlie Morton. Morton likes his chances:
The whole team is strong. I just don't see how we're not set up to win. Just got to stay healthy, that's the biggest thing. 

*Derek Fisher is happy to be in Fresno, and Fresno is happy to have him. Manager Tony DeFrancesco:
He's playing with confidence. He's more selective than when he got here last year but real aggressive. It looks like he really has a good idea what he's doing at the plate. 

*Ken Rosenthal says the Astros are one of the teams after 19-year old Cuban outfielder Luis Robert, though they have already exceeded their international bonus pool limit.

*The flu is ravaging the Red Sox clubhouse like it's 1918.

Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/sports/mlb/fresno-grizzlies/article143541954.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/sports/mlb/fresno-grizzlies/article143541954.html#storylink=cpy

On the Farm

Fresno scored the final three runs of the game, including a walkoff by Reid Brignac (who also drew three walks) to beat Reno 5-4. Tony Kemp and Tyler White had two hits each. Brian Holmes threw 5.1IP, 4H/3ER, 4K:2BB while Reymin Guduan, Jordan Jankowski, and James Hoyt held Reno hitless over the final 2.2IP.

Corpus dominated Arkansas with a 6-1 win behind lots of Arkansas batters swinging at the ball and missing said object. Jon Singleton was 3x3 with a homer, walk and 3RBI; SP Dean Deetz struck out eight in 5IP. Deetz now has 25K:4BB in 17IP this season.

Buies Creek improved to 3-0 with a 9-4 win over Winston-Salem. 2B Ryne Birk went 1x2 with a triple, sac fly, walk, stolen base, and 4RBI. Kyle Tucker hit his first homer of the season. "Relief Pitchers" Sebastian Kessay and Nick Hernandez combined for 5.2IP, 1H/0ER, 7K:3BB. Catcher Anthony Hermelyn was 2x4 with 2RBI and a pickoff at 3B.

Quad Cities had a 2-0 lead heading into the 7th and managed to lose 3-2. Starter Brett Adcock went 4.2IP, 2H/0ER, 8K:2BB. Spencer Johnson had three of the River Bandits' seven hits. Daz Cameron was 0x3 and has started his season 1x10.

11-316: Dean Deetz

With the first pick of the 11th Round of the 2014 MLB Draft (316th overall) the Astros select RHP Dean Deetz out of Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.

Deetz is a 6'1" 190lb redshirt freshman who missed the entire 2013 season after high school due to Tommy John surgery. MLB.com ranked him #140 in their Top 200 draft prospects list. This season he went 4-1 with a 2.83 ERA in 12 appearances (7 starts), with 56:30 K:BB in 41.1 IP.

MLB.com:
...he has better breaking stuff and a chance to make it as a starter.Deetz showed an 89-90 mph fastball and a promising slider in the fall, and his velocity has exploded this spring. He has worked at 92-94 mph and peaked at 98, and his slider has climbed into the mid-80s. He also throws an effective curveball, but his changeup will need a lot of work. Deetz has an exceptionally quick arm but is still learning to harness it. He has trouble throwing strikes and locating his pitches on a consistent basis. He's a good athlete who was a star running back at Nixa (Mo.) High, so there's hope he'll be able to figure it out.