Monday Morning Hot Links

Sorry about yesterday's Hot Links, I just...didn't feel like doing it.

The Astros lost Sunday to the Mets, 3-1. Aledmys Diaz, Lorenzo Quintana, Alex De Goti, and Taylor Jones had doubles. Taylor Jones is legit. Justin Verlander left the game with sore triceps after 2IP, Cy Sneed threw 2IP, 2H/0ER, 0K:1BB, and Jose Urquidy had a rough one with 4IP, 6H/3ER, 3K:1BB.

The big news of the day was Verlander's sore triceps. He was scheduled to throw 4IP but left after 2IP. Verlander was not "available to the media." Dusty:
We got to take care of the big horse. Like I said, we sent him for precaution and observation, and hopefully it's not [worse]...We don't know if he is hurt. Like I said, it's precautionary. I was surprised his velocity was down a tick from the last time, but you know Verlander can dial it up when he gets ready. We didn't see anything. I was quite surprised when Strommy came over and told me he had to come out of the game. 

It's not ideal - Opening Day is less than three weeks away. Triceps Soreness cost Verlander two months on the IL (then DL) in 2015. Just gonna have to wait and see what the results show. Beyond the Box Score looked at Scott Kazmir's triceps injury back in 2014.

*Ryan Pressly is hoping to repeat his All-Star Performance from 2019, what with his reconstructed knee.

In that link we also find that Devenski's slider is coming back around, and that there's a new autograph policy in place for the Nationals and Astros based on recommendations from the CDC and MLB.

*This is fun: Joe Smith was asked questions about...Joe Smith. The level of detail that Smith remembers about games in which he has pitched is insane. I could not tell you what I wore yesterday.

*Hahahahaha here's a SUPER-CONCERNING ARTICLE about Forrest Whitley. Brent Strom:
Whitley was not ready to come into camp physically and compete for a position, for whatever reason, in my opinion. So we had to slow-walk him a little bit.

Whitley:
Impressing people right now isn't really what I'm trying to do. I'm just trying to get my work in, stay healthy and do everything I can to have a successful season.

This is the first official "Maybe don't get too excited about Forrest Whitley" article of 2020.

*The Oakland Athletics are ready to take on the Houston Astros for the 2020 season, according to Boob Nightengale. Something called a "Liam Hendriks:"
It's going to be very interesting to see how they handle the day-to-day lifestyle of everything. It's going to be a very long season for them. There are only two outcomes: either it overwhelms them, or they embrace it. I wouldn't want to be in their shoes. Just wait until they come to Oakland. We may not have the most fans in baseball, but we have the most passionate fans in baseball. They're going to be loud, they're going to be obnoxious. And they're going to be wearing guys out. They're going to have no recourse. If they start fighting back, it's going to snowball even more. 

*Yahoo's Tim Brown: For the Astros, forgiveness seems too far away.

This is the same Tim Brown who encouraged the Astros to go full heel, that the Astros didn't deserve to get to hire James Click to replace Jeff Luhnow, that the Astros were letting everyone else take the blame for 2017 (and part of 2018)

*Barry Bonds feels "like a ghost, a ghost in a big empty house, just rattling around."

*ESPN: The incredible history of the Silver Bullets.

*David J. Roth on The Infinite Scroll.

*BBC: The Spy With No Name.

*How to become an international gold smuggler.

*Alabama thinks Yoga is okay, but not them that there Yoga Words.

*Don't Panic: The Comprehensive Ars Technica Guide to the Coronavirus.

*Leeds United is 73% to win the Championship, and 98% to get promoted to the Premier League.

*A Musical Selection:

Greinke to Houston "makes sense" says Yahoo

Yahoo's Tim Brown breaks down the market for Kansas City pitcher Zack Greinke, and thinks the Astros are among a handful of teams that make sense.

The timing isn’t great for Moore: Greinke’s ERA in 2010 was 4.17 ERA, nearly double the season before. Yet, there’s no doubting Greinke’s stuff. He’s also smart and durable and seems to be wearying of the go-nowhere Royals. The low-key Greinke, because of the no-trade clause, has some say here. The Yankees and Red Sox are long shots, but not impossible. If Greinke wants to keep his market manageable, the Minnesota Twins, Tigers, Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers and Atlanta Braves make sense.

Eddie may not be done yet

Yahoo's Tim Brown just tweeted that the Astros may not be done dealing:

Toronto loved Gose from dealings with Phi over Halladay. Don't be surprised if Houston flips him to Jays.

#19, baby!

Yahoo's Tim Brown is reporting that Valverde has agreed to a deal with the Tigers. What is this deal?

2 years, $14 mil. Third year option for $9 mil.

So a $7 mil/year average, with an option that could push it to almost $8m/year over the life of the contract. Valverde got his multi-year deal, not as much as he would have received through arbitration, but more guaranteed money. Good for him. His agent may have just saved his job. But mainly, good for the Astros. It was a gamble that ultimately paid off.

We'll have two of the first 19 picks in the 2010 draft, and a supplemental pick between the 1st and 2nd Round (which McTaggart says will be #34).

Jim Bowden's reaction:
The Houston Astros best move this off-season? When the Tigers agreed with Valverde giving Houston the 19th overall pick in round 1 of draft

Valverde to Cardinals? It's a possibility...

Yahoo's Tim Brown reports that Valverde has offers from the Cardinals, Tigers, and "one other."

UPDATE: Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Cardinals are "not actively involved" in talks with Valverde. You know how often being passively involved results in big bucks...
-
However, the Detroit Free-Press says the Tigers have the biggest offer for Valverde's services.

Obviously it would be nice to get Valverde out of the National League, let alone the Central. And the Tigers hold the 19th overall pick, while the Cardinals hold the 24th overall pick. The Tigers have had an offer on the table for a few days, at least, and you get the idea that if it was a good deal, Valverde's agent would have taken it. Or perhaps Valverde's agent still figures that he has some bed-crapping yet to finish. But the fact that Valverde hasn't taken that deal yet means there's still some life for the Cardinals, and every hour that passes looks worse for the Tigers.

With the Holliday signing, the NL Central is the Cardinals' to lose in 2010, so them adding Valverde would only strengthen their likely grip on the division. But the Astros aren't going to do a whole lot, so regardless, we're getting an extra 1st round pick out of this. If I could pick, I would want Valverde in Detroit, but staying in the NL Central means that Valverde doesn't have to learn a new league.