Houston Astros preview: Does new division equal new direction?
Bud Norris gets the nod as the Houston Astros’ opening-day starter. (Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) The Houston Astros are preaching patience and development, but in reality, they are practicing austerity. As we saw in 2012, the Astros are a long way from fielding a competitive major-league team. From 1996 through 2008, the Astros made the playoffs More...
2013 top 50 MLB prospects countdown: 20-11
Boston Red Sox top prospect Xander Bogaerts lands at number 11. (Matthew West/Boston Herald) Among last year’s top prospects, several failed to emerge as adequate big-league players when their numbers were called. More...
2013 top 50 MLB prospects countdown: 30-21
Trevor Rosenthal comes in at number 25 on the top 50 MLB prospects countdown. (Chris Lee/St. Louis Post-Dispatch) As we continue our countdown of top MLB prospects , more household names will appear. Casual baseball More...
2013 top 50 MLB prospects countdown: 50-41
Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Yasiel Puig comes in at #41. (Gary A. Vasquez/US Presswire) Prospects come and go with the seasons. A prospect can be the next best thing one year and an utter disappointment the next. More...
Fantasy baseball sleeper: No respect for Chris Carter?
Fantasy owners can expect Chris Carter to carry a big stick for the Astros in 2013. (Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle) On February 4, the Houston Astros sent shortstop Jed Lowrie to the Oakland Athletics. Most fans More...
Need a fix? Here’s what’s happening in the winter leagues (AL West)
Seattle Mariners prospect Mike Zunino is on the fast track to the bigs. (Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) We’ll continue the trip around winter league baseball action with the AL West, which takes on a new look this More...
Cubs, Red Sox and Astros look forward to 2013 and beyond
Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro represent the future of the Chicago Cubs. (Jennifer Stewart/US Presswire) With the postseason within arm’s reach, many anticipate great match-ups. For the teams that miss More...
The Houston Astros are playing the “prospect bond” market
Houston Astros GM Jeff Luhnow is all smiles after stockpiling prospects during the trading deadline frenzy. (Bob Levey/Getty Images ) A bond is a debt instrument where you loan money upfront and are paid back either More...
2012 draft tracker: Astros draft strategy paying big dividends
Carlos Correa has picked up the pace after a slow start. (Mayra Beltran/Houston Chronicle) A lot of people were surprised when the Houston Astros selected high school shortstop Carlos Correa with the first overall More...
Daily MLB betting tips for July 26, 2012
Be sure to check back for Nate’s daily baseball betting tips. Since this is my first post, I should provide a bit of an introduction. I will keep it brief, because the only part of this post you will be interested More...
