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We are now one week closer to Houston Astros pitchers and catchers reporting to Florida.
Nothing much has been going in baseball over the past week or so. And the same can be said about the Houston Astros. There have been a few rumors making the rounds (Tyler Clippard, Jonathan Lucroy), but the Hot Stove has cooled off considerably for the first time in weeks.
MLB Network released their annual rankings for the top ten players at each position with Jose Altuve being listed as the top second baseman and Ken Giles rated as the seventh-best reliever heading into the 2016 season. Needless to say, that both players deserve their rankings based on their production the past two seasons. And don’t forget the recent prospect rankings, which were discussed on Talking Stros with Baseball America’s J.J. Cooper during last week’s show.
Astros manager A.J. Hinch held his annual Q&A session for season ticket holders at Minute Maid late last week, and some interesting quotes were coming from the team’s skipper. The budding rivalry with the Texas Rangers, the addition of Giles, and the position battles heading into Spring Training were all key talking points. Needless to say, he said some interesting things that should excite Astros fans for the present and future. And talking about the future, have you ever wonder what the team in two years would look like? Well, our newest writer, Alexa Elliff, has you covered in her first post with Climbing Tal’s Hill.
More from Climbing Tal's Hill
- Just how much better is the Houston Astros playoff rotation than the rest?
- Houston Astros: A Lineup Change to Spark Offense
- Astros prospect Hunter Brown throws 6 shutout innings in debut
- Always faithful Astros World Series champion Josh Reddick defends the title
- Michael Conforto declines Astros’ 2-year, $30 million offer
Then there are the arbitration hearings of Jason Castro and Evan Gattis. Castro’s case is expected to be resolved today after his hearing was held yesterday with Gattis’ taking place soon. The difference regarding dollars appears to be small, so it appears to be unusual that an arbitration case is taking place.
Not a lot of news, but don’t despair Astros fans! After all, spring training is just around the corner.
Houston Astros News and Notes From Around Fansided
Houston Astros: Jose Altuve Rated as #1 Second Baseman
"The Houston Astros can now boast that Jose Altuve is the best second baseman in baseball."
Houston Astros: A Peek Inside STH’s Town Hall With A.J. Hinch
"Houston Astros’ Manager A.J. Hinch Talks to Season Ticket Holders."
Astros Roster: Predicting the Astros 2018 Squad
"A look at the possible 2018 Astros roster."
Astros Prospects: Talking Stros w/ JJ Cooper, Defends Martes over Bregman
"Chatting About Astros Prospects with JJ Cooper of Baseball America."
Houston Astros’ Fans Talk Prospects, But Don’t Forget About Jose Altuve
"It’s a fun time to talk about which top prospects will be up with the Houston Astros, but please don’t forget about the player that the Astros already have in Jose Altuve!"
Astros: Ken Giles Ranked 7th Best Reliever by MLB Network
"Ken Giles, the newest Astros reliever, may only have 115.2 innings pitched at the major league level on his resume."
More Houston Astros News and Notes From Around the Internet
Astros have 3 eyeing rebound ’16 seasons
Houston Astros: Projecting the Infield
Astros, Jason Castro await arbitration ruling
Next: Houston Astros: Talking Stros with the Real Matt Duffy (Interview)
Stay tuned with Climbing Tal’s Hill for the latest Houston Astros news and analysis!