So David Price just got a 7yr/$217m deal. Dallas Keuchel looks on from a leather chair and strokes his beard, knowingly...
*Tonight is the tender deadline, meaning that the Astros have until tonight to offer contracts to pre-arbitration and arbitration-eligible players for 2016, or to simply let them walk. Everyone who fits this set is expected back, but there is a question about Chris Carter, writes Evan Drellich. MLBTR predicts that Carter will receive $5.6m in arbitration.
*...But it won't be to Baltimore, who just traded for Seattle's Mark Trumbo.
*The Astros and Padres are planning exhibition games in Mexico City this spring.
*The Astros are expected to hire Alan Zinter's replacement soon.
*So I guess we can go ahead and assume the Astros will rejoin forces with Round Rock soon, as someone other than Jim Crane bought a 50% stake in the New Orleans Zephyrs. As early as 2013 it was rumored that Crane wanted to buy the team and move them to Montgomery County, and that interest was later confirmed. So now this news is most notable because the new Zephyrs owner seems intent on taking the team to Cuba, which is way cooler.
*I saw some light mockery of this on the Twotter yesterday, so take it for what it's worth, but FanGraphs released their Top 100 Prospects Projections (KATOH) list for 2016. There are five Astros on the list, and they are...
#21: A.J. Reed
#50: Alex Bregman
#51: Tyler Heineman
#72: Francis Martes
#76: Tyler White
*The Dodgers had to pay $44m in luxury tax.
*Here's a fascinating read from Vice Sports about the Mexican League ending their unwritten practice of blacklisting players who move to the United States before joining a Mexican League team.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
