Pretty slow weekend in AstroWorld. Here are some things that happened while you got ready for the Pro Bowl...
*The Masked Marvel posted the Depth Charts: Corner Infield edition.
*Jeff Luhnow said over the weekend that the Astros are "built to go the distance."
*Astros-related notes from the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo:
-The Astros may be interested in Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy, which would allow the Astros to play Castro some at 1B. Reminder that Brewers' GM David Stearns was Luhnow's assistant.
-Some teams were worried about Doug Fister's medicals, and thought the Astros could have gotten him on a minor-league deal.
*The Astros are one of seven teams who kept their closer (Luke Gregerson), and added another team's closer (Ken Giles).
*Scott Kazmir compared the non-World Series champion 2015 Astros to the non-World Series champion 2008 Rays.
*On the Royals, and spending:
The question: how can the Royals, owners of baseball's third-smallest market and worst local television contract, afford a payroll close to $130 million including two new $70 million contracts? The Answer: "We can't."
*Ken Rosenthal: The disconnect between fans and front offices
*Headline: Being a Mariners fan is difficult - but exciting.
*Are the Dodgers pricing themselves out of Los Angeles families' budgets?
*I guess Andruw Jones had not yet actually retired.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
