*A.J. Hinch won't decide on an Opening Day roster until Thursday or Friday, still weighing taking 13 pitchers/12 position players or vice versa to New York. Hinch:
We're just trying to take the best team to Houston that we can to break camp, and obviously things can change in the month of April. We're hoping to get healthier. Performance always matters. We're likely to use 35-40 players.
That number - 35 to 40 - seems, uh, high.
*Hinch is planning on giving the Astros the day off on Tuesday, throwing Keuchel on Wednesday to line him up for his Opening Day start on Monday. Dan Straily and Wandy Rodriguez are fighting over the final bullpen spot.
*Despite "splitting" the Mexico City Series with the Padres (the Astros lost 21-6 after Brady Rodgers gave up eight runs in the 1st and relief pitcher Cy Sneed fell down and hurt himself during his warmups), Astros players bought in to the trip.
*Judging from the reaction, Mexico is ready for its next wave of MLB talent.
*Correa and Altuve, unsurprisingly, were the stars of the Mexico City trip.
*Luke Gregerson struck out three Tigers on nine pitches in Grapefruit League action. His goal for 2016? Get guys out.
*Vice Sports: The Astros Have Turned Data Into Winning Baseball
*Gerry Fraley: One good season can be a fluke, a repeat performance can prove something. Or this one by Fraley about the Ramgers/Astros rivalry
*Robinson Cano might be a monster this year.
*Struggling in his first Major League Spring Training, the Orioles might be trying to send Hyun Soo Kim back to Korea.
*Straight Out of Tokyo: Tony Barnette's Long Road to the Majors.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
