Tuesday Morning Hot Links

Alright, some things happened. Let's talk about them:

The Astros hired 42-year old Yale- and Baseball Prospectus-grad James Click to be their general manager. Click was the Rays' VP of Baseball Operations. He's the 15th General Manager in Astros history - actually maybe he's considered the 12th general manager in Astros history since Tal Smith served as GM on three separate occasions (1965-67, 1975-80, 2007). Click apparently signed a multi-year contract. Click will be introduced in a press conference at 10:30am on Tuesday.

Click:
I am excited to join the Astros family. The Astros are a progressive and innovative organization with a deeply talented group in the front office. I am grateful to Jim Crane and the Astros for giving me this opportunity to help lead this team to more championships. 

Crane:
James has had an impressive career. He is a respected leader who has progressed in this game across all aspects of Baseball Operations and he has built great relationships with both front office and clubhouse personnel.

You can read this Tampa Bay Times article from January 29 regarding Click. Marc Topkin:
Click...joined the Rays in 2005 as an intern to help build a database for new baseball operations chief Andrew Friedman. Click got hired full time in 2006, and the Yale history major has worked his way up to vice president of baseball operations. He has had a hand in all facets of the operation, including systems, research and development, logistics, player evaluation, contract negotiations and more.

Listen to Mark Feinsand's interview with then-Rays executive Click on his podcast.

Keith Law approves of the Click hire.

Click is basically the Outside-Hire That Feels Like It's An Internal Promotion GM hire. You couldn't draw up a better story for a GM that would fit the Astros' current MO more than Click. It's a fresh start, but it feels like a continuation.

Click may have to hire a new manager here in about 11 months.

*ESPN's David Schoenfield: One stat that will determine each team's 2020. For the Astros: 500 - the number of innings pitched by 2019 Astros pitchers who are not returning to the team in 2020.

*Check John Sickels' Top 100 Prospects:
Forrest Whitley (32)
Cristian Javier (69)
Abraham Toro (78)

Bryan Abreu, Korey Lee, and Freudis Nova all ranked "In The Picture."

*Buster Olney wrote himself a column saying that Other MLB Players would like the Astros Players to be Sorry Harder.

Plot Twist: There is no level of contrition the Astros could possibly show before the start of the regular season that will suffice. There's nothing that will satiate the bloodlust. MLB has their villain, it's the Astros, and nothing will change that. It's how it is now. Alex Bregman could come out in an alternate uni of sackcloth & ashes and get on his knees and beg the media for forgiveness, and the goalposts will move.

*SI's Matt Martell: Ten Questions for the Unofficial Start of Baseball Season. #9 is "How Good Will The Astros Be?"

*Tony Fernandez is fighting for his life.

*The Hardball Times' Chris Bouton: To Forgive Is Baseball.

*Three New(ish) nature documentaries you need to watch.

*Vice: Inside Skinwalker Ranch, A Paranormal Hotbed Of UFO Research.

*California Sunday: The Mysterious Lawyer X.

*A Musical Selection: