Saturday Evening Hot Links

There's another one of those intrasquad thingies tonight.

*Check out Chandler Rome's 60 Things To Watch in 2020 piece. It looks cool but, even though I subscribe to the Chronicle - and the website tells me my subscription is active - it wouldn't actually let me read it. Great service.

*Brian McTaggart: Kyle Tucker stands to benefit the most from Yordan's absence. Click that link to see the piecemeal bullpen the Astros are trying to put together for 2020.

*McTaggart also projected the Opening Day roster.

*MLB.com's Mark Feinsand has one trade candidate for all 30 MLB teams and buddy the Astros one is a shocker.

*The Astros have one of the easiest early schedules in MLB.

*Kiley McDaniel mentions Bryan Abreu and Forrest Whitley as intriguing possibilities, but lists Abraham Toro as the most-likely Astros prospect to have a big impact.

*The Athletic: The Astros are deploying a First Amendment-ish strategy in their defense of sign-stealing lawsuits.

*Daniel Bard came back from the yips.

*Canada won't let the Blue Jays play in Toronto in 2020.

*ESPN: Streaks and records that will get cut short by a 60-game season. One note:
The Astros have won at least 100 games in each of the past three seasons. Houston was seeking to become the first team in history with four straight 100-win regular seasons. That's not going to happen...Including the postseason, the Astros won 336 games over the past three seasons, the most by a team in any three-season span in MLB history.

The 2009-2013 Astros won 312 games, 24 fewer wins in six seasons than in the last three seasons. That's nuts. Mike Fiers can go to hell.

*Brentford had won eight straight games. After yesterday's shock West Brom loss to Huddersfield, Brentford lost to Stoke this morning, confirming Leeds United as Champions of the Championship (not as impressive as it sounds, but still...it's wonderful.)

*A Musical Selection:





It can happen here. It is happening here, and all that needs to continue for it to happen here is silence.