Latest news and updates about the Astros
Hader is still throwing off flat ground as he recovers from a sprained shoulder capsule and biceps tendinitis. This is not worst case scenario, but the back of the Astros bullpen just took another step closer to it. Closer Josh Hader is still only throwing off flat ground, and is unlikely to be ready for […]
The Mets were bitten by the walk on Tuesday afternoon, and as a result had to settle for a 6-6 tie with the Astros at Clover Park. Each of the Mets’ ten pitchers issued a walk, and the team issued 13 walks in total on the afternoon—Houston walked just four. That, as Gary Cohen mentioned, […]
The Astros Don’t Have to Fix Backup Catcher First, But They Absolutely Have to Fix It Houston Astros fans have spent the first stretch of spring training circling the obvious needs. A left-handed bat in the outfield. Another dependable arm for the rotation. Speculation around Isaac Paredes and potential roster reshuffling. Those conversations are fair. They’re also missing something. The […]
Mets lineup SP: Jack Wenninger Astros lineup SP: Jason Alexander Broadcast info First pitch: 1:10 PM ESTTV: SNY
Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be rolling out a series of prospect previews for Spring Training. This week we look at one possibly one of the highest potential players in the system: Zach Cole Zach Cole was selected by the Astros in the 10th round of the 2022 draft after hitting .361 as […]
The New York Mets (2-1) defeated the Toronto Blue Jays (1-2) by a score of 4-3 today at TD Bank Park in Dunedin. The Mets play the Astros tomorrow at Clover Park at 1:10pm. The game will be broadcast on SNY.
This one is going to be a longer piece because I am adding some additional information. However, I think it is crucial information, so I hope everyone stays until the end. Officially, the Astros have three primary second basemen in camp. There might only be one on the final roster because Nick Allen can play […]
The Astros opened their spring training schedule with a 2-1 loss to the Nationals on Saturday afternoon in West Palm Beach. While no veterans were in action, Joe Espada’s lineup was littered with guys fighting to make the Opening Day roster, making the first half of the game somewhat interesting. Here are some notes and […]
Baseball is back, which means it is time for game threads. Here at Federal Baseball, we do game threads for every regular season game and will do some for Spring Training as well. It is a space for you guys to follow the games and comment your thoughts. Last year, we got hundreds of comments […]
Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be rolling out a series of prospect previews for Spring Training. This week we look at one of the top arms: AJ Blubaugh. Blubaugh was selected in the seventh round of the 2022 draft out of the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee after a solid, albeit limited, college career. In […]
Nothing can derail a season like a rash of injuries — just ask the 2025 Astros.No team used the injured list more. Yordan Alvarez was limited to 48 games, Isaac Paredes missed 60 games, and Jeremy Peña and Jake Meyers also were out significant time. On the mound, the Astros used 33 different pitchers (plus […]
Team could be looking at an infield logjam that could compromise their outfield depth. In the aftermath of Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reporting that the Astros could be looking at OF Michael Conforto as a left-handed hitting option in the outfield primarily because they are finding their trade options dwindling, it is impossible not to […]
In one of my first editions of the lab, I mentioned something I called “magical thinking.” I think the kids call it wishcasting but I’m not necessarily down on the lingo. The idea behind magical thinking is that the person practicing it thinks of the most positive result from a particular player or situation and […]
Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be rolling out a series of prospect previews for Spring Training. We begin with arguably the Astros’ top prospect in camp this year: Brice Matthews. Brice Matthews, a Houston native and Atascocita High School graduate, went on to play college baseball at Nebraska. After solid freshman and sophomore […]
It is John Mayberry’s 77th birthday. Mayberry was drafted in the 1st round (6th pick overall) in the 1967 amateur draft. The number 1 pick that year was Ron Blomberg by the Yankees, so the Astros could have done much worse. Only Ted Simmons and Bobby Grich, also first-round picks, had better careers than John […]
Opinion: Stop Trying to Trade Isaac Paredes. The Astros Need Him. There, I said it. I don’t want the Houston Astros to trade Isaac Paredes. And every time I hear another expert, another national analyst, or even another Astros fan casually toss his name into trade proposals like he’s some expendable spare part, it makes […]
Analysis is a tricky game and any good analyst should acknowledge as many factors as possible. We saw earlier that Dana Brown said the Astros were not done. So, any full analysis of the Jesus Sanchez for Joey Loperfido trade would have to include what the Astros do beyond that. Good analysis would also involve […]
There’s only one real way to make the current situation work, and that involves the Astros giving in to Yordan Alvarez’ desires. We have reached a point that seemed impossible to navigate all offseason. The Houston Astros have fully opened Spring Training and both Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker are still on the team. It […]
Was today’s trade a precursor to another one coming soon? Today the Astros traded OF Jesus Sanchez to the Toronto Blue Jays for a former Astros fan favorite – OF Joey Loperfido. Clearly the Astros were sour on Sanchez after he performed poorly both at the plate (.199 AVG with Houston) and in the field, […]
A familiar face is returning to the Astros as the Astros dealt outfielder Jesus Sanchez to the Toronto Blue Jays for Joey Loperfido. Loperfido will be a familiar face as he was an Astros farmhand and had a cup of coffee with the 2024 team before he was dealt at the deadline as a part […]
So this I didn’t expect. The Jays traded 26-year-old left-handed hitting, outfielder Joey Loperfido to the Astros for 28-year-old, left-handed hitting Jesús Sánchez. Sánchez has played six seasons in the MLB, 580 games, for the Marlins and, last year, the Astros, hitting .239/.307/.420 with 73 home runs. Last year, he hit .199/.269/.342 with 4 home […]
Baseball is back with pitchers and catchers reporting yesterday. With that, the Astros extended invites to some prospects that weren’t on the 40 man roster. Here are a few prospects to look out for during Spring Training. Joseph Sullivan Sullivan was the Astros 7th round pick in 2024 after a solid college career at South […]
In the last week, we talked about platoon splits for the various Astros position players, but platoon splits are only part of the equation. One of the more fascinating parts of sabermetrics is looking at how our conception of the game has changed over the years. If you watched the movie “Moneyball” you probably heard […]
Injury concerns for Josh Hader and Yainer Diaz highlight roster inadequacies. I want to preface this with the following statements: With that out of the way, I think we need to have a conversation about whether or not Dana Brown failed this offseason. Day 1 of pitchers and catchers did not cause this conversation, but […]
Spring Training Hope Comes With a Familiar Astros Fear This is the week baseball fans have been waiting for. Pitchers and catchers are reporting to spring training, and with that, the long offseason finally gives way to possibility. For Astros fans, it’s the chance to put last season firmly in the rearview mirror and focus […]