Latest news and updates about the Astros
By any measure, the Houston Astros are running out of easy ways to improve their roster. With the signing of Tatsuya Imai and the team operating near the Competitive Balance Tax, ownership has made it clear that more significant free-agent spending is off the table. That leaves one realistic path forward: trades. The problem? Moving […]
From The Crawfish Boxes | 27 days ago | 2 reads
For weeks, baseball insiders have been saying that the free agent market has been slow moving. However it only takes one big move to potentially jump start things, and we may have gotten that in the Chicago Cubs signing free agent 3B Alex Bregman to a 5 year, $175M deal. Where does that take us? […]
From The Crawfish Boxes | 27 days ago | 4 reads
Previous Winner Jacob Melton, OF25 | L/L | 6’3” | 208AAA (HOU) | .286/.389/.556 (141 wRC+) 150 PA, 6 HR, 12 SB, 14.7% BB, 20.0% KMLB (HOU) |.157/.234/.186 (22 wRC+) 78 PA, 0 HR, 7 SB, 7.7%BB, 37.2% K Brought over from Houston in the Brandon Lowe deal, Melton was the Astros top prospect and […]
From DRaysBay | 28 days ago | 3 reads
One of the things we want to do in the lab is to find as many different ways to explain what we are seeing as possible. The Houston Astros were 21st in the league in runs scored. They were 11th in team batting average. Therefore, something is going on that would limit their offensive production. […]
From The Crawfish Boxes | 28 days ago | 2 reads
Ever since he was drafted fifth overall by the Astros in 2015, Kyle Tucker has been a well-known name in baseball. By the time the three most prominent outlets put out their top 100 or 101 lists in the winter of 2015-2016, Tucker was a consensus top-100 prospect in the sport. And by the time […]
From Amazin' Avenue | about 1 month ago | 1 read
In the movie “Moneyball”, one of the scouts told younger Billy Beane that all of us are told one day that we can no longer play a children’s game. Some of us are told when we are children and some of us are told much later on, but we are all told. Father Time is […]
From The Crawfish Boxes | about 1 month ago | 2 reads
The Houston Astros will host the 14th annual Houston Winter Invitational at Daikin Park at the end of the month, from Jan. 30-Feb. 1. The tournament will feature six NCAA Division II universities, squaring off in nine games across the three days. Tickets for the tournament are now available for purchase at Astros.com/WinterInvitational. The tournament field features […]
From The Crawfish Boxes | about 1 month ago | 3 reads
Morning, all! The Rangers are monitoring things in Venezuela and offering assistance to their Venezuelan players after the capture of Nicolas Maduro. The team has announced some changes to what used to be called the Winter Caravan events. Former Ranger farmhand and 2018 draft pick Jax Biggers has signed with the Astros as a minor […]
From Lone Star Ball | about 1 month ago | 3 reads
The final review of the 2025 season will be looking at each position in the Astros farm system. Next up is the shortstop position. BEST OF THE BUNCH Caden Powell Powell was a 6th round pick back in 2024 out of junior college after posting some video game like numbers. He got off to a […]
From The Crawfish Boxes | about 1 month ago | 1 read
it is a new year and with new years come all kinds of possibilities. One of the fun parts when the calendar switches to 2026 is seeing what different projection systems have in store for your favorite team. I am a big believer in data. That is what the lab is all about. Few things […]
From The Crawfish Boxes | about 1 month ago | 3 reads
Results Starting with Game 2 of the 2004 ALDS and continuing through the 2020 Wild Card sweep by the Houston Astros, the Minnesota Twins lost 18 consecutive postseason contests—the longest such drought in North American professional sporting league history. The franchise had nearly become synonymous with the very concept of “playoff losing”. But then, 2023 […]
From Twinkie Town | about 1 month ago | 5 reads
There was a bit of a stir during the holiday week when Tatsuya Imai put pen to paper and agreed to a deal with the Houston Astros. The deal that he signed contained multiple opt-out clauses in it, one after each season to be exact. It’s interesting that the opt-outs exist since that type of […]
From The Good Phight | about 1 month ago | 2 reads
The Royals have been focused on trading their pitching depth for an outfielder, and could still use another bat despite adding Isaac Collins and Lane Thomas. One potential trade partner could be the Houston Astros, who are starved for starting pitching depth and have a surplus of outfielders. Earlier rumors focused on Jake Meyers, who […]
From Royals Review | about 1 month ago | 3 reads
Legitimate prospects out of Latin America sign for at least six-figure signing bonuses, and they do so when they are 16 years old. Anyone who signs for less or signs when they are older tends to be an afterthought. Framber Valdez signed with the Astros for $10,000 as a 21-year-old on March 18, 2015. He […]
From The Crawfish Boxes | about 1 month ago | 3 reads
All the news and rumors for the Astros and from around MLB – it’s in here! The second offseason Crawfish Boil of 2026! Here’s what’s happening: Translated from Japanese Tatsuya Imai, Astros’ New Jersey Number “45” Decided; 23 Pitchers Including Ace Cole and NPB Veterans Have Worn It in the Past; To Be Unveiled at […]
From The Crawfish Boxes | about 1 month ago | 4 reads
There’s almost always a cyclical nature to the MLB offseason. It typically begins with a flurry, especially now that Qualifying Offer decisions (and their $20+ million price tags) force the hands of teams within a week of the end of the World Series. Teams often try to get a jump on the offseason and put […]
From Red Reporter | about 1 month ago | 4 reads
Good morning, LSB. Not much of anything about the Rangers out there today but there is further info about their more active AL West cohorts. Fangraphs has a post about new Astros starter Tatsuya Imai and why he might be in Houston for a good time but not a long time. MLB dot com has […]
From Lone Star Ball | about 1 month ago | 5 reads
In something of a surprise move, the Astros added Tatsuya Imai to their rotation on a three year deal that includes a lot of opt-outs. A lot of these incentives are interesting in that they kind of indicate that maybe a lot of teams aren’t really sure he’ll translate to being a starter in MLB. […]
From The Good Phight | about 1 month ago | 2 reads
With Japanese pitcher Tatsuya Imai signing his deal with the Houston Astros, one of the two free agent plugs clogging up the offseason has been removed. The second and hopefully final move to make before the “free agent frenzy” can begin is Japanese infielder Kazuma Okamoto. His deadline to come to terms and sign a […]
From Gaslamp Ball | about 1 month ago | 2 reads
Obviously, things have changed considerably in the last 24 hours. The signing of Tatsuya Imai changes the pitching landscape considerably. So, one name that was included with the starters will now move to the bullpen. However, before we get there we need to take a step back and look at bases per out in some […]
From The Crawfish Boxes | about 1 month ago | 2 reads
Good morning, LSB. The Houston Astros have struck big in free agency with the signing of Japanese star pitcher Tatsuya Imai. MLB dot come makes a 2026 prediction for every team. And MLB Pipeline lists a breakout candidate from each team’s farm system. They picked someone other than Sebastian Walcott for the Rangers. That’s all […]
From Lone Star Ball | about 1 month ago | 1 read
I’ll admit I was still asleep when the word came down, that NPB ace Tatsuya Imai was signing with the Houston Astros for three years and $54 million guaranteed. Escalators exist on the deal that can give Imai another $3 million per, for a total possible AAV of $21 million — or some six million […]
From Pinstripe Alley | about 1 month ago | 4 reads
2026 began with an incredibly slow day on the news front. However, with a new year, it’s time to remember those who passed away in 2025 with our annual Braves in Memoriam. MLB News: Tatsuya Imai and the Houston Astros reportedly agreed to a three-year, $54M deal. The deal allows the right-hander to opt out […]
From Talking Chop | about 1 month ago | 1 read
Good morning, Camden Chatters. In the Orioles’ pursuit of a big-name starting pitcher, one major candidate just came off the board. Nippon Professional Baseball standout Tatsuya Imai reportedly will sign with the Houston Astros on a three-year, $54 million contract that includes opt-outs after every season. It’s one of the most surprising free agent deals […]
From Camden Chat | about 1 month ago | 2 reads
Happy New Year Astros fans! The Astros offseason has now officially started. It was close to 11 a.m. CT when Jeff Passan reported that the Houston Astros were signing Japanese star pitcher Tatsuya Imai. An offseason of bargain shopping and working margins in trades had just been set ablaze by Dana Brown (likely with Jim […]
From The Crawfish Boxes | about 1 month ago | 3 reads