Astros Ready To 'Take A Run' At Gerrit Cole

As the Astros begin free agency and a pursuit of pitcher Gerrit Cole, owner Jim Crane said on Monday it’s possible that the club could exceed the luxury tax threshold next year for the first time. The Astros’ estimated payroll next year, according to Baseball-Reference.com, will be about $208 million (the threshold for 2020). Teams that carry payrolls above the set amount are assessed a Competitive Balance Tax on each dollar above it.

Houston Official Site

Kolten Wong Wins 2019 Fielding Bible Award For Second Base

The 2019 Fielding Bible Awards were announced by Baseball Info Solutions on Thursday. The annual awards honor MLB's best defensive player at each position, as voted on by a panel of 12 experts.

St. Louis Official Site

Free Agent Riches Await Marcell Ozuna, Who Can Still Be Great In Last Stretch With Cardinals

The season before they were traded from the Marlins to the Cardinals and Brewers, respectively, Marcell Ozuna performed better than fellow outfielder Christian Yelich.

Sporting News

Gerrit Cole's Return A Smaher: 12K's, Seven Shutout Innings

The Astros had suffered a hard-to-swallow loss the night before, so no one was in the mood to answer for another one. Gerrit Cole did his part by dominating the Tigers for seven innings Thursday night, and Alex Bregman and Michael Brantley powered an offense that was missing in action 24 hours earlier.

Houston Official Site

Justin Verlander Goes Distance In Two-Hitter & Loses

Justin Verlander was just about perfect. Close enough to flirt with something special. Close enough to sense it was possible. This is what the Astros have come to expect from him.

Houston Official Site

Yuli Gurriel Piles Up Eight RBIs, Ties Astros Record

There were two runners on base when Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel came to the plate in the seventh winning Wednesday. Gurriel had already tied a franchise record by driving in eight runs and there wasn’t a person at Minute Maid Park that didn’t think he was about to break it.

Houston Official Site

Astros' Homers Help Zack Greinke Win Uneven Debut

Two of Zack Greinke’s biggest takeaways from his debut in an Astros were a result of his new team’s blistering offense: The locomotive above left field makes a lot of noise, and there’s a long wait between innings when he’s not pitching.

Houston Official Site

Cardinals, NL Central Mired In Mediocrity

The Cardinals are an even one hundred games into the season after taking the first two of a 4-game set against the Pirates, sport a 53-47 record, have leapfrogged the Brewers into second place by a game and a half, and now find themselves trailing the NL Central-leading Cubs by a mere game in the standings with the trade deadline looming on the near horizon.

KSDK

Gerrit Cole Racks Up 11 Strikeouts Vs. Angels

Gerrit Cole was tasked with playing stopper for the Astros on Wednesday night at Angel Stadium, and Houston’s offense provided him with ample backing to accomplish that.

Houston Official Site

Gerrit Cole's Final Pitch Was How Fast In Nine Strike Out Win?

On his 110th and final pitch of the night, Gerrit Cole hit 101.1 mph in striking out Jarrett Parker to complete seven scoreless innings. The Cole train was picking up steam on Saturday night at Minute Maid Park.

Houston Official Site

Justin Verlander Hit By Homer Bug In Loss To Angels

An All-Star for the eighth time, Justin Verlander is in the conversation for being named the American League starting pitcher at the All-Star Game presented by Mastercard next week.

Houston Official Site

Justin Verlander (12 K's) Masterful, Flirts With Third No-No

Sometimes, this is what you get with a Justin Verlander start. You get a flirtation with magic. You get dominance. You get something you might just remember.

Houston Official Site

Josh Reddick Racking Up Hits With Oppo Approach

After making a concerted effort during Spring Training to start hitting the ball to the opposite field, Astros outfielder Josh Reddick is doing it exceptionally well and has gotten off to a terrific start at the plate.

Houston Official Site

Sandy Alcantara's Start Shows Room For Improvement

With Sandy Alcantara, there is no questioning the quality of his pure stuff, or his power fastball. When the Marlins’ 23-year-old right-hander attacks the zone, he has the makings of a frontline starter.

Miami Official Site

What The Cardinals Did Right -- And Wrong -- This Offseason

I am so ready for this winter of discontent to be over, for the St. Louis Cardinals to pack their bags and head to spring training.

Cheap Seats

What If Bryce Harper Took A One-Year Deal?

This has gone on long enough—the offseason that just won’t end. It’s hard to believe players like Bryce Harper and Manny Machado are still unsigned, still waiting for those huge projected paydays. In the current free agency climate, with teams reluctant to hand out the big, long-term deal, maybe players like Harper should shift gears and consider taking a short-term deal with a contender.

Beyond The Boxscore

Astros Signed Michael Brantley For Two-Years/$32M

Jeff Passan Twitter

No Chance Andrew Miller Returns To Indians

The market for Miller has been called "robust' and there is no chance he'll return to the Indians. The market for Allen is still developing, but several teams have shown interest. It would be a surprise if he returned to the Indians, but the door may not be entirely shut.

Cleveland Plain Dealer

White Sox Have Checked In On Michael Brantley

Jayson Stark Twitter

Cardinals May Find Interest In Marwin Gonzalez Or Michael Brantley

Incarcerated Bob Twitter