12:13 PM EDT, Thu March 28, 2024
The Crawfish Boxes Mar 25, 2024
Astros Announce Minor League Rosters For 2024 Season

Astros Announce Minor League Rosters For 2024 Season

JUPITER, FL - MARCH 17: Rhett Kouba #44, A.J. Blubaugh #45, and Spencer Arrighetti #14 of the Houston Astros sit in the dugout prior to the 2024 Spring Breakout Game between the Houston Astros and the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Deam Chevrolet Stadium on Sunday, March 17, 2024 in Jupiter, Florida. | Photo by Scott Audette/MLB Photos via See where some of the top prospects are starting the season. On Sunday, the Astros officially announced the minor league rosters for all four full-season affiliates. This is always one of my favorite times of the year. Below are the...
The Crawfish Boxes Mar 25, 2024
Astros Crawfish Boil: March 25, 2024

Astros Crawfish Boil: March 25, 2024

Pedro Leon | Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports Houston visits the Space Cowboys at Constellation Field. Welcome to the Astros Crawfish Boil. It’s Opening Week! Houston Astros News Joey Loperfido not on Astros’ Opening Day roster Astros send spring standout Joey Loperfido to Triple A: ‘It just wasn’t my time right now’ (The Athletic) Houston Astros: Jake Meyers OK after being hit by pitch (Houston Chronicle) Houston Astros: This lineup’s secret? It can hit the hard stuff (Houston Chronicle) AL preview: Astros favored over defending champion Texas Rangers to win...
The Crawfish Boxes Mar 24, 2024
Spring Training Game Thread. March 24, 2024, 11:05 CT. Astros @ Cardinals.

Spring Training Game Thread. March 24, 2024, 11:05 CT. Astros @ Cardinals.

Photo by Rich Storry/ Hunter Brown gets his last start before Opening Day
The Crawfish Boxes Mar 23, 2024
Spring Training Game Thread Saturday March 23

Spring Training Game Thread Saturday March 23

Spring Training. | Photo by Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle via Astros vs. Mets Cristian Javier pitching today!
The Crawfish Boxes Mar 22, 2024
Astros Crawfish Boil: March 22, 2024

Astros Crawfish Boil: March 22, 2024

Jake Bloss | Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Houston Astros Crawfish Boil: A Love Story Houston Astros News How dominant can the Astros’ bullpen be? We asked the experts How MLB’s new facial authentication Go-Ahead Entry works at Astros’ Minute Maid Park Houston Astros buzzsaw through Cardinals’ lineup as a few stalwarts search for timing Astros reliever Oliver Ortega undergoes right elbow surgery Here’s your all-inclusive guide to Houston Astros Opening Day (SportsMap) Q&A: Astros’ Lance McCullers Jr. on MLBPA power struggle, Tony Clark’s...
The Crawfish Boxes Mar 21, 2024
Spring Training Game Thread March 21, 2024, 12:05 CT. Astros @ Cardinals

Spring Training Game Thread March 21, 2024, 12:05 CT. Astros @ Cardinals

Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports J.P. France gets another warmup before the season starts
The Crawfish Boxes Mar 21, 2024
Astros Crawfish Boil: March 21, 2024

Astros Crawfish Boil: March 21, 2024

Jacob Melton | Photo by Scott Audette/MLB Photos via With less than a week until Opening Day, Houston’s 26-man roster is coming into sharper focus. Houston Astros News This is March: Astros players give NCAA tournament predictions Blake Snell’s contract details make it crystal clear why the Astros said pass (FanSided) José Urquidy encouraged by MRI on elbow How dynastic history shapes the Houston Astros 2024 trajectory (SportsMap Houston) Houston Astros fans can have their faces scanned to enter Minute Maid Park (Houston Public Media) AL West News A’s: A’s...
The Crawfish Boxes Mar 20, 2024
Updated Prospect Rankings: A Comparison

Updated Prospect Rankings: A Comparison

Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports In early 2024 mlb.com, espn, and The Athletic all published their rankings of top Astro prospects. Fangraphs has been getting around to the Astros in the June/July range and Baseball America hides their rankings behind a very tall wall, but a few general observations can be made on the aforementioned three rankings. Although the folks at mlb.com don’t get much credit for their prospects analysis, they have clearly upped their game, and they now provide pretty nice analysis on the players they deem the top 30 prospects in each system....
The Crawfish Boxes Mar 20, 2024
Astros Top Three Outfield Prospects For 2024

Astros Top Three Outfield Prospects For 2024

Feb 26, 2024; Lakeland, Florida, USA; Houston Astros designated hitter Jacob Melton (76) bats during the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters | Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports Check out the top outfield prospects in the system. As we inch closer to the 2024 season, I am going to give top three prospects at each position. This will be based on where they currently play and also where they may end up. This will culminate with my newly updated top 30 prospects before the season starts. This week, we...
The Crawfish Boxes Mar 20, 2024
Astros Crawfish Boil: March 20, 2024

Astros Crawfish Boil: March 20, 2024

Jacob Melton | Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via For two teams, baseball is back. Houston Astros News Steal or no steal? How Altuve will decide when to pick spots Urquidy avoids worst, to resume throwing in 10-15 days Yankees-Astros Opening Day starting pitchers: Cortes vs. Valdez Injuries & Moves: Cabbage, Hensley among roster cuts Meet Joey Loperfido, the Astros prospect who rakes & cooks (Beaumont Enterprise) Brown: Astros “Not Actively” Pursuing Starting Pitching (MLBTR) After missing out on Blake Snell, will the Astros pivot? (The Athletic AL West...
The Crawfish Boxes Mar 19, 2024
Spring Training Game Thread. March 19, 2024, 5:05 CT. Marlins @ Astros

Spring Training Game Thread. March 19, 2024, 5:05 CT. Marlins @ Astros

Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports Brandon Bielak hones his skills for an important role on the 2024 Astros Brandon Bielak gets his second start of the 2024 Spring season. Of course, with Jose Urquidy's latest injury leaving the Astros' rotation paper thin, Bielak suddenly becomes an important part of the Astros' pitching equation. From early returns, hopefully not too important. So far this Spring, in 7.1 IP, Bielak has a 7.36 ERA, a 1.64 WHIP, and a .276 BAA. Unfortunately, those numbers don’t seem unrealistic as long-term projections. Today, Bielak hopes to show otherwise...
The Crawfish Boxes Mar 19, 2024
Astros Starting Pitcher Depth

Astros Starting Pitcher Depth

Houston Astros Starting Pitcher J.P. France Talks with Pitching Coach Josh Miller during his 2023 debut. | Photo by Steph Chambers/ Do the Astros have enough starting pitching? Amid injuries in the rotation and rumors that the Astros were pursuing free agent pitcher Blake Snell, the status of the Astros’ starting pitcher depth is a popular conversation topic. Reportedly, Snell agreed to sign a 2 year contract with the Giants last night. At this point, we don’t know if the Astros are pursuing any of the remaining free agent starting pitchers, (such as Jordan...
The Crawfish Boxes Mar 19, 2024
Astros Crawfish Boil: March 19, 2024

Astros Crawfish Boil: March 19, 2024

Brice Matthews | Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via The Snell watch is over. Houston Astros News With Urquidy sidelined, here’s the Astros’ potential starting rotation Houston Astros infielder Grae Kessinger strains hamstring (Houston Chronicle) How latest reports abruptly shift Houston Astros rotation x-factors (SportsMap Houston) Budweiser has limited edition Houston Astros cans, 15 other teams (KHOU) As Astros’ rotation depth dwindles, Hunter Brown has ‘to take a step forward’ (The Athletic) Astros 2024: Revisiting “THE QUESTION” AL West...
The Crawfish Boxes Mar 18, 2024
Astros Spring Training Week in Review.

Astros Spring Training Week in Review.

Houston Astros outfielder Joey Loperfido (83) hits a single against the St. Louis Cardinals | Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports How are things shaping up? The Astros’ record is 10-13 going into the second of Monday’s Spring Training games. They were 2-6 for the week, but the situation isn’t as bleak as that sounds. First, the really bad news. Yet another pitcher is down. Jose Urquidy is out indefinitely with a forearm strain. That means, among potential Astros starters, Justin Verlander, Lance McCullers Jr., Luis Garcia, and now Urquidy will not be pitching when the...
The Crawfish Boxes Mar 18, 2024
A Time To Lament?

A Time To Lament?

Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Pitching depth was tested last season and it appears 2024 will feature more of the same, at least to start the new campaign. Remember when Dusty Baker lamented the lack of starting depth last season? Yeah, I think he would lament this year’s development, too. I certainly do. With José Urquidy now out for an indefinite amount of time, the Astros are already pushing against the precipice of last season’s conundrum: A lack of depth in starting pitchers. To be clear, it is possible to envision a situation when Dana Brown and Joe...

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