Regarding the future Spring Training home: <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Astros owner Jim Crane says team has meeting with Palm Beach Co. officials on Thursday to be presented with three spring sites.</p>— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) <a href="https://twitter.com/brianmctaggart/statuses/440907953131225088">March 4, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Crane maintains team would like to be in Palm Beach County, but Kissimmee and Arizona are still options.</p>— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) <a href="https://twitter.com/brianmctaggart/statuses/440908251505631232">March 4, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Crane said he doesn’t think the Blue Jays are entirely out yet. That differs from what Palm Beach County has said.</p>— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) <a href="https://twitter.com/EvanDrellich/statuses/440910626740006912">March 4, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Crane says Kissimmee is still a possibility for Astros spring training w/upgrades. Arizona as well. " All the doors are open"</p>— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) <a href="https://twitter.com/EvanDrellich/statuses/440912035011125249">March 4, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Latest on Astros' spring training search from owner Jim Crane: <a href="http://t.co/Cts8ZtSfSX">http://t.co/Cts8ZtSfSX</a></p>— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) <a href="https://twitter.com/EvanDrellich/statuses/440919058137886720">March 4, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
I hope Singleton keeps his act together, but someone that had that much problem with a drug that is generally considered to be less addictive than many, I am pretty concerned that he is going at it without any ongoing treatment or support. My gut says he is pretty likely to relapse again.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Dexter Fowler has been scratched from lineup and replaced by Delino DeShields Jr. No reason why he was scratched yet.</p>— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) <a href="https://twitter.com/brianmctaggart/statuses/441268692832112641">March 5, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>It is a stiff neck for Dexter Fowler. “Precautionary measure,” Astros say</p>— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) <a href="https://twitter.com/EvanDrellich/statuses/441269797162979328">March 5, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/keith-law/post?id=1962 KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- A few scouting notes from Wednesday's Detroit Tigers-Houston Astros Grapefruit League matchup, which featured a number of my top 100 prospects. • The standout prospect for Houston was Mike Foltynewicz -- my No. 70 prospect -- who hit 99 mph several times in his first inning of work and was 94-99 over the two innings, pairing his fastball with a 78-83 mph curveball that ranged from just below average to plus. Foltynewicz has the two pitches and size to start, clearly, but he was altering his arm slot pitch by pitch, dropping down for most of his fastballs, resulting in something akin to a flat two-seamer, lifting his slot to three-quarters so he can get on top of the breaking ball. While both pitches grade out fairly well individually -- the fastball something more than OK -- major league starters don't vary their arm slot by pitch type, and Foltynewicz is going to have to find a consistent slot so he can remain in the rotation. • George Springer, whom I ranked as MLB's No. 19 prospect -- had several good at-bats, getting caught looking once by Max Scherzer on a tough slider down and in under his hands, then taking two very tough pitches to start his next at-bat before hitting a fastball to the right-field wall for a deep fly out. He did misplay one fairly routine fly out to right, although I don't think there's any cause for concern with his defense. He's ready for a major league job once the Astros decide they want to call him up. • Carlos Correa, the first overall pick in the 2012 draft (and my No. 4 prospect), hit a ball hard in his first at-bat but flew out to center, then was caught looking on a 2-2 fastball middle-in from a lefty -- a tough pitch, especially for a kid who hasn't reached high A yet. He made two good rangy plays at short, reaching balls that most shortstops wouldn't get to, but couldn't complete either play by getting a throw off to first. I still believe he's going to end up at third base, but this kind of lateral range at third base would make him a plus defender. • Jonathan Singleton (No. 78) made headlines earlier this week with a candid interview in which he admitted that he's a recovering addict, with an addiction to mar1juana and associated abuse of alcohol. (Contrary to popular myth, mar1juana users can develop dependency and even physical addiction, although it's less common than addiction to nicotine or alcohol.) Singleton struck out and walked in his two plate appearances, but the one positive is that his body looked good, better than it did in the second half of last year when, we now know, he was still dealing with his substance abuse problems. • Delino DeShields Jr. (No. 80), really needs to run out a ground ball every now and then -- and maybe try to slim down, as he's looking more like the running back he was supposed to be (he was committed to LSU for football and baseball) and less like a guy who can play in the middle of the field. On the bright side, however, his swing is still short and quick and I think he'll make plenty of hard contact. • Houston right-hander Anthony Bass, acquired from San Diego for a nonprospect reliever in December, was 92-95 with a hard slider at 85-88, getting on top of the ball well from a high three-quarters slot. Bass' problem in San Diego, other than being miscast as a starter, was that the slider was the only pitch he could miss bats with, as the fastball was straight and his changeup, which I didn't see Wednesday, was useless. He's a decent candidate for a splitter, though, given his slot and release point, which would make him at least a good full-inning reliever. • The only note I'd offer on the Detroit side was on Nick Castellanos (prospect No. 32), who looked good at the plate, as always, but was a little rough at third base, clanking one routine play to his left. I bring this up only because it's the Tigers' one potential flaw at this point -- they retooled their infield and should be better defensively all around, but Castellanos hasn't played third since mid-2012 and was a work in progress at the position before the switch. I still think he'll get close to average given enough time, but the Tigers are built to win now and I don't know how long they'll be willing to let him learn on the job. • Full disclosure: I had to leave this game after seven innings to go see high school shortstop Nick Gordon, the son of Tom "Flash" Gordon and a probable top-15 pick in this June's draft. I'll have a report on him and some other draft notes over the weekend.
I don't understand the Folty arm slot thing. Is the writer saying that changing his arm slot is bad mechanics and will result in injuries down the line? Because if he can still hit his spots throwing from different arm slots I would think that would be a plus, since it would make it harder for batters to pick up the ball out of his hands if they weren't sure which angle it is coming from initially.
This. Changing arm slots generally tip a major league hitter to your off speed stuff. Pitchers get away with it in the minors, but big league guys will punish pitchers who can't conceal their pitches.
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That was Carlos Correa during a B-squad game, which is currently ongoing. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Feldman in the mound as B game against Mets starts on back field as rain begins to fall</p>— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) <a href="https://twitter.com/brianmctaggart/statuses/441590405025783808">March 6, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>B game starts like this: DeShields singles, steals second and Correa rockets RBI double to right and scores on Wallace single.</p>— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) <a href="https://twitter.com/brianmctaggart/statuses/441593048112582658">March 6, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Carlos Correa hits a double to score DeShields in the first inning of today's "B" game against the Mets <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23astros&src=hash">#astros</a> <a href="http://t.co/IlE4AjcspY">pic.twitter.com/IlE4AjcspY</a></p>— Houston Astros (@astros) <a href="https://twitter.com/astros/statuses/441592786249596928">March 6, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Another hit for Correa in the B game. Single scores Gregorio Petit. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23astros&src=hash">#astros</a></p>— Houston Astros (@astros) <a href="https://twitter.com/astros/statuses/441597844995444736">March 6, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Good to see Correa's ability to hit with runners on base/in scoring position doesn't seem to have changed.
Would've been playing the Mets. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Game canceled. Rainout!</p>— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) <a href="https://twitter.com/EvanDrellich/statuses/441631695394340864">March 6, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Unless they learn to throw multiple pitches from the same angle. There are successful major leaguers that change arm slots.
I guess that was what confused me. I read the article as stating that he would throw his fastball from multiple arm slots. To me, that's a positive thing if he can still locate it.
