Welcome to the Launch Briefing, a daily feature, where you will find a roundup of news and interesting stories from the Astros clubhouse and from around the league.
Discuss and share in the comments!
It’s the Monday Launch!
Houston Astros News
Pena nearing return before All-Star break (HC)
Meyers and Loperfido near return (FLM)
Astros re-sign Roa (TR)
AL West News
A’s call up Serven (YS)
A’s outright Hartlieb (NBC)
Rangers set a world record (AP)
M’s promote Montes (NW)
MLB News
Woodruff placed on IL (ESPN)
Reds activate Greene (TR)
Cubs sign Woodford (ESPN)
Houston Astros birthdays
IF Germán Rivera (67)
OF Preston Tucker (36)
Feature photo from Astros on X, Source Link
Thinking of the Astros fiasco signing Imai and trading for Burrows. How about those Tigers?
Verlander 3.2 IP, 12.27 ERA, $13Mx1.
Valdez 100 IP, 4.29 ERA, $38.33×3
Verlander, Jansen, Framber… all they need to do is trade for a time machine and the World Series is theirs.
That Verlander pick-up was almost us. We were gunning for him in the offseason. Dodged a bullet
Hopefully, the Tigers will get their money’s worth if Verlander enters the Hall of Fame with the Tigers cap.
the rangers world record is for largest beer: a 600 gallon Bud light. if a 24 ounce bud light is $12.99 (that’s what google says), that’s a $41,568 beer.
Equivalent to 6400 12 ounce cans, and just about what Wade Boggs drank on that one flight, depending on who’s telling the story.
Bud Light? I thought you said largest beer.
It’s Arlington. 🤷♂️
Wesneski is going to be interesting. I wonder if we pull a Javier and let him pitch in relief, should we trade a couple of expiring bullpen arms and have a roster crunch. Then build him up again in the offseason to start.
That would make sense. As I recall, over his career, Wesneski’s numbers are better as a reliever.
blanco and wesneski are both comign back from TJ. I wonder if working out of the pen initially might be the best option anyways to help rebuild their arm strength and whatnot.
Astros re-signed Roa, who had been DFA a couple of months ago and then went on a worldwind tour of baseball via DFAs. I always liked Roa’s stuff (I suspect other teams saw the same thing–that’s why three different teams picked him up since he left Houston). Unfortunately, control has been a weakness.