Just a quick bit of business about the Astros, as the Biz of Baseball has word on which players have filed for salary arbitration. Houston has two guys who filed, both for the first time in J.A. Happ and Jed Lowrie. Catcher Humberto Quintero could have been eligible, but agreed to a 1 year, $1 million deal last month.
Don't expect either of these guys to break the bank, but it'll be interesting to see what this new regime does with Happ. He's still got some upside, but is getting older and more expensive. Since he's spent quite a bit of time in the minors for a player about to get paid, I wonder if he reaches an agreement or just gets released before coming close to his hearing.
The other thing that will bear watching is how a new front office and ownership group handles arbitration. In the past, Houston hasn't shied away from going to hearings, since Tal Smith basically is the Godfather of these arbitration hearings. He always gave Houston an edge and the team did not lose many cases with him on the job. Something tells me he won't be receptive to help out this time around.
Does that mean Houston won't try and play hardball with these guys? That's what will be interesting to watch.
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