Astros Crawfish Boil: March 24, 2023

Mar 24, 2023 - 1:00 PM

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Good morning and welcome to your Friday Boil.

Houston Astros News

Apple TV+ changes mean Astros fans will have to pay more to watch every game in 2023 (houstonchronicle.com)

Ranking the most fun Houston Astros players of all-time (chron.com)

4 former Astros Players We’re Glad Are No Longer With the Club (climbingtalshill.com)
I read it so you don't have to: Jake Odorizzi, Myles Straw, Pedro Báez, and Gerrit Cole.

How the Houston Astros stack up on ESPN’s top 100 players list (chron.com)

The Top 100 MLB players: Astros’ view (chipalatta.com)

Despite 2023 speed bump, Jose Altuve envisions himself as an Astro until he’s 40 (houstonchronicle.com)

AL West News

5 Mariners make ESPN’s MLB top 100 — how do they compare to Astros? (sports.mynorthwest.com)

Mariners lead MLB in operating income & year-over-year value growth in 2023 Forbes franchise valuations (lookoutlanding.com)

Angels postseason drought will end in 2023 according to MLB The Show’s simulation (halohangout.com)

How the Angels’ Tyler Anderson rediscovered the changeup that turned around his career (ocregister.com)

SF Giants, Oakland A’s among MLB’s most profitable teams in 2022: report (mercurynews.com)

Roster decision on Pache likely to come down to wire (mlb.com)

It’s time for the Texas Rangers to ‘exceed expectations,’ prove they are winners again (dallasnews.com)

First TV Domino: Texas Rangers May Leave Diamond Sports (metsmerizedonline.com)

MLB News

Iowa Bill would ban Major League Baseball blackouts in the state (desmoinesregister.com)

MLB’s Apple TV+ Deal Is So Dumb (si.com)
I know I said I wouldn’t share Sports Illustrated links, but they nailed the tagline with this one. tl;dr —

The streaming service will once again air exclusive games on Friday nights. However, last year, Friday Night Baseball was free even if you didn’t have Apple TV+. This year the games will be available to only Apple TV+ subscribers for $6.99 a month. - Jimmy Traina, si.com

Could These MLB Dinosaurs Recreate Albert Pujols’s 2022 Renaissance? (538.com)

Longtime Texas Rangers radio broadcaster will miss start of MLB season to treat mental health (foxnews.com)

Ranking all 30 farm systems (mlb.com)
Astros come in at number 27. No surprise there, but as in other seasons of recent vintage, we come in with a viable Rookie of the Year candidate. This time, he’s behind the plate, but we still don’t know which one — Yainer Diaz or Korey Lee.

Houston Astros Birthdays

Jesús Alou (1942-2023) hailed from the Dominican Republic, along with his famous family of high-flying Alou’s. An outfielder who played 15 seasons of major league ball, Alou spent 1969 through mid-1973 with the Astros, then later rejoined them for his final two seasons, 1978 and 1979. In 553 games he hit .282/.313/.366 with 11 home runs and 166 RBI. Alou died on March 10, 2023 aged 80.

Right-handed pitcher José Cabrera (51) spent the first four of his six-season MLB career with the Astros. In 93 relief appearances, he struck out 88 in 108 ¹⁄₃ innings, while registering a 1.302 WHIP and a 109 ERA+.

RHP José Valverde (45) played in the majors from 2003 through 2014. In 2008 and 2009, he played for Houston. In 126 games, he struck out 139 in 126 innings, going 10-5 with a 2.93 ERA and 69 saves, including an American League-leading 44 in 2008.

Right-handed relief pitcher Josh Zeid (36) appeared in 48 games for the 2013 and 2014 Houston Astros. He whiffed 42 in 48 ¹⁄₃ innings, with an 0-1 record, a 5.21 ERA, and a 1.552 WHIP.