MLB Bullets wants an extension

Good morning.

• Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is going to be in Houston for a long time as he has agreed to a five-year, $151 million extension with the team. The extension does not start until 2020, locking the reigning AL MVP up through 2024.
• Jerome Solomon believes that the Astros got a bargain in Altuve, for his contributions on- and off-the-field. He calls Altuve a “Houston legend” and that the media should talk more about how great he is.
• A more analytic analysis comes from Craig Edwards, and he thinks Altuve’s extension is fair for both sides.
• Buster Olney thinks that more young stars will opt for these kinds of extensions with the free agent market being what it is.
• However, Dayn Perry believes that Altuve’s teammate Carlos Correa won’t be so easy to sign to a long-term extension.
• On that front, the Reds have agreed to a seven-year, $66 million extension with third baseman Eugenio Suarez.
• The rich get richer and the poor get trampled upon. Two years ago, I wrote about a proposed bill in congress that would exempt all minor league ballplayers from federal wage laws. That bill, thankfully, never got anywhere. But now word comes that congressional leaders, after years of lobbying and campaign contributions by Major League Baseball to both parties, are seriously considering sneaking such an exemption inside a spending bill without even bothering to hold any hearings on its merits. I don’t know what to say without offending someone’s political sensibilities, but this a far worse violation of the minor leagues than any sort of plan to start a runner on second base in extra innings. Yet one story will get hundreds of pieces of criticism and this one will likely be mostly ignored. Don’t let it.
• The biggest name this winter was Angels pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani. So far in Spring Training, Ohtani has been very underwhelming. Bad, in fact. Mike Oz thinks that maybe the Angels should start Ohtani in the minor leagues.
• In fact, the Angels have not ruled out starting Ohtani in the minors, but the plan is still for him to start the season in the majors.
• Richard Justice has “ten burning questions” for the start of the season, including where Ohtani will start the campaign.
• Joe Posnanski thinks Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper is going to have a monster season in 2018.
• Claire McNear writes that Harper better have a great year along with the rest of the Nats, because the Nationals window of competitiveness is closing fast.
• The Blue Jays have agreed to a minor league deal with infielder Danny Espinosa.
• Now it’s time for the ex-Cubs portion of our program. Recently-released reliever Justin Grimm signed a one-year, $1.25 million deal with the Royals. It’s getting to the point where every member of the 2016 Cubs will play at least one game with Kansas City before they retire.
• The Athletics have signed Trevor Cahill to a one-year deal. The ex-Cub was with the Royals last season.
• Current Royal and outfielder on the 2016 Cubs Jorge Soler is having a monster Spring Training.
• And while Daniel Vogelbach did play for the 2016 Cubs, it was the 2016 Iowa Cubs so he didn’t get a World Series ring. His big contribution to the title was getting traded for Mike Montgomery. But he’s also having a huge spring and Mike Axisa reports that he’s certain to make the Opening Day roster and has the opportunity to win the Mariners starting first baseman job over the injured Ryon Healy. Vogy will always be a Cubs legend, even if he never played a game for the major league team. If for nothing else, for all the times he was traded for Mike Trout on this site.
• Speaking of trades, Joe Posnanski has one trade for each team that defines the team in 2018. He stresses it’s not necessarily the best trade, but one that the team really needs to work out.
• Jon Tayler grades all the winter offseason moves for each NL East club.
• Free agent starter Henderson Alvarez has found a new team: Tigres de Quintana Roo in the Mexican League.
• Twins shortstop Jose Polanco has been suspended for 80 games for testing positive for Stanozolol. Polanco says he took the PED by accident, which I believe because anyone trying to cheat would be a fool to take an easily-detected drug like Stanozolol in this day and age, at least not without a masking agent. Although maybe he’s really dumb.
• Time to pay the butcher’s bill. Athletics right-hander Jharel Cotton will undergo Tommy John surgery. (That explains the Cahill signing, by the way.)
• Rangers prospect Cole Ragans will also have Tommy John surgery.
• Phillies starter Jerad Eickhoff will miss six-to-eight weeks with a strained lat muscle.
• Mets starter Jason Vargas broke his right hand catching a line drive. Vargas is a lefty, so the Mets think they can get him fixed up enough to be ready on Opening Day.
• Tim Brown writes about the Rays fifth starter this season: “Johnny Wholestaff.” That’s actually what the Rays are calling it and they intend to go “bullpenning” every fifth day.
• Kate Morrison has the most underrated players of the AL West.
• Sheryl Ring believes that MLB may have a problem enforcing the new “mound-visits” rule.
• Travis Sawchik spoke with Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer about his “launch angle.” The biggest criticism of Hosmer has been the lack of lift he gets on his batted balls and Hosmer admits he’s considering altering his swing to tap into his power better. But as anyone who’s played the game would tell you, altering your swing is not a simple thing.
• Jay Jaffe has an appreciation of the life of former Met Ed Charles, who died last week at the age of 84.
• Rangers pitcher Martin Perez broke his elbow this winter when he fell over after a bull startled him. But Perez got his revenge on the bull in the most cold-hearted way possible. Perez told Jeff Wilson “I killed him and I ate him.” (h/t Big League Stew)
• Watch this player from Pitt make a leaping backflip over the catcher to score a run.
• And finally, watch the Brewers reenact this scene from “The Sandlot.”

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster.