Listen, we know it’s tough to catch up on everything happening in the baseball world each morning. There are all kinds of stories, rumors, game coverage, and Vines of dudes getting hit in the beans every day. Trying to find all of it while on your way to work or sitting at your desk just isn’t easy. It’s okay, though, we’re going to do the heavy lifting for you each morning, and find the things you need to see from within the SB Nation baseball network as well as from elsewhere. Please hold your applause until the end, or at least until after you subscribe to the newsletter.
Say hey, baseball: Brady Aiken’s confession concerning for Astros
Saturday morning’s baseball includes a concerning trend pointed out in Brady Aiken’s post-surgery essay, the response to David Ortiz’s anti-PED diatribe and Justin Verlander’s unique selfie with a young fan. Subscribe for your daily Say Hey!
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
★★★
When Brady Aiken announced through the Players' Tribune that he underwent Tommy John surgery, the easy assumption to make was that the Astros came out as "winners" in the negotiations between the two sides after the team picked the lefty with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft. Instead of signing with the Astros for $5 million, Aiken felt it was best to enroll in IMG Academy and prepare for the 2015 MLB Draft after the team discovered that the pitcher's UCL was smaller than average.
There is an excerpt of Aiken’s piece explaining his decision that should be concerning for those following the Astros, however: Aiken said that he did not regret the decision to forgo signing with the team. “The money wasn’t the only factor to consider,” he said. “I wanted to play somewhere I felt comfortable, with a support system I felt would lay the groundwork for a successful and long career.” That place apparently isn’t in Houston.
The possibility of a systematic issue pushing players away from Houston exists. Ryan Vogelsong looked as if he was going to sign with the Astros this past offseason, but after a murky series of events, the veteran hurler ended up back in San Francisco. The Astros bid heavily on a number of free agents this winter, and were rebuffed repeatedly. Is it the Astros' record pushing players away, or something in the organization's culture, as Aiken hinted at?
- Dan Shaughnessy, or "the reporter with the red jheri curl from the Boston Globe," responded to the David Ortiz' article on the Players' Tribune. Shaughnessy points out some of the flaws in Ortiz' plea for future hall of fame consideration.
- Ortiz may have admitted more than he thought in his post at the Players' Tribune.
- Top Cuban righty Yadier Alvarez, who has been clocked at 99 mph, is garnering interest from several teams, including the Nationals. He's still not eligible to sign until July 2, though.
- The debate on whether Kris Bryant should be in the Opening Day lineup for the Cubs rages on. There is a whole lot of ridiculousness in the situation, on both sides.
- The system may be set up to screw over Bryant and other rookies in favor of the teams and owners.
- While the debate continues on Bryant on the North Side of Chicago, some think there shouldn't be any doubt on the South Side on whether Carlos Rodon should start the season in the White Sox rotation.
- Would you would trade Kris Bryant for Matt Harvey? A dilemma looking at the valuation of top prospect potential and established major league value at Beyond the Box Score.
- Is it too early to start calling 22-year-old Bryce Harper a bust? Before you respond, please remember that Harper is younger than Kris Bryant.
- Players don't need to be super young to be promising, though, as 26-year-old rookie Steven Souza appears to be on the track to success.
- Justin Verlander surprised a young fan.
See More:
