MLB rumors: White Sox injury’s impact, Red Sox extension, Astros draft strategy
By Kevin Henry
HOUSTON — Let’s take a look at some of the latest MLB rumors, including the draft strategy for the Houston Astros, a noticeable injury for the Chicago White Sox and which pitcher the Boston Red Sox should extend now.
We will start here in the Lone Star State where the Astros have won four in a row and seven of their last eight and eight of their last 10 coming into a Thursday night AL West matchup against the Seattle Mariners.
MLB Rumors: What the MLB draft strategy could look like for the Houston Astros
As Houston was taking care of the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday afternoon (despite losing Jose Altuve to an injury), general manager Dana Brown spoke to the media about what he sees happening in the MLB draft on Sunday as part of All-Star Game festivities in Seattle. With Houston owning the 28th pick, some of the bigger names may be off the board by the time the Astros pick, but Brown knows that a successful draft will keep his team as a contender for years to come.
“I’m passionate about the draft,” Brown said on Wednesday afternoon. “It’s all about nailing the draft. The draft is the future of the organization and, at the end of the day, you have to take good players. There’s just no excuse.”
So what does “nailing the draft” look like in Brown’s eyes? It’s all about the talent, he said.
“Nailing the draft is getting at least four major-league players in every draft and also adding some extra players with different picks,” Brown said. “The average is usually two, but I like to double the average. We were able to do it in Atlanta and I expect to do it here.”
Brown added that the Astros are “always going to take the best player,” wanting to bolster the minor league depth. Don’t be surprised if Houston doesn’t go with pitching with its first few picks, as Brown mentioned the need for pitchers often during his presser.