Jose Altuve, Astros agree to 4-year extension

Per Brian McTaggert of the MLB.com, the Houston Astros and second baseman Jose Altuve have agreed to an extension.

According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, it is a four-year deal that runs from 2014 through 2017 worth $12.5 million.  In addition, the club has options for 2018 ($6 million) and 2019 ($6.5 million).

Eligible for arbitration next year, Altuve would have been eligible for free agency after the 2016 season.

Going into the season, the Astros had a payroll of approximately $22 million with starting pitcher Bud Norris its highest-paid player with a salary of $3 million.

Altuve leads the team in batting average (.280) and stolen bases (21) with 36 runs scored, three home runs and 28 runs batted in.

2013 MLB Mock Draft Database Updated

Only hours from the start of the 2013 MLB Draft, we have updated our mock draft database.

Based on the mocks updated within the past four days, 11 of the 12 mock drafts in our database have a pitcher going first overall.  Seven of those 11 have it being Oklahoma's Jonathan Gray and four of them have Stanford's Mark Appel going first overall.

The one exception is Anthony Witrado of The Sporting News, who has the Astros selecting North Carolina third baseman Colin Moran.

If the majority of mocks are correct and it's a pitcher that goes first overall, the success rate of pitchers selected first overall has not been great.

Here's a chart from Baseball Reference of pitchers selected No. 1 overall in the MLB Draft since 1970:

Year	Rnd	RdPck	Tm		Pos	WAR	G	W	L	ERA	WHIP	SV
2011	1	1	Pirates	Gerrit Cole (minors)	RHP
2009	1	1	Nationals	Stephen Strasburg (minors)	RHP	7.0	57	24	15	2.85	1.08	0
2007	1	1	Devil Rays	David Price (minors)	LHP	15.1	134	62	35	3.29	1.19	0
2006	1	1	Royals	Luke Hochevar (minors)	RHP	0.8	148	38	60	5.33	1.39	1
2002	1	1	Pirates	Bryan Bullington (minors)	RHP	-0.2	26	1	9	5.62	1.58	0
1997	1	1	Tigers	Matt Anderson (minors)	RHP	-0.5	257	15	7	5.19	1.58	26
1996	1	1	Pirates	Kris Benson (minors)	RHP	13.0	206	70	75	4.42	1.39	0
1994	1	1	Mets	Paul Wilson (minors)	RHP	2.2	170	40	58	4.86	1.45	0
1991	1	1	Yankees	Brien Taylor (minors)	LHP
1989	1	1	Orioles	Ben McDonald (minors)	RHP	20.9	211	78	70	3.91	1.26	0
1988	1	1	Padres	Andy Benes (minors)	RHP	31.7	403	155	139	3.97	1.31	1
1983	1	1	Twins	Tim Belcher (minors)	RHP	26.2	394	146	140	4.16	1.34	5
1981	1	1	Mariners	Mike Moore (minors)	RHP	28.5	450	161	176	4.39	1.42	2
1976	1	1	Astros	Floyd Bannister (minors)	LHP	26.9	431	134	143	4.06	1.33	0
1973	1	1	Rangers	David Clyde (minors)	LHP	0.7	84	18	33	4.63	1.53	0

Again, you can view our updated mock draft database here.

Five MLB Team Prop Bets from John Trifone

Now that spring training games are under way, the March 31st regular-season opener between the Rangers and Astros will be here before we know it.

With clean slates, 30 MLB teams (and their fan bases) have that new-year optimism.  Not all of them should, however.

Based on team win prop bets from Sportsbook.com, John Trifone came up with five that he likes (or doesn't like, depending on your perspective).  Here they are:

Baltimore Orioles - under 78.5 wins

They were a great story last year and I hate to bet against Buck Showalter, but the AL East is just too tough, and Baltimore way over achieved in close games last year.

Chicago White Sox - over 80.5

The White Sox have a strong offense in a division that is fairly mediocre outside of Detroit.  Chris Sale emerged as a star that can anchor the rotation.  I like this team to be better than .500.

Houston Astros - under 59.5

There's not a lot of good news for the Astros so I'll start with the bad.  A team that won 55 games last year in the NL is moving to the AL West with the Rangers, Angels, A's, and Mariners.  I can't see them winning five more games in a tougher league and one of the most competitive divisions in baseball.

Los Angeles Dodgers - over 91.5

The Dodgers did not finish strong after all of their big acquisitions last year.  However, starting fresh, I believe they're going to be a force to be reckoned with.  They are one of the most balanced teams in baseball and are a legitimate threat to win it all.

Philadelphia Phillies - over 83.5

A few years ago the Phillies were dubbed to be perennial favorites behind an incredible pitching staff.  After an injury-plagued season last year, look for Philly to bounce back.  They have three aces on the staff, and with lower expectations and a lot less pressure this year, I think they'll thrive.

Thoughts on John's picks?  Other teams?

[Editor's note: This post is by John Trifone (@JohnnyT0122), who also contributes at our NFL site: Eat, Drink and Sleep Football (see John's archives).  Throughout the MLB season, John will be handicapping some games and you'll be able to follow his picks throughout the season this year.]

Pujols leaves game with tight hamstring

Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols left last night's game against the Reds with tightness in his hamstring after trying to run out a grounder in the seventh inning.

The Cardinals have Monday off as they travel to Houston to begin a three-game series with the Astros on Tuesday.

Will he be able to play?

"I think it all depends on how I wake up tomorrow," Pujols said, per Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "The tests were pretty good. They don't think it's too bad. When I wake up tomorrow, I can sense a little more about how I feel. Hopefully it's not as bad as I feel right now. I'll be glad we have a day off tomorrow.

"I'll show up here early tomorrow, get treatment and we'll go from there. Right now, if I told you I was going to be playing Tuesday, I don't want to say yes and not be there. ... Hopefully, in my prayers, I feel good, have a good day off tomorrow, travel, and on Tuesday I'll be ready to go."

Pujols got off to a slow start and was hitting only .150 through April 11th's win over Arizona. In his past 12 games, however, Pujols has 16 hits in 48 at-bats (.333 average) with six home runs and 13 runs batted in.

Fantasy Baseball: 2011 First Basemen Rankings

Without question, first base is the deepest position for everyday players. The top seven or eight first basemen will likely be drafted in the first two rounds of your 12-team league.

Some players on our list played 10-19 games at first base in 2010, which means the player may or may not qualify as a first baseman in your league. For example, Yahoo! leagues require a player to appear in at least ten games at that position in the previous year. For ESPN leagues, the requirement is 20-plus games.

Based on lower eligibility requirements, first base is even deeper for participants in Yahoo! leagues than those participating in ESPN leagues.

Here are the top 20 fantasy first basemen for 2011:

1. Albert Pujols, Cardinals: Through ten seasons, Pujols has had career lows of .312 batting average (2010), 32 home runs (2007) and 103 runs batted in (2007). While that is the worst-case scenario, a typical (average) season for the career .331 hitter is 41 home runs and 123 runs batted in.

2. Joey Votto, Reds: While first base is loaded with talent, Votto finished no lower than top-five in all five standard rotisserie categories. The reigning N.L. MVP set career-highs in runs scored (106), home runs (37), runs batted in (113), steals (17) and batting average (.324) as well.

3. Adrian Gonzalez, Red Sox: During his five years as a Padre, Gonzalez hit .267 and 57 home runs (one per 24.7 at bats) with 201 runs batted in at home. On the road, however, Gonzalez hit .307 and 104 home runs (one per 15.1 at bats) with 300 runs batted in. The change of scenery can only do Gonzalez some good despite finishing 2010 with an average of .298, 31 home runs and 101 runs batted in.

4. Miguel Cabrera, Tigers: Over the past three seasons, only two first basemen have hit over .300 with 100 home runs and 350 runs batted in: Cabrera and Pujols. If it weren't for his alcohol problems highlighted by his run-in with the law in February, Cabrera would have been ranked ahead of all first basemen not named Albert Pujols.

5. Mark Teixeira, Yankees: Teixeira, who hit a career-low .256 in 2010, hit .280-plus every season and over .300 three times from 2004 to 2009. With seven consecutive seasons of 30-plus homers and 100-plus RBIs, you know what you'll get in the power department from Teixeira. But will Teixeira hit .256, .280 or .300?

6. Prince Fielder, Brewers: Last year, Fielder set a four-year low in home runs (32) and runs batted in (83) while hitting a career-worse .261. The year before, Fielder set career highs in runs batted in (141) and average (.299) while posting the second-highest homer total (46) of his career. Splitting the difference would be 39 home runs, 112 runs batted in and a .280 average. Sounds good to me.

7. Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox: Over the past five seasons, Youkilis has not played more than 147 games in any year. Provided he stays healthy for a full season, Youkilis could/should put up around or more than 100 runs, 100 runs batted in, 30 homers while hitting .300. His bigger value will come once he gains eligibility at the much more talent-scarce position of third base.

8. Ryan Howard, Phillies: Over the past five years, no player has more home runs (229) or runs batted in (680) than Howard. In addition, Howard leads the majors in strikeouts (922) during that span.

9. Adam Dunn, White Sox: From 2004 to 2010, Dunn has hit 38-plus home runs and driven in 100-plus runs six times (the 'off' season of 2006 was 92 RBIs). Trading in a half-season of games in Washington for U.S. Cellular Field can't hurt Dunn's power production and it wouldn't surprise me to see Dunn lead baseball in home runs. However, will he hit .260-plus for a third straight season?

10. Justin Morneau, Twins: Although he hasn't played a regular-season game since suffering a concussion in July, a full season from a healthy Morneau would make him a huge bargain at this spot. Morneau played exactly one-half of a season (81 games) last year and hit .345 with 18 home runs and 56 runs batted in. Before last season, Morneau drove in 100-plus runs for four straight years and hit 30-plus homers in three of those seasons.

11. Buster Posey, Giants: As one of the top three catchers in our fantasy rankings, however, you will more likely use Posey as your team's catcher despite his eligibility at first base. Manager Bruce Bochy has stated that Posey will get full days off when he's not catching, which means a season of around 135 games. That said, Posey should hit around .300 and 20 home runs in 2011.

12. Billy Butler, Royals: If there's one thing you can bank on from Butler, it's his strong batting average. Whether we see a power surge from Butler remains to be seen, but he's only 24 years old and has hit the most doubles (96) in baseball over the past two years combined. If only he could turn a few of those doubles into homers ...

13. Pablo Sandoval, Giants: With 11 games logged at first base in 2010, Sandoval may be eligible at first base in your league. He disappointed in the follow-up performance to his breakout season of 2009 (.330 average, 25 homers, 90 runs batted in). Sandoval, who is only 24 years old, could be primed for a bounce-back season after losing weight in the off-season and shortening his swing.

14. Paul Konerko, White Sox: It's unlikely that Konerko will duplicate his 2010 numbers (.312 average, 39 home runs and 111 runs batted in). Then again, only five other players hit .300-30-100 or better last season. Three of those other five were first basemen: Pujols, Cabrera and Votto.

15. Kendry Morales, Angels: Morales, who will begin the 2011 season on the disabled list, hasn't played a game since May 29th. In his only full season or close to it (152 games), Morales hit .306 with 34 home runs and 108 runs batted in.

16. Carlos Lee, Astros: Ending a four-year streak of hitting .300-plus, Lee posted a career-low batting average (.246) while hitting only 24 home runs (lowest total since 2001) with 89 runs batted in (lowest since 2002). Considering Lee also had his lowest BABIP (.238) of his career in 2010, an improvement over last season seems reasonable.

17. Aubrey Huff, Giants: Last year, Huff hit .290 with 26 home runs and 86 runs batted in. Huff, who is a career .283 hitter, should hit relatively close to .290 again although I would be surprised to see him exceed his home run total from 2010.

18. Carlos Pena, Cubs: The good news? Pena will go yard in one out of every 13.4 (or so) at bats, which was his average during his four years in Tampa. The bad news? He got a hit in less than every five at bats last season. (Take small consolation in the fact that only Aaron Hill had a lower BABIP in all of baseball than Pena last year.) The moderate news? He was tied for 11th in baseball in walks (87) last year so his on-base percentage isn't horrible if that helps you.

19. Adam Lind, Blue Jays: After a breakout season in 2009 (.305 average, 35 homers, 114 runs batted in), Lind disappointed fantasy owners in 2010 (.237-23-72). Not only did he hit .174 and .156 last May and June, respectively, but he hit only one home run in 90 at bats during June. Perhaps his better second-half performance and solid spring (hitting .341 through 16 games) bodes well for Lind.

20. Adam LaRoche, Nationals: LaRoche is a career .295 hitter that hits a homer every 18.3 at bats. In the second half, that is. LaRoche is notorious for his poor first-half performances (career .252 hitter and homer every 24.8 at bats before the All-Star break) and his (relative) strong performances (noted earlier) after the break.

As we noted above, first base is exceptionally deep. Players outside our top 20, such as Gaby Sanchez (Florida), Ike Davis (Mets), Mitch Moreland (Texas) and Brandon Belt (San Francisco) as a few examples, of players with upside that are viable fantasy options.

Feel free to send fantasy baseball questions to me via Twitter at @EDSBaseball or post them in our fantasy baseball forum.

Wandy Rodriguez to miss Tuesday start with shoulder tendinitis

Per Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle, Astros starting pitcher Wandy Rodriguez has been scratched from his start on Tuesday due to a mild case of shoulder tendinitis.

It's not known when he will next pitch.

And as Levine points out, starting on April 2nd could become jeopardized if he doesn't heal quickly or if his rehab is thrown off schedule.

Last year, Rodriguez finished with a record of 11-12, 3.60 ERA and 178 strikeouts.

Berkman has knee drained ... again

It's Opening Day at Minute Maid Park and pitcher Roy Oswalt has made his franchise-record eighth consecutive Opening Day start.

Despite beginning the season on the disabled list (DL), teammate Lance Berkman received a "big round of applause as he gingerly walks onto field..." as tweeted by MLB's Brian McTaggert.

Berkman, who missed 26 games in 2009, is eligible to return from the DL Saturday, however, that may be overly optimistic.

According to Bernardo Fallas of the Houston Chronicle, Berkman had his knee drained for a fifth time today and he's expected to get a cortisone shot.

Lance Berkman to the DL

Well, one player that won't outhit me in the first four games of the 2010 season is Astros first baseman Lance Berkman.

In addition to pitchers Yorman Bazardo and Alberto Arias, the Astros have placed Berkman on the disabled list (DL) retroactive to March 26th, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.

Berkman, who had his knee scoped on March 13th, said: "Obviously it stinks to have to start the year on the DL, but I'll get off quick and never look back. I hate missing any games at all, but as long as it doesn't turn into an ordeal. Really just being eligible to come off Saturday [April 10] is good news."

Regardless, Berkman, who is a career .299 hitter, is on the decline. He missed 26 games in 2009, batted only .274 and drove in 80 runs (his lowest total since 2000).

In our Fantasy Baseball Weekly podcast on corner infielders, Berkman was a guy that we suggested to avoid.

If you didn't listen (to the podcast and/or advice), the good news is it's only four games (knock on wood) that he'll miss.

Lindstrom to close games for 'Stros

The Houston Astros have named Matt Lindstrom as their closer to start the season, according to Bernardo Fallas of the Houston Chronicle.

With the contract (three years, $15 million) given to Brandon Lyon, who was expected to win the job, it wouldn't surprise me to see Lyon ultimately take over the role.

But for now, Lindstrom could be a source of cheap saves for your fantasy team.

Roy Oswalt says his "back's feeling good"

Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt ended last season on the disabled list (DL) due to a bulging disk in his back. But today he said that his "back's feeling good," according to Bernardo Fallas of the Houston Chronicle.

While Oswalt's ERA has moved higher in each of the past four seasons, his 2009 ERA jumped significantly to a career-high 4.12 over his 2008 ERA (3.54). Moreover, his ERA after the All-Star break (4.65) was considerably higher than it was before the break (3.85).

He had the highest flyball percentage of his career (35.6%), which led to the second-most homeruns allowed (19) of his career. In addition, Oswalt had a career low in victories (eight) resulting partly from getting a no decision in 16 games.

Phil Rogers of The Chicago Tribune speculates that Oswalt could be attractive to a contender by mid-season as a potential trade target. If that materializes, it could bump the number of wins for Oswalt in comparison to spending the entire 2010 season with the 'Stro's.

That said, Oswalt isn't setting any goals in reference to ERA, wins, etc. for 2010. Instead he's more concerned with durability.

“It's what I preach to the young guys: 200 innings should be your goal. Win-loss record, you can't really predict that.”

Oswalt hopes that beginning to pitch later in the year due to no World Baseball Classic and a change to his off-season conditioning program will help him stay healthy in 2010.

“I started throwing a little later this year,” Oswalt said . “I don't have to worry about getting some guys out from Japan and Korea.”

In fantasy drafts, Oswalt's average draft position (ADP) is currently 161.7 (14th round) in Yahoo! leagues. That ADP would be a bargain for a healthy Oswalt, who's a good candidate to bounce back after a career-worst year.

The Hot Corner, 4/21 edition

Atlanta Braves catcher Brian McCann is back in the lineup after seeing a specialist about his blurry vision. He was fitted with a contact, but still says: “Lasik surgery is the best thing I ever did.”

Yankees outfielder Xavier Nady won't need season-ending surgery and his rehab is being measured in "weeks" not "months."

Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Ryan Doumit will have wrist surgery on Thursday and miss 8-10 weeks.

Oakland A's reliever Joey Devine is out for the season (probably more) after having Tommy John surgery.

After their 5-7 start, Texas Rangers' GM Jon Daniels says Ron Washington's job is safe. "Ron's our manager. I read about some of the stuff, but there have been zero discussions internally to the contrary. We believe in this team. We believe in this staff."

Through Monday's game, Houston's Lance Berkman is hitting just above the Mendoza line. So, he's taking in more BP. “Anytime you’re not hitting the ball like you’d like it’s always a good idea to try to figure out what’s going on to try to get some extra swings,” Berkman said.

Doc Gooden's signature on the Ebbets Club wall will be removed kept removed from where it is and placed in a more "public" part of the stadium. The men's room, after all?

''The first three games of the season in Miami was a lot like spring training for him,'' [Marlins manager Fredi] Gonzalez said [of closer Matt Lindstrom]. "He [is getting stronger] and by the end of the month he should be good to go.''

Tom Browning, dead-beat Dad and pitching coach for the Gulf Coast League Reds, is out of jail (for missing child support).

Home-plate umpire Kerwin Danley, who was hit in the head with a broken bat, left the Texas-Toronto game on a stretcher.

Doug Waechter was placed on 15-day DL and Brian Bannister was recalled by the Royals.

The rain delays were worth the wait. Nationals pitcher Jordan Zimmerman got his first career win.

Last but not least, Bob Feller will be throwing some high heat at the Inaugural Baseball Hall of Fame Classic game in Cooperstown, N.Y. in June. "About 10 miles an hour," he said in a statement. "I'll be throwing just as hard as ever, but the ball probably won't be going quite as fast."