Astros Crawfish Boil: July 21, 2015

Astros News:

Biggio in final stages of prep for HOF induction | astros.com
Craig Biggio contends life hasn't changed too much since he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in January, and he maintains he'll still be the same guy he always has been once his plaque is unveiled on Sunday afternoon in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Keuchel Is Front Runner For AL Cy Young " CBS Houston
Brian McTaggert of MLB.com joins In The Loop. No one saw that Dallas Keuchel would have this kind of season and McTaggert thinks Dallas is the front runner for the AL Cy Young

Jim Crane says he’s willing to increase Astros’ payroll for right move - Ultimate Astros
"If we get a deal we’d like, we’d certainly like to pull the trigger," Crane said. "We also don’t want to sacrifice the future. We think we’re in good shape for the future. We have a little room to increase payroll if necessary."

Astros County: Correa's first 35 games, in perspective
After 35 games, can Carlos Correa already be considered the American League's top shortstop? Astros County takes a look at Correa's first 35 games compared to the debut of Trout, A-Rod, Machado, and Harper

Houston Astros Rumors: Do the Stros need Justin Upton? - Climbing Tal's Hill
The Astros could use the offensive input in the outfield, but do they have bigger needs?

MLB News:

Life without Oscar - CBSSports.com
How friend and countryman Carlos Martinez, and the entire Cardinals organization, are moving forward in the wake of Oscar Taveras's tragic death.

Zack Greinke is both lucky and the best - SBNation.com
Both things can be true, and it's been absolutely absurd to watch.

The Use and Frequency of Emoji in MLB Twitter Engagement | FanGraphs Baseball
Emoji, while sometimes criticized for being silly, are continually changing digital media, facilitating the communication of emotion. The fire emoji in particular is use to denote "hot" players, strikeouts or outstanding plays.

2015 Trade Value: The Bottom Five | FanGraphs Baseball
Dave Cameron of FanGraphs takes a look at the 5 players he estimates to have the least trade value in baseball. SPOILER: 4 of them are in the AL West

The Mariners should sell, but only methodically - Lookout Landing
It's ten days before the MLB trade deadline, and the most-hyped Mariners team since 2002 has the worst record in the American League. Worse than the Astros, perennial cellar-dwellers and preseason afterthoughts. Worse than the White Sox, owners of the worst position player corps since 1980. Worse than the Athletics, the unluckiest team of the millennium.

For your listening pleasure:

After a five-year wait, Ratatat returned this week with a brand new album, Magnifique. I fell in love with this rock-electronic duo back on the MLB 07: The Show soundtrack. The sliding electric guitar weaving in and out of tight beats is like butter on the ears