Report Kodai Senga will not play in today’s game against the Houston Astros due to a rule infraction.
Spring training action featuring the Houston Astros and the New York Mets is scheduled to occur at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. Both teams have displayed strong performances in the preseason matches thus far. Which side will emerge victorious?
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros secured their second win of spring training with a 6-1 victory over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday. Despite the Marlins’ struggles in the preseason, the Astros find confidence in this success. However, their overall performance has been less than satisfactory, with losses to the Washington Nationals, a shutout by the Detroit Tigers, and a split squad defeat to the New York Mets on the same day as being shut out by the St. Louis Cardinals. The Astros have faced challenges in scoring runs, and while key players may not have taken regular-season at-bats, the start to the spring has been subpar.Report Kodai Senga will not play in today’s game against the Houston Astros due to a rule infraction.
New York Mets
The New York Mets have already secured a spring training victory over the Houston Astros, although it was in a split squad game. In the upcoming full squad matchup, the Mets anticipate a more challenging task on paper. Nevertheless, the Mets have demonstrated success in recent days with wins against the Washington Nationals, Miami Marlins, and St. Louis Cardinals, outscoring their opponents 16-4. The Mets’ strength on the mound has been particularly noteworthy this spring, and it is expected to be a crucial factor in this game, especially considering the Houston Astros’ difficulties in scoring runs.
Expert Betting Tips
While spring training games may not hold significant weight in the overall season narrative, Astros fans undoubtedly hope for a better performance from their team. The offensive challenges the Astros are facing align unfavorably against the strong pitching displayed by the New York Mets. Consequently, it is anticipated that the New York Mets will muster a narrow victory on the road.
The Houston Astros operated in a much different fashion this offseason than they have done previously under the ownership of Jim Crane.
He handed out the largest deal to a free agent during his tenure when they landed Josh Hader. He also was willing to sign Jose Altuve to a lucrative extension, something that hasn’t quite been the case in the past.
That’s one of the main reasons why Gerrit Cole, George Springer and Carlos Correa are playing baseball for different teams.
It’s hard to argue with what the Astros have done.
They won another World Series title after all three of those star players were no longer with the club.
But, at some point, letting elite talent out of the building could come back to haunt the organization.
As Alex Bregman is entering the upcoming season on the last year of his deal, unless he signs a contract extension, he’ll hit the open market where he likely will have tons of suitors.
Knowing this, general manager Dana Brown emphasized again that Houston will offer their star third baseman a new deal at some point with the hope that he stays.
However, with Bregman’s agent being Scott Boras, it’s very likely he’ll hit the open market after the 2024 season is complete.
If that does indeed happen, Joel Sherman of The New York Post suggests that the New York Mets could be a real player in the pursuit of the elite free agent.
“And one that I think could be particularly interesting involves Alex Bregman,” he writes.
Sherman goes on to discuss some of the main reasons why he thinks they’d be interested in handing out a potential megadeal to the upcoming 30-year-old, but the one particularly interesting things is looking at the Mets’ current situation at the position.
Ideally, New York would be able to do something similar to what the Astros have done with their star prospects taking over and holding that spot for the foreseeable future.
That has not been the case so far and there are more questions than answers.
Bregman is a surefire thi
