Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker revealed that the Opening Day lineup will be the same lineup that was used in Monday's Spring Training finale, with the exception that Myles Straw will also be in the lineup, according to Steve Schaeffer of the Houston Chronicle. Baker said that Straw was held out of Monday's game due to COVID-19 protocols, but he has since been cleared to play. The Astros' lineup will go Jose Altuve, Michael Brantley, Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker, Carlos Correa, Yordan ...

Houston Astros outfielder Michael Brantley went 1-for-4 with a double, two RBI, and two strikeouts in a 5-4 victory over the Mets. Brantley is still hitting just .235 this spring, though he has started to pick things up as of late, with three hits, four RBI, and a pair of runs scored in his last three games played. The 33-year-old posted a batting average above .300 for the third straight season in 2020, though he took a step back in the plate discipline department, posting the third-worst ...

Houston Astros outfielder Michael Brantley will once again be counted on to be a rock in the middle of the Astros lineup. After reports surfaced that the veteran was leaving Houston for the Toronto Blue Jays, Brantley returned to the Astros on a two-year deal. His best attribute is his consistency. Since an injury plagued 2016, Brantley has posted a .304 average and an .837 OPS in four seasons. In 194 career games with Houston, Brantley has racked up 27 home runs, 55 doubles and 112 runs batted ...

Houston Astros outfielder Michael Brantley rejoined the team on a two-year deal this offseason after slashing .300/.364/.476 across 46 games in 2020. It was a step down from his 2019 line of .311/.372/.503, and advanced metrics suggest that Brantley will be trending down even further this year. Brantley appears to have gotten lucky with his average last season as he posted a .336 BABIP (the second-highest mark of his career), and his .262 xBA adds more evidence to things not being what they ...

The Houston Astros reached an agreement on Wednesday to re-sign outfielder Michael Brantley to a two-year deal worth $32 million, according to a source. It was falsely reported hours earlier that the Blue Jays had agreed to a three-year deal to pair Brantley with George Springer. Brantley is likely to start in left field again in 2021, with Kyle Tucker in right. He'll turn 34 in May and has slashed .309/.370/.497 (126 OPS+) with 27 home runs and 112 RBI in 194 games with Houston the last two ...

Updating a previous report, the Toronto Blue Jays remain among the teams interested in free-agent outfielder Michael Brantley, but they have not reached an agreement on a contract, according to a source familiar with the situation. It was reported earlier on Wednesday that Toronto and Brantley had agreed on a three-year deal. The 33-year-old left-handed hitter remains a coveted free agent because of his high contact rate, low strikeout ratio and overall polish as a hitter. He played left field ...

Free-agent outfielder Michael Brantley is in agreement on a three-year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday, according to a source. Financial terms of the contract were not immediately known. This comes after Toronto landed the top free-agent position player in outfielder George Springer for six years and $150 million on Tuesday night. The addition of both outfielders is bad news for Randal Grichuk and Rowdy Tellez, as the Jays now have a surplus of outfielders, including Lourdes Gurriel...

The Washington Nationals are looking to sign a free-agent corner outfielder despite already trading for first baseman Josh Bell this offseason. Marcell Ozuna is the biggest name available, but he could be out of the team's price range after having a big year in Atlanta. Veteran Michael Brantley is more affordable and still brings a high-quality bat, but he has defensive questions. Kyle Schwarber is also a defensive liability, but he would be more attractive if the universal designated hitter ...

The Chicago White Sox probably aren't going to sign free-agent outfielder George Springer because of his price tag and the fact that they already have a star center fielder in Luis Robert. Instead, Chicago could target a corner outfielder like Michael Brantley, especially because they're seeking a left-handed bat. The 33-year-old hit .300/.364/.476 with five home runs, 22 RBI and an .840 OPS for Houston during the shortened 2020 season. Brantley doesn't have a ton of power, but he's been a .300 ...

The New York Yankees are in need of more left-handed hitting, and they've had contact with four-time All-Star outfielder Michael Brantley. However, Brantley seems like a Plan B in case the team cannot re-sign second baseman DJ LeMahieu. Brantley will turn 34 in May and could be limited to a short-term deal because of his position and injury history, so he could sign for around $15 million per season. LeMahieu is projected to land something in the range of a four-year, $70 million deal, so it's ...