Zach Daniels signs with Astros

Zach Daniels signs with Astros.

HOUSTON — Former University of Tennessee outfielder Zach Daniels has signed with the Houston Astros.

Houston selected Daniels in the fourth round of the recent 2020 Major League Baseball Draft. He was the 131st overall pick in June and received a $400,000 signing bonus. It was slightly below his slotted value of $430,800.

Daniels endured his share of offensive struggles during his first two years of college baseball on Rocky Top as he failed to make consistent contact.

But it was a different story for Daniels in 2020 as he became a big contributor for the Vols, who were 15-2 when the coronavirus pandemic ended the season.

He hit .357 for the Diamond Vols as a junior and had four home runs and drove in 18 runs in 56 at-bats.

2020 MLB Futures Odds: How many games will the Houston Astros win?

Looking at 2020 MLB futures odds for how many games the Houston Astros will win in the 60-game MLB season.

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How many games will the Houston Astros win in the 60-game 2020 MLB season? We look at the Astros MLB futures odds, including their projected 2020 win total and Over/Under odds at BetMGM, and make our best bet.

Houston Astros’ 2019 recap

The Astros are coming off their second trip to the World Series in the last three years, having gone 107-55 for the best record in baseball. They outscored their opponents by a league-best 280 runs. SP Justin Verlander won his second career AL Cy Young Award and DH Yordan Alvarez was named AL Rookie of the Year.

The Astros to the Washington Nationals in the World Series in seven games, and then were hit with the unraveling of a sign-stealing scandal. General manager Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch were both suspended by MLB for one year and the team lost its first- and second-round draft picks in 2020 and 2021.

Houston went 56-20 against the AL West in 2019. It was an MLB-best 60-21 at home, while posting a more-than respectable 47-34 road record. The ‘Stros were 17-5 across their final 22 games of the regular season. They were 96-84 against the run line, including the playoffs, winning by an average of 1.6 runs per game. They were 81-91-8 against the Over/Under, largely thanks to elite pitching.

Houston Astros’ offseason

The Astros’ most important move for the 2020 campaign may have come at last year’s trade deadline when they acquired SP Zack Greinke from the Arizona Diamondbacks. It helped them prepare for the loss of SP Gerrit Cole this offseason, as he left to join the New York Yankees.

Meanwhile, Dusty Baker was hired in late January as the replacement to Hinch as manager.

Also see:

Houston Astros’ 2020 schedule

The Astros will play 40 games against their AL West rivals this season after going 56-20 in divisional play last year. The Oakland Athletics look to get back to the postseason, while the Los Angeles Angels are arguably the most improved team in the division following the offseason. The Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners are expected to bring up the rear.

The Astros’ other 20 games will come against the five teams in the NL West. The Los Angeles Dodgers are the World Series favorites at +350. The Arizona Diamondbacks, San Francisco Giants, Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres round out the division.


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How many games will the Houston Astros win in 2020?

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday, July 2 at 8:50 a.m. ET.

The Astros’ win total is set at 34.5. The Over is a favored at -120 with the Under priced at even money (+100).

With the Angels and Rangers expected to be improved this season and the Athletics set up for another strong season, back the UNDER 34.5 (+100) as the value. The loss of Cole and RP Will Harris will loom large as teams rely on pitching depth this season.

Houston Astros’ World Series odds

At +800 to win the 2020 World Series, the Astros are the No. 3 favorite behind the Dodgers (+350) and New York Yankees (+400). PASS on the lack of value here, as the Yankees are heavy favorites in the AL. Bet them or take shots deeper down the odds board.

Houston Astros playoff odds

The Astros are extreme favorites to win the AL West for the fourth straight year at -182PASS once again due to the lack of value and look at the Angels at +650 or Athletics at +265.

Want action on any 2020 MLB futures? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

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Carlos Correa tiene una solución poco popular para los sueldos de la MLB durante la pandemia

Foto por Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports. La estrella de los Houston Astros, Carlos Correo, está mostrando más disposición para regresar a trabajar que varios otros grandes jugadores de la MLB ante la pandemia de coronavirus. Mientras que el pitcher …

Foto por Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports.

La estrella de los Houston Astros, Carlos Correo, está mostrando más disposición para regresar a trabajar que varios otros grandes jugadores de la MLB ante la pandemia de coronavirus.

Mientras que el pitcher de Tampa Bay Blake Snell y Bryce Harper de los Philadelphia Phillies hacen esfuerzos por evitar el recorte de sueldos y mantener la temporada completa, Correa parece más abierto a acceder a las solicitudes de los dueños.

“Nuestros contratos son por 162 juegos. Si queremos jugar 81 juegos, y recibir la mitad del sueldo por ellos, suena bien”, dijo Correa a ESPN Radio durante una entrevista el sábado.

Parece que hay diferentes ideas entre los jugadores de la MLB sobre si esto cuenta como un corte de sueldo. Harper y Bell parecen oponerse a un modelo de compensación por juego. Bell dijo que no quiere menos dinero, incluso si son menos juegos. Y definitivamente no quiere una reducción de pago adicional si hay un programa acortado.

“No debería recibir la mitad de mi sueldo porque la temporada se corte a la mitad, y encima de eso recibir un recorte del 33% a la mitad que ya quedó ahí. En realidad estaría recibiendo algo como un 25%”, dijo Bell durante un streaming en Twitch el 14 de mayo.

Correa está claramente preocupado por la salud también. Pero, nuevamente, usó un tono difetente a Bell.

“Honestamente, yo solo quiero regresar a jugar beisbol y encontrar la mejor opción para que regresemos allá afuera”, dijo. “Quiero que la MLB se ocupe de que estemos seguros, que sigamos los protocolos de salud, que nuestras familias y nosotros, los jugadores, estemos saludables durante este proceso”.

La MLB espera reiniciar juegos a inicios de julio, pero la liga y el sindicato de jugadores se han topado con problemas para llegar a un acuerdo sobre cómo debería organizar la liga los protocolos de salud al mismo tiempo que reestructura un calendario ajustado y accede a un buen pago para los jugadores.

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