Astros Notes: Melton, Rotation, McCullers

The Pirates are set to hire Astros pitching coach Bill Murphy following the departure of Oscar Marin and assistant Brent Strom. Murphy, who has been with Houston since 2016 and helped maintain a strong pitching staff, will now work with promising talent in Pittsburgh, including top prospect Paul Skenes and potential rotation members Bubba Chandler and Braxton Ashcraft. Want More Context? 🔎

The Cleveland Guardians, initially expected to be sellers at the trade deadline, surprised by finishing strong with a 34-20 record, ultimately falling to the Tigers in the postseason. As they head into the offseason, key questions include the status of pitchers Ortiz and Clase amidst an ongoing investigation, the potential debut of top prospects in 2026, and the urgency to negotiate a contract extension with outfielder Steven Kwan. Want More Context? 🔎

The Toronto Blue Jays faced a significant setback during Game 3 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers when a late high strike call on Daulton Varsho led to a confusing play. After Varsho began to walk to first base, Bo Bichette, who was on first, got caught off the bag and was tagged out, highlighting the unusual circumstances of the inning. Want More Context? 🔎