"General manager Jeff Luhnow's acquisition of former Red Sox farmhand and major league dabbler Kyle Weiland as part of his first move has given the Astros 10 starting pitchers on their 40-man roster, and manager Brad Mills has said he's going to give Weiland a chance in spring training.

Last year's race for the starting rotation was a little bit of a rigged affair, if you'll remember, with the spots basically determined to the point where performance in spring training meant little."