Porter gets head start on new Astros gig

Astros manager Bo Porter hit Osceola County Stadium on Thursday, spending the morning getting things in order in his office and the clubhouse. Some players are already in Kissimmee, Fla., ahead of Monday’s reporting date for pitchers and catchers, and Porter was eager to get down there as well.

If he opts to play, Rolen still offers leadership

If Scott Rolen decides that his career has ended, that’s fine, his career doesn’t require any further proof of longevity or worth. But if he’s still playing, the Reds, or some other club, will be fortunate to have him on board. He is the kind of individual a winning club would want to have on hand, for his intelligence, his leadership, his character, his clubhouse credibility.