LOS ANGELES—It all started with Springer. Anyone with the Astros will tell you that.
When Jeff Luhnow and his crew of rebuilders arrived in Houston before the 2012 season, George Springer was already there. No, not in Houston, yet; he was still two years from reaching the big leagues. But he was in A-Ball, after Ed Wade’s ousted regime had drafted him 11th overall in June 2011 and left him for the ravaged organization as a parting gift. Springer was the type of player, with every tool you could want, with whom and around whom you might make something.