Houston Astros 2020 Off Season

This offseason has been a disaster for the Astros. Former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers ratted the team out last fall about how the Astros went about using electronic methods to steal signs of opposing pitchers at their home games. There is no earthly reason I can fathom why Fiers, 2 years removed from his days as an Astro for him to all of a sudden pimp out the Astros unless he was frustrated that the Astros smoked his new team, the Oakland A's, consistently over the past two seasons and he wanted revenge for the constant reminder that he was no longer part of the team where he won his one and only championship in MLB. The fact is, if it's petty jealousy the losses the A's suffered the past two years came both home and away which means the Astros could only have cheat 1/2 of the time. Furthermore the Astros won 101 games and fact is Houston won more games on the road (53-28) than they won at home (48-33) which is a clear indication that cheating at Minute Maid Park did not significantly influence the success of their season. The cheating only came at the Juice Box because there would not be able to set up cameras and communication in their opponent's stadiums. Mike Fiers is a rat and nothing will change my opinion of him. I don't wish any harm or ill fortune to come to him except for one thing, I hope the MLB players around the league give him the cold shoulder from here on out. He has cost people their jobs damaged the reputations of people that might not have deserved it and there is no reason why. Not only have AJ Hinch and Jeff Luhnow lost their jobs they are suspended for the entirety of the 2020 season. Alex Cora, who was the bench coach of the 2017 Astros was under investigation related to the cheating in Houston and allegations cheating with his new team. Cora won the manager's job in Boston before the 2018 season. Cora is linked to the cheating with both teams. This past week he was dismissed as the Red Sox manager. Former Astros player Carlos Beltran who was an Astros player was also part of the investigation. Just a few weeks ago he was hired as manager of the New York Mets. His tenure as manager only lasted a few weeks as he was let go this week as well. The cheating was wrong and some punishment was deserved but the backlash from this is very terrible and from all accounts this cheating was player driven and not one player, except Beltran has been punished. Beltran's only punishment came from the Mets not MLB.

The off season trouble began last October when form Astros executive Brandon Taubman got in the faces of female reporters basically yelling that he was glad the Astros signed closer Roberto Osuna, a person who was serving a suspension from MLB for domestic violence. A totally inappropriate and stupid thing for Taubman to do. At first the Astros gave support to Taubman until witnesses came forward to confirm the claims that he made totally inappropriate comments. The Astros looked foolish and damage control done by Jim Crane was to reassign Vice President of Business Operations to basically a consultants role. The move didn't sit well with Reid's father Nolan who let the Astros know he would no longer be part of the Astros organization going forward. The Ryans own the Astros AA Corpus Christi Hooks and AAA Round Rock Express. There is no doubt in my mind that when the contracts the Astros have with these teams expire neither team will remain part of the Astros organization. The Ryans, Nolan especially, are beloved in Houston and the fallout from this could mean that the damage done will cause people to not stand behind Crane. The PR damage done involving the Ryans may never be repaired. Crane effed up and only getting the Ryans back on board, severe grovelling may be required, could save face for Jim Crane. The season ended so badly with Houston losing the World Series after being up 3 games to 2 and the final 2 games at home was devastating. With the Ryans, Luhnow and Hinch gone the window for success for this Astros lineup may have not just closed, but it likely has slammed shut. As an Astros fan I don't hold much hope for their future success. There's a John Lennon song called, "Nobody Told Me" with the tag line, 'Strange days indeed', which is quite appropriate as we sit here less than a month from Spring Training.

If this cheating scandal had involved PED's, corking a bat, or gooping up the ball, that's one thing, but this organized cheating scandal ain't that.This cheating scandal is Lance Armstrong level organized cheating and cannot be forgiven. The 2017 Astro's should go into that special place, in baseball history hell, alongside the infamous 1919 Black Sox scandal.

The Astro's organization rolled some heads but the players walked and quite frankly, even if the Astro's rolled some big time players heads, I'm done with them. I still wonder, if Altuve, was grabbing and holding his jersey, in order to hide the signaling device? We'll never know and to hell with them.

If this cheating scandal had involved PED's, corking a bat, or gooping up the ball, that's one thing, but this organized cheating scandal ain't that.This cheating scandal is Lance Armstrong level organized cheating and cannot be forgiven. The 2017 Astro's should go into that special place, in baseball history hell, alongside the infamous 1919 Black Sox scandal.

 

The Astro's organization rolled some heads but the players walked and quite frankly, even if the Astro's rolled some big time players heads, I'm done with them. I still wonder, if Altuve, was grabbing and holding his jersey, in order to hide the signaling device? We'll never know and to hell with them.

Wow. Done with the Astros. The only way MLB commissioner got people to talk was promise players immunity or its likely none of this would have come to see the light of day.

The players have admitted wrong doing and they are sorry for bringing shade on the Astros organization. The fact is Boston got caught cheating before the Astros and I’m sure other teams were cheating too. In fact stealing signs and different ways (read cheating) are part of the DNA of baseball. Even Babe Ruth was involved in a cheating scam back in his day. The Astros cheating was taken to a new level when Carlos Beltran and Alex Cora came in and told the team they were behind the times given what they had seen with other clubs.

Stealing signs is definitely something that began back in the 1880s when pro baseball was in its infancy. There is a big difference between the 1919 Black Sox scandal and the Astros 2017 scandal. The Chicago White deliberately lost games for profit and to spite team owner Charles Comisky who was a ginormous knob. None of the teams did nothing less than try their hardest. The Dodgers lost the series because they didn’t score enough runs against Astros pitching. The Game 7 5-1 loss By the Dodgers was paced early on when Houston scored the first 2 runs as a result of a throwing error by Dodgers 1st baseman Cody Bellinger. The same Cody Bellinger who recently said the Astros stole the 2017 WS from them and Jose Altuve stole the league MVP from Aaron Judge. FYI, in response to Bellinger’s statement Carlos Correa gave compelling evidence as the fact Houston’s actions had little to do with winning the WS. In the same article Correa admitted his part in the cheating but he said 3 players refused to participate. Those players were Josh Reddick, Tony Kemp and one Jose Altuve. As for using electronic devices to signal players has been categorically denied by everyone and was cleared by the commissioner’s investigation. Altuve likely grabbed his shirt because he had it torn off before and he didn’t want it ripped off. Altuve maintained his integrity during all the mess. The commissioner’s investigation cleared Houston of any wrong doing before 2017 and most of 2018 and all of 2019. The cheating began in 2017 when Cora and Beltran arrived in Houston. It’s a sure bet electronic cheating had been taking place on the teams they were associated with before coming to Houston.

I’m disappointed by what the Astros did. But, I’m not done with them at all. The talent and effort is there and I don’t believe Houston was the only team to steal signs. What they meant to the people of Houston and all of SE Texas after Hurricane Harvey is worth any and all forgiveness we can muster.

If this cheating scandal had involved PED's, corking a bat, or gooping up the ball, that's one thing, but this organized cheating scandal ain't that.This cheating scandal is Lance Armstrong level organized cheating and cannot be forgiven. The 2017 Astro's should go into that special place, in baseball history hell, alongside the infamous 1919 Black Sox scandal.

 

The Astro's organization rolled some heads but the players walked and quite frankly, even if the Astro's rolled some big time players heads, I'm done with them. I still wonder, if Altuve, was grabbing and holding his jersey, in order to hide the signaling device? We'll never know and to hell with them.

I generally try to keep my activity on this board only to the Cards, but I have been an Astros fan since 1965. My take is, in the view of the MLB heirarchy aka....the Yankees and the Dodgers, the Astros "got out of their lane" by winning a world series. They weren't supposed to do that, but rather just dutifully roll over to the Yankees and Dodgers. That is why this has been such a big deal with the Astros and the Red Sox (hated by the Yanks) are collateral damage. I agree with Eagle Eye, sign stealing damn near predates baseball. Bobby Thompson knew what pitch was coming when he hit the shot heard round the world. If the Yankees were the team exposed for "electronic" sign stealing, you can bet everything you own that this would hardly be a blip on the radar. It would probably be championed as "the new high tech" evolution of baseball. This is all terribly overblown.. JMHO!!!

Wow. Done with the Astros. The only way MLB commissioner got people to talk was promise players immunity or its likely none of this would have come to see the light of day.

 

The players have admitted wrong doing and they are sorry for bringing shade on the Astros organization. The fact is Boston got caught cheating before the Astros and I’m sure other teams were cheating too. In fact stealing signs and different ways (read cheating) are part of the DNA of baseball. Even Babe Ruth was involved in a cheating scam back in his day. The Astros cheating was taken to a new level when Carlos Beltran and Alex Cora came in and told the team they were behind the times given what they had seen with other clubs.

 

Stealing signs is definitely something that began back in the 1880s when pro baseball was in its infancy. There is a big difference between the 1919 Black Sox scandal and the Astros 2017 scandal. The Chicago White deliberately lost games for profit and to spite team owner Charles Comisky who was a ginormous knob. None of the teams did nothing less than try their hardest. The Dodgers lost the series because they didn’t score enough runs against Astros pitching. The Game 7 5-1 loss By the Dodgers was paced early on when Houston scored the first 2 runs as a result of a throwing error by Dodgers 1st baseman Cody Bellinger. The same Cody Bellinger who recently said the Astros stole the 2017 WS from them and Jose Altuve stole the league MVP from Aaron Judge. FYI, in response to Bellinger’s statement Carlos Correa gave compelling evidence as the fact Houston’s actions had little to do with winning the WS. In the same article Correa admitted his part in the cheating but he said 3 players refused to participate. Those players were Josh Reddick, Tony Kemp and one Jose Altuve. As for using electronic devices to signal players has been categorically denied by everyone and was cleared by the commissioner’s investigation. Altuve likely grabbed his shirt because he had it torn off before and he didn’t want it ripped off. Altuve maintained his integrity during all the mess. The commissioner’s investigation cleared Houston of any wrong doing before 2017 and most of 2018 and all of 2019. The cheating began in 2017 when Cora and Beltran arrived in Houston. It’s a sure bet electronic cheating had been taking place on the teams they were associated with before coming to Houston.

 

I’m disappointed by what the Astros did. But, I’m not done with them at all. The talent and effort is there and I don’t believe Houston was the only team to steal signs. What they meant to the people of Houston and all of SE Texas after Hurricane Harvey is worth any and all forgiveness we can muster.

There is no right or wrong answer, so everybody's opinion is right. My opinion, these were and are grown men, who had to have known, that above and beyond cheating was happening. Some used the sign stealing system and the others turned a blind eye, to the ones who were. We'll never know, who was cheating, when the cheating happened, did the cheating affect the game's outcome, or, if the cheating effected which teams or players made the playoffs. What we do know and what the Asterisk's have acknowledged doing is they did it and they did it, on such an elevated and premeditated level, that lord knows, how many other pro players careers were possibly or , in reality, negatively affected. Multiple other players have let it be known, that they have lost all respect for the Asterisk players. These were grown men, who screwed over opposing players, opposing teams, and opposing fans, in such a way, that, what was done, can't be undone. The stain of this scandal will never be washed away. Even, after every Asterisk player, who may have been involved, has long since retired. The biggest cheating scandals, in the 151 years of MLB history, are now the 1919 Black Sox's and the 2017 Asterisks.

Cora and Beltran may have started it but Hinch, Altuve, Bregman, and the others knew and didn't stop it, that's all that matters. To hell with them, I'm done with them, and that's my opinion.

No Astros season? No problem. I will invent one. It will go according to the Astros published schedule and play out with the roster that we currently know. So, sit back and relax and enjoy!!!

First, the roster.

Starting rotation in order of rotation;

Ø Verlander

Ø Greinke

Ø McCullers

Ø Urquidy

Ø Austin Pruitt (acquired in offseason from Tampa Bay. Likely Jeff Luhnow’s last move with Houston.

Bullpen;

Ø Osuna (closer)

Ø Pressly (set up man)

Ø Smith (set up man)

Ø Devenski

Ø Peacock

Ø James

Ø Biagini

Ø Valdez

Infield;

Ø 1B Gurriel

Ø 2B Altuve

Ø SS Correa

Ø 3B Bregman

Outfield;

Ø Springer CF

Ø Brantley LF

Ø Reddick RF

Bench;

Ø Kyle Tucker

Ø Yordan Alvarez (DH)

Ø Aledmys Diaz

Ø Myles Straw

Ø Abraham Toro

Aaron Sanchez who made only four starts with Houston after being acquired in a trade with Toronto last summer was not given a tender offer by the Astros in December making him a free agent. Sanchez combined with three other pitchers including Joe Biagini for a no-hitter in his first start as an Astro. It was discovered after his 4th start he had a torn muscle in his upper chest area that required surgery to fix. He will be out the whole of the 2020 season and his future career in baseball is in real question.

If you have any issue about this roster let me know now or the season commences tomorrow!