The biggest scandal to hit Major League Baseball in recent memory finally has its conclusion. Monday afternoon, Jeff Passan reported that Houston Astros manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow would each face suspensions that will run through the 2020 season for their involvement in the team’s 2017 cheating violations. Not long after, Passan reported that Astros owner Jim Crane had fired both Luhnow and Hinch. In addition to the suspensions, Houston will lose their first and second round draft picks in 2020 and 2021, as well as facing a fine of $5 million. No players, not even Carlos Beltran–the player who allegedly spearheaded the strategy–will face suspension.
Former bench coach Alex Cora, supposedly the only coach who was an active participant in the scandal, will reportedly face a punishment even harsher than Hinch and Luhnow’s, not only due to his heavy involvement, but also because of the current position in the MLB’s investigation into the Boston Red Sox for similar infractions. A decision on Cora will likely have to wait until that investigation concludes, but as for Houston, their punishments are final.
