With the 2020 MLB season right around the corner, pitchers and catchers have already reported for Spring Training.
The Houston Astros have not had a normal Spring Training so far, unlike other teams. Players, ownership, and personnel alike have been peppered with questions about the cheating scandal.
Reds right-handed pitcher Trevor Bauer and Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger are among many players who have expressed harsh words toward the team for cheating the integrity of the game as well as changing the narrative of guys like Clayton Kershaw.
Some of them believe that they think that the 2017 World Series Championship against the Los Angeles Dodgers should be stripped as well.
What is going to be interesting this season is that how many times will players on the Houston Astros be pegged in the batter’s box. Manager Dusty Baker has expressed his concern about it because he knows it is coming this season.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has already proclaimed that whoever throws at Astros players intentionally will most likely get punished.
Speaking of punishment, whey didn’t Manfred punish the Houston Astros players harder in the first place? Had guys like Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve, and Carlos Correa been suspended, there would be nothing to worry about and they would have served their punishment.
Instead, this has the making to get ugly across Major League ballparks in 2020.
Even if they probably would have won the World Series in 2017 without cheating, what would have happened if they lost it? Would we still be talking about the cheating scandal today?
It is tough to answer, but the ring leaders of the entire thing are Carlos Beltran and Alex Cora, both of whom were let go as manager by their respective clubs.
Players like Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, and Jose Altuve will have the biggest targets on their backs this season because they were the ones that spoke to the media the most about this, on top of them being top Houston players.
It doesn’t help things knowing that Astros owner Jim Crane has also done little to diffuse the situation, making comment after comment that has done nothing but infuriate fan bases around the league.
Last but not least, according to Scott Miller, national MLB Columnist for Bleacher Report and Turner Sports, mentioned that “Commissioner Manfred says he expects severe restrictions on players having access to live in-game videos in 2020. Says MLB is in discussion with Players Union on this.”
