Thoughts on Crime and Punishment

So wow!  The Commish came down on the Astros today and the nuclear fallout is still raining down! Here's the deets:

1.  Commish held GM Jeff Luhnow and Manager AJ Hinch responsible for the sign stealing scheme even though they apparently were not involved in planning or implementing it.  Hinch actually actively opposed it, but failed to take steps that could have ended it.  After the Red Sox Apple Watch scandal, Manfred made it clear that teams management would be held responsible for future violations and he stuck to his guns.  Luhnow and Hinch both received 1 year suspensions.

2.  Almost immediately, Astros owner, Jim Crane, fired both Luhnow and Hinch, which he pretty much had to do.  This also means he is now without a GM in the middle of team-building season and will have to hire a new manager before spring training.

3.  The Astros as an organization were also fined $5 M, the maximum allowed by MLB's constitution.  That's chump change to an MLB team, but what is not chump change is the forfeiture of 1 consecutive first and second round draft picks in 2020 and 2021.  Should the Astros lose any of those picks for some reason, the penalty would be extended beyond those years until the required number of forfeitures is complete.  As Giants fans know all too well, when you lose first round draft picks or they don't pan out, it cripples your talent flow and success cannot be sustained.  The draft pick penalties are probably the harshest of all.

4.  The scheme was actually apparently hatched and carried out by two guys who are no longer with the Astros, Red Sox Manager Alex Cora and newly named Mets Manager Carlos Beltran.  Yes, THAT Carlos Beltran!  There is apparently another sign-stealing investigation ongoing into Alex Cora in his role as Red Sox manager. Manfred ominously said he would decide Cora's punishment after that investigation is complete which could happen about the time spring training or the season starts.  Yikes!  Don't think I would be sleeping too well right now if I'm Alex Cora!  Beltran apparently is off the hook since he was a player at the time and it was up to management to stop him. Not sure I agree with that, but them's apparently the rules.  MLB TV explained that getting into degrees of player involvement opens a huge can of worms.  Much simpler and clear cut to hold management responsible. I also have to say it's a bit hard for me to believe Cora and Beltran could have gotten the participation of the replay guys without clearance from someone higher in the organization.

I have to say I am OK with this punishment.  It is enough of a punishment that it should deter other organizations from thinking the punishment is just the cost of doing business and worth the risk. Of course that's easy for me to say now since it's not the Giants being punished.  Also, while I certainly don't wish the Dodgers had won the WS in 2017 and 2018, I can empathize with their fans for being upset they lost to one team that was definitely cheating and to another that probably was.

The draft pick penalty also marginally helps the Giants as they move their second round pick up by 1 slot and all subsequent picks up by 2 slots.  That can sometimes make a surprising difference in the quality of player you get.

One more thought, and I did not come up with this, but MLB has an opportunity to improve the replay process by banning the viewing rooms.  Make the manager decide to challenge or not challenge based on what he sees with his own eyes on the field.  That would likely result in fewer challenges limiting them to egregious mistakes.  Of course, teams will still have recording equipment which they could use for nefarious purposes, but this would take away an obvious temptation.