MLB News and Notes: Sign-Stealing Scandal Creates Havoc

As we are less than a month until pitchers and catchers report, the minds of many fans are starting to shift to opening day. Fanfests are being held around the country, and a sense of excitement is in the air.
Despite that excitement of the upcoming season, Major League Baseball has been rocking the headlines this week due to the sign-stealing scandal. Let’s take a look at the punishments that were levied, as well as other news from around the league.
Astros Levied Punishments
The Houston Astros have been clouded in controversy throughout the past several months, and it certainly came to a head this week. In a statement issued by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, the Astros were found to have been using technology improperly to gain a competitive advantage in 2017 (the year they won the World Series) and for the early part of 2018.
It appears that the Astros had set up a camera in centerfield pointed at the catcher. Using this camera in real-time, they were able to decode the catcher’s signs and then relay possible pitches coming to the batter using noise emanated from hitting a garbage can.
As a result, Manfred hit the Astros with the following penalties: a $5 million fine for the organization, loss of first- and second-round draft picks for both this year and next year’s drafts, and manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow were suspended for one year each. In regards to this last penalty, team owner Jim Crane subsequently fired the two after the penalties were released.
Speaking of being fired, two of the most notable people named in the report as having conspired in the cheating were then-bench coach Alex Cora and then-player Carlos Beltran. Both of these two had moved on, as Cora became the Red Sox manager in 2018, and Beltran was just named the Mets’ manager this offseason. As a result of this report, both of these two have been fired from their respective positions as well.
That now leaves three teams (Astros, Red Sox, Mets) with vacant managerial positions with just a few weeks until spring training, while the Astros are also without a general manager.
In addition to the Astros, the Red Sox are being investigated for using technology to gain a competitive advantage in 2018, the year they won the World Series. While that investigation is not complete, it is very likely that the Red Sox will also face penalties and that Cora may also receive a formal ban from baseball.
This story seems to continue to grow every day, though, and now it appears that the United States Congress may also be interested in taking a look at the problem and investigating how far this controversy reaches in baseball.
It does appear that it could extend further, as even Jack McDowell, the former Chicago White Sox hurler, said that the White Sox under Tony La Russa were doing this as early as the 1980s.
There have also been accusations that the Astros were using buzzers to alert hitters of possible pitches as recently as last year, but Major League Baseball said there was no validity to those claims as its investigation found nothing of merit in regards to those accusations.
Springer Settles With Astros
With Luhnow out as general manager, Astros owner Jim Crane has been overseeing a lot of the duties in the interim until a new general manager can be found. With that in mind, his first step as the interim general manager was to come to an agreement with centerfielder George Springer.
The Astros and Springer were pretty far apart in the numbers submitted for arbitration, as the Astros submitted $17.5 million while Springer was at $22.5 million. The two sides agreed to a $21 million deal.
Springer is entering the last year of his deal and will be a free agent after this upcoming season. Crane and the Astros have said they would love to work out an extension with the All-Star centerfielder, but it will be interesting to see if Springer would prefer to test the market or even escape the turmoil that has become the Astros.
Last season, Springer hit .292/.383/.591 with 39 home runs, 96 runs batted in and 96 runs scored in just 479 at-bats.
Twins Sign Donaldson
Josh Donaldson, one of the few premier free agents, decided to accept a four-year, $92 million deal with the Minnesota Twins. The deal also has a club option for a fifth year that would be worth $16 million.
Donaldson, who played with the Atlanta Braves last year, was weighing multiple offers but ultimately went with the Twins. With the deal, Donaldson will play third while incumbent Miguel Sano will move over to play first base.
At 34, Donaldson is past his prime but still managed to hit .259/.379/.521 with 37 home runs, 94 runs batted in and 96 runs scored for Atlanta.
With his addition, the Twins are putting together quite the slugging lineup, as now six players in their lineup will have hit 30 or more home runs last season. One concern with Donaldson has always been health, but when right, he is one of the elite third basemen in the game.
Giants Sign Smyly
The San Francisco Giants also made an addition this week, signing left-handed pitcher Drew Smyly to a one-year deal worth $4 million plus incentives. Last season, splitting time between the Texas Rangers and Philadelphia Phillies, Smyly went 4-7 with a 6.24 ERA, 1.59 WHIP and struck out 120 in 114 innings.