David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Unanswered Questions as Anti-Astros Anger Rolls On with No End in Sight

Jacob Shafer

The Houston Astros are the villains of MLB in the wake of the sign-stealing scandal that rocked the franchise and the sport this offseason. Their latest attempt to bandage that gaping wound did nothing to stanch the bleeding.

In fact, the 'Stros cut themselves deeper.

In a news conference Thursday, owner Jim Crane flipped and flopped more than a mackerel out of water. Astros stars Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman issued brief pseudo-apologies.

The backlash was swift, strong and widespread. Reigning National League MVP Cody Bellinger of the Los Angeles Dodgers called Crane's remarks "weak," per Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.

That seemed to be the consensus.

We'll dive deeper into Crane and his comments as we parse a half-dozen burning questions that will haunt the Astrosand the players, coaches and executives involved in the cheating schemefor years to come.  

Is Carlos Beltran Out of the Hall of Fame?

David Phillip/Associated Press

By the numbers alone, Carlos Beltran is a no-doubt Hall of Fame inductee, with 435 home runs, nine All-Star appearances and three Gold Gloves spread over a 20-year career.

That said, in his final year as a player in 2017, Beltran helped concoct the Astros' elaborate sign-stealing effort. In fact, he's the only player named in Commissioner Rob Manfred's report, which notes:

"Approximately two months into the 2017 season, a group of players, including Carlos Beltran, discussed that the team could improve on decoding opposing teams' signs and communicating the signs to the batter. [Then-bench coach Alex] Cora arranged for a video room technician to install a monitor displaying the center field camera feed immediately outside of the Astros' dugout. ... Witnesses have provided largely consistent accounts of how the monitor was utilized. One or more players watched the live feed of the center field camera on the monitor, and after decoding the sign, a player would bang a nearby trash can with a bat to communicate the upcoming pitch type to the batter."

Cora, who was fired this offseason as manager of the Boston Red Sox, is feeling the repercussions of this revelation.

But it's even more impactful for Beltran, an all-time great player who also lost his gig as manager of the New York Mets before it began.

In a world in which Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are annually excluded from the Hall of Fame for allegedly cheating via performance-enhancing drugs, it's tough to justify that Beltran should ever get a bust in Cooperstown.

How Will This Impact George Springer's Impending Free Agency?

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

Center fielder George Springer made his third straight All-Star appearance in 2019, hitting 39 home runs with a .974 OPS. He is set to hit free agency after the 2020 season.

For a guy who will turn 31 in September, that ought to equal a massive multiyear payday.

But for Springer (and all the subsequent Astros hitters from this era who reach free agency), there will be two issues.

Issue No. 1: You played on a team that cheated, and you'll bring questions and potential distractions.

Issue No 2: How much were your numbers padded by the sign-stealing?

Springer won't be out of a job. Inking an extension with Houston might be his safest play. But if he tests the market, clubs will come calling.

That said, the stain of this ordeal will drive his value down at least a few notches in terms of years and dollars.

Can Dusty Baker Right the Ship?

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

After firing manager AJ Hinch (who had been suspended one year by MLB), the Astros opted to sign 70-year-old Dusty Baker as their new skipper.

Baker made his big league debut in 1968 and, after playing until 1986, he managed the San Francisco Giants from 1993 to 2002, the Chicago Cubs from 2003 to 2006, the Cincinnati Reds from 2008 to 2013 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2017.

In all, Baker posted a 1,863-1,636 managerial record.

Mostly, though, he's a throwback. He's drawn criticism for his handling of pitchers (particularly during his time in Chicago) and some anachronistic notions about offense.

On the other hand, he's a seasoned clubhouse leader and noted players' manager.

He won't make or break the Astros' season, nor will he quell all the negativity that will keep coming Houston's way. But on a short-term deal (one year with a club option for a second), this was a savvy hire for a franchise in crisis.

Will the Buzzer Controversy Haunt Jose Altuve Forever?

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is an easy guy to root for: diminutive, energetic and one heck of a ballplayer.

So the allegations that he might have been wearing some sort of buzzer or electronic device to alert him what pitch was coming when he hit a walk-off home run off New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman in the 2019 American League Championship Series are alarming.

Altuve appeared to signal his teammates not to tear off his jersey as he rounded third base, leading many to speculate he had a device on underneath.

"It's not the first time I did that. If you go back multiple times I did that," Altuve said, per Kevin Kernan of the New York Post. "That doesn't mean I have a buzzer. MLB did their investigation, and they didn't find anything. They found what they found in 2017. They did a really good investigation in 2017. They did an investigation on the buzzer, and they didn't find anything. When you are saying you don't believe that I didn't have a buzzer, you don't believe what MLB investigated."

Is that an outright denial or a series of verbal gymnastics?

As Yankees manager Aaron Boone put it, per Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News, "It at least feels like there's a lot of coincidental things and a lot of smoke."

We may never know definitively, and Altuve's career will be forever tainted by this accusation. Like with Beltran and his role in the scandal, it could cost him a place in the Hall of Fame.

How Long Will the Boos Last?

Tim Warner/Getty Images

The Astros are going to hear it in a bad way when they play away from home, and they may even get a smattering of boos at Minute Maid Park.

But how long will it last? Will the 'Stros be forced to play the perpetual heel between Opening Day and the postseason (assuming they make it)?

Maybe. But remember, we live in a world in which the news cycle lasts 24 hours at best and there's always a new controversy around the corner.

The Astros bungled the latest stop on their apology tour. Their stars are tarnished, as is their recent run of success and 2017 Commissioner's Trophy.

But fans will move on at some point, assuming Houston remains shenanigan-free for the foreseeable future.

The Astros won't be MLB's darlings, but the pariah thing can only carry on so long.

Should MLB Drop the Hammer on Jim Crane?

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

MLB's report did not indicate owner Jim Crane knew about or participated in the sign-stealing. Yet it strains credulity that the man in charge of a major sports franchise would have zero knowledge of something this widespread, longstanding and potentially damaging.

So what did Crane have to say for himself at Thursday's news conference? Here are a few choice quotes:

"[If] I'd have known about it, I'd have done something about it. But I'm not in the locker room. I'm not down in the dugout. So it was very difficult, and I didn't know about it until November, just like you guys."

"I think I've done just about everything I can."

"I don't think I should be held accountable."

Really?

Or did you do the bare minimum to cover your ass when the you-know-what hit the fan, firing your manager and general manager and tossing everyone other than yourself under the bus?

Maybe Crane didn't get a whiff of the blatant cheating that was going on under his nose. Or maybe he did and chose to ignore it—and then lie about it. Either way, that's deeply troubling.

Sure, he fired his manager and GM, had to pay a $5 million fine and surrendered some draft picks. That isn't nothing.

But it seems like Crane is hoping to escape all culpability and hasn't been punished in any meaningful way.

   

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