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Punishing the Cardinals is tough: It makes the Astros better
Tuesday’s Say Hey, Baseball looks at the Cardinals’ hacking scandal, Dodgers with dogs, and Sean Rodriguez’s family.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
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Many industry people feel that the Cardinals got off relatively light for the hacking scandal involving Astros’ scouting data. Chris Correa is in prison for almost four years, and that’s not a light punishment, but the Cardinals’ organization itself just had to give up a couple of non-first-round draft picks and $2 million when a verdict finally came down from MLB. It’s not nothing, but considering that even earlier draft picks have a pretty good chance of busting before they even hit the minors, it’s also not a whole lot.
Don’t read that as saying the Cardinals should have been hit even harder by Major League Baseball, however. The thing about this kind of compensatory punishment is that, while the Cardinals lose picks and a little bit of cash, the Astros gained it. And if the Cardinals lost even more picks -- say, a second-round pick next year or even a first on top of the ones they lost now -- then the Astros might be satisfied, but what about the rest of the league? They don’t necessarily want the Astros being given a whole bunch of extra draft picks that they can then potentially use to strengthen their organization for years to come.
Is that fair, to take into account the feelings of, say, the Rangers, when sentencing the Cardinals? Probably not, given it wasn’t their scouting information that was illicitly accessed. But it’s the kind of thing Rob Manfred likely has to consider when figuring out punishment for something like this. Correa’s sentencing and jail time is what’s supposed to keep other teams from attempting something similar in the future. Punishing the Cardinals was just closing the book on something that’s been in the news for far too long for MLB’s tastes.
- The Cardinals gave up two picks, sure, but thanks to signing Dexter Fowler and “earning” a competitive balance pick, they didn’t have to give up anything significant, writes Grant Brisbee.
- What do baseball players do in the offseason? Yasiel Puig and Joc Pederson apparently go golfing while holding dogs.
- The Yankees have quite a few prospects. How did things go the last time they had a farm system like this one?
- The feds believe the Cardinals hacked the Astros as retribution for that Sports Illustrated cover that you have definitely made fun of before.
- The Mets already picked their opening day starter, and it’s Noah Syndergaard.
- It would be a symbolic gesture, but Over the Monster believes Rick Porcello should be the opening day starter for the Red Sox.
- The Royals have some new looks in the lineup this year, so what should it look like in 2017?
- Sean Rodriguez and his family were in a car crash over the weekend, and his wife says they are lucky to be alive.
- Trea Turner is already ranked as the No. 4 shortstop by MLB, which is the kind of thing that probably makes the Rays very upset every time they look at Steven Souza.
- Here is some food named after baseball players.
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