The Tampa Bay Rays saw division-rivals, Boston Red Sox win the World Series in 2018. Last season, the Rays were eliminated in the ALDS in five games by the Houston Astros.
Both teams were engrossed in the sign-stealing scandal this past off-season.
Both teams lost their managers and the Astros lost their general manager. After the Rays’ lost to Astros in the ALDS last year, the Red Sox hired away the Rays’ Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations, Chaim Bloom.
Now, the Astros have taken their current Vice President of Baseball Operations, just over three months later.