On Monday afternoon, Major League Baseball announced penalties to the Houston Astros, manager AJ Hinch and General Manager Jeff Luhnow. Hinch and Luhnow were swiftly relieved of their duties by Astros owner Jim Crane following the announcement. The Astros organization was fined a league record $5 million, and they will forfeit first and second round picks in the 2020 and 2021 draft.
On the surface, it appears that an extensive investigation was conducted and the penalties handed down by MLB are harsh. It is clear that the Astros cheated, but don’t be fooled by the baseball dropping the hammer on the scapegoats.