Houston Astros: What Does Rob Manfred’s Ruling Actually Mean?

It’s finally here Houston Astros’ fans — the news we’ve been finally been waiting for has arrived.

It’s finally here Houston Astros’ fans — the news we’ve been finally been waiting for has arrived.

Major League Baseball has wrapped up its full-scale investigation in regard to the hacking scandal that was initiated by the St. Louis Cardinals that started to simmer some two years ago.

Now that the case has been closed, Chris Correa is far under the jail at least for the next couple of years, the remaining penalties have been doled out and they’re definitely a doozy.

Here’s a copy of the ruling certified by Commissioner Rob Manfred via ESPN’s Jayson Stark earlier yesterday:

So there it is — the hammer has been dropped down by the big kahuna.

As a result, the Houston Astros will get two of the Cards highest picks — the 56th and 75th picks — plus $2 million in cash paid directly to the aforementioned.

In addition, Correa — the mastermind of hacking strategy — has been banned for life from MLB.

That last portion was to be expected because cheating should not be tolerated in any fashion and the stiffest penalties should be enforced.

This ensures that those who do the right thing and work hard toward their craft are not begotten as well as to not fall by the wayside.

This is handsome compensation considering that the Houston Astros own the 15th, 53rd and 91st selections in this June’s amateur draft.

But is it enough?

Most would say yes but here’s a wrinkle.

The Cards just signed Dexter Fowler to a five-year, $82.5 million deal this past off season and they had to give up a pick in the deal to make it work.

It turns out that it will be the Cards’ 28th pick for this year’s draft that they’ve now shipped to the Chicago Cubs, his former team.

I know there’s a price to pay for talent but don’t you think that the Cards wanted to unload that pick as quickly as possible to ensure we don’t get it?

I know, I know — it’s far-fetched and we could all chalk it up to the cost of doing business but the fact that we’re getting the 56th — not the 28th pick — is quite disappointing.

Tyler Kepner of the New York Times mentions that the league could’ve forced the Cards to give up future picks if the league really wanted to hit them where it hurts.

I totally agree with this — I would’ve been willing to wait to get something better.

Lest us not all forget that old adage of “good things happen to those who wait.”

Oh well — it’s water under bridge and now this franchise has extra picks and cash to play with now.

Will they use them?

Of course — but the question is how.

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There are still needs to be met for this roster heading into the 2017 season and it’d be nice if we can make a deal to get some starting pitching from *cough* *cough* Jose Quintana.

As much as I highly doubt that will happen, the Houston Astros will pick to the best of their ability and hope those picks pan out.

You never know, there may be a diamond in the rough.

But nonetheless, the amount of punishment was given at just the right dose, no more or less.

Let’s just hope years from now we can talk about how this court ruling affected the Astros shaping their already bright future.

Until then — TAKE THAT CARDS! PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT!

And I’m spent — go Astros.