BRAD LIDGE BRINGS THE HEAT
Exclusive: Brad Lidge reveals why Astros have a huge advantage
Jun 8, 2020, 7:13 pm
Photo By Elsa/Getty Images.
We still have no idea if we will even have a 2020 MLB season as baseball's owners and the MLBPA continue their tone-deaf negotiations publicly in the midst of a pandemic and increased racial tensions sweeping the nation.
However, if MLB does prevent itself from driving off a cliff and can strike a deal with its players, the Houston Astros coming off the revelation of the teams 2017 sign-stealing cheating scandal, might actually have a significant advantage according to former Astros All-Star closer Brad Lidge.
"It is absolutely amazing how this thing has played out to the benefit of the Houston Astros players," Brad Lidge said on The Jake Asman Show on Gow Media's SB Nation Radio. "The one thing that I will keep coming back to is, I think collectively we all understand that there are bigger things out there, more important issues. After what everybody in this country has been through, I think it's going to be pretty hard to go out there and boo the players with the same energy had the coronavirus not hit us. I also think because of the fact there are not going to be as many fans in the stands that will also benefit guys."
Lidge does point out that if there are fewer people in the stands in states that might allow fans to attend games at a lower capacity that sometimes you can actually hear a lot more.
"If there are a really few fans, sometimes you can hear those fans more when there is not as much white noise," Lidge said. "But as a general rule, this is a huge blessing for the Houston Astro players. I think the globe has been through a lot more, a lot bigger things than the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal."
While the sports world is no longer focused on the Astros for the time being, Lidge notes that things will change over time.
"It's a huge obviously, egregious foul for the game of baseball but there are bigger more important things right now," Lidge said. "At some point that will be a focus again once baseball gets going."
You can listen to The Jake Asman Show weekdays from 8 AM-10 AM Central on SB Nation Radio.
You can listen to the full interview with Brad Lidge below:
How national media's biggest oversight of Astros plays into their favor
Mar 17, 2025, 4:57 pm
The Houston Texans have secured their lockdown corner for the future, agreeing to a three-year, $90 million extension with Derek Stingley Jr., according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal includes a staggering $89 million in guaranteed money, making Stingley one of the highest-paid defensive backs in NFL history.
Record deal: Texans All-Pro CB Derek Stingley Jr has agreed to a three-year, $90 million extension including $89 million guaranteed. At $30M base value per year, Stingley is now the highest paid defensive back in NFL history. The CB market has been completely reset.
Deal… pic.twitter.com/g8nzFFFQvj
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 17, 2025
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler is reporting that Stingley's extension will kick in after his fifth-year option, which the Texans picked up ahead of the extension. He's now under team control for the next five seasons.
Derek Stingley Jr.'s new deal with the #Texans includes a fifth-year option that he was slated to receive in 2026. So, he's under the #Texans' contractual control for five seasons -- two from his rookie deal, plus the three-year, $90M extension reached today.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 17, 2025
Stingley, 23, is coming off a breakout All-Pro season in which he recorded five interceptions (seven if you include the playoffs) and proved to be one of the league’s elite shutdown corners. His performance was instrumental in the Texans' defensive resurgence, solidifying his role as a cornerstone of the franchise.
The only lingering concern for Houston is Stingley’s durability. While he played all 17 regular season games in 2025, it was the first time he managed a full season in the NFL. Injuries limited him to just nine games in 2022 and 11 in 2023. The Texans are banking on his ability to stay on the field, confident that his elite talent outweighs the risks.
With this extension, Houston locks in a defensive playmaker as they continue to build a championship-caliber roster around quarterback C.J. Stroud. If Stingley stays healthy, this investment could pay massive dividends for the Texans' future.
*ChatGPT assisted.