How 7 years worth of evidence finally vindicated Houston Astros
FACTS NOT NOISE
01 September 2023
As we look back at the sign-stealing scandal and how things have played over the last several years, one thing is very clear. The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox benefited from the scandal way more than the Astros.
Almost seven seasons have now passed by, and only the Astros have been in the mix every year for a championship. Compare that to the Red Sox and Yankees, who are currently battling over which team will finish last in the AL East.
Alex Cora has always needed an edge to win a championship, like 2018 when he took the tactics he learned from Carlos Beltran in Houston, and used them to help win a championship with Boston.
Just recently, Astros starter JP France was tipping pitches and the Red Sox took advantage, tagging France for 10 earned runs. Just one week later, France made the adjustment and led the Astros to a victory over the BoSox allowing only two runs over 5.2 innings.
Plus, we discuss how the perception of Jose Altuve has changed in recent years.
Don't miss the video above for the full conversation!
If you enjoy the videos, subscribe on YouTube for our latest content.
Listen to The Bench with John Granato and Lance Zierlein weekday mornings on ESPN 97.5 and 92.5 FM.
What the Juan Soto deal means for Houston Astros championship window
Dec 9, 2024, 4:01 pm
Over the weekend, the big domino finally fell with Juan Soto agreeing to a 15-year, $765 million megadeal with the New York Mets. Which means Alex Bregman and the other top free agents on the market should soon follow in short order.
In fact, we're already seeing reports from Rob Bradford of WEEI and USA Today’s Bob Nightengale claiming that the Red Sox and Yankees are “expected” to make a run at Bregman.
Soto heading to the National League certainly feels like a win for Astros fans, but that could change if missing out on Soto causes the Yankees to pry Breggy away from Houston.
We'll have to wait and see how this plays out before we get too excited. However, one thing is for sure, all the free agents on the market have to be thrilled about the size of Soto's deal. Not to mention Willy Adames' 7-year, $182 million deal with the Giants that could help Bregman's chances of receiving a more lucrative deal than the Astros reportedly offered him, 6- years, $154 million.
What's really eye-opening about Soto's contract is how it could impact Framber Valdez and Kyle Tucker, specifically Tucker. It's hard to imagine Tucker won't get an offer of at least $300 million, and at this point $400 million wouldn't surprise us.
Historically, the Astros don't trade their big name free agents before their contracts expire, but perhaps they should rethink that approach with King Tuck. If they won't even entertain a deal approaching $300 million, it might be worth taking a step back this year to replenish the farm system and focus on the team long-term.
Speaking of trades, the Astros are reportedly calling anyone who will listen about the availability of Ryan Pressly.
Don't miss the video above as we react to the Soto deal, share our thoughts on how it could impact the Astros championship window, and much more!
Most Popular
SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome
Listen Live
