MLB Suspends AJ Hinch for Year; No Suspension for Beltran ... Yet

Major League Baseball has come down hard on the Houston Astros for the sign-stealing scandal, suspending Astros Manager A.J. Hinch and General Manager Jeff Luhnow for one year for their roles in allowing cheating to take place during Houston's 2017 World Series Championship run.

After the suspension was levied by Major League Baseball, the Astros turned around and fired both Hinch and Luhnow from their jobs.

In addition, ESPN is reporting Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who was an integral member of the Astros coaching staff in 2017 is in danger of facing a heavy suspension for not only his efforts in the Astros scandal, but a similar scandal with the Red Sox during their World Series run in 2018.

Mets manager Carlos Beltran, who was a player on the Astros in 2017, and was rumored to be an integral member of the scandal, is not facing a suspension because he was a player.

MLB is also fining the Astros $5 million and taking away their first and second round draft picks in 2020 and 2021.

Compared to the suspensions levied by the NFL for the Patriots Deflatgate and Spygate scandals, MLB came down very, very hard on the Astros, and deservedly so.

It is amazing that Beltran avoids suspension when reports indicated that he was a major part of sign-stealing scandal where the Astros used trash cans and video cameras to send out signals to hitters.  In November Beltran even told New York Post writer Joel Sherman that the Astros stole signs legally without the aide of cameras.

It is also amazing that no players were suspended for their roles in the scandal, since they were the beneficiaries of it, and were involved knowingly.

Clearly Beltran said enough in MLB's investigation to avoid blame, and as a result will manage the Mets this season for all 162 games, unless MLB finds something to conclude otherwise.

This now ends a tense and terse period where we didn't hear a lot from Rob Manfred nor Major League Baseball and its Player's Union on the issue since the story broke in early November. With Spring Training just three weeks away, baseball's decision is going to have a very direct affect on the Astros and possibly the Red Sox seasons.

The Mets should consider themselves lucky that Beltran avoids suspension. Had that happened, General Manager Brodie Van Wagenen would have suffered a major public relations backlash for hiring a manager who ultimately would have been outed.

Instead the focus turns back to a Mets team with an inexperienced skipper, with a team that has major holes that still need to be filled before the start of the season.