Report: Astros investigation progressing and discipline seems likely

Based on what we know, it's entirely possible the Astros participated in sign-stealing aided by a live feed from a center-field camera. The Astros maintain their belief that their actions were “in line with industry standards,” according to Andy Martino of SNY.tv.  The newest sticking point is an insistence out of Houston that the camera in question was already in place and not purchased/installed specifically for the purpose of stealing signs. It may seem a bizarre place to draw a...

Report: Astros witnesses deny installing special camera for sign-stealing

Witnesses with knowledge of the Houston Astros’ 2017 sign-stealing allegations admitted that the team did electronically steal signs, but they denied one of the more specific allegations levied against the team. In the original allegation levied by ex-Astros pitcher Mike Fiers, it was claimed that the Astros used a center field camera to steal signs. Witnesses interviewed by MLB have denied that the camera was installed as part of the operation, according to Andy Martino of SNY. The camera...

Report: Astros Admit Sign Stealing to MLB, Deny Installing Special Camera

Members of the Houston Astros organization reportedly admitted to stealing signs during recent interviews with Major League Baseball...

2020 Hall of Fame Election Coverage

The 2019 Ceremony | Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Collecting TCB’s pieces previewing and recapping the 2020 Hall of Fame election

Here’s a collection of every piece at The Crawfish Boxes covering the 2019-2020 Hall of Fame election process, including both the BBWAA ballot and the Veterans Committee.

Astros avoid arbitration with Lance McCullers Jr.

The Astros have avoided arbitration with righty Lance McCullers Jr., according to (Twitter links). He’ll receive $4.1 million. That’s just what MLBTR and Matt Swartz projected McCullers to earn. But it’d be disingenuous to claim credit for this one. The talented hurler missed the 2019 season, so he was clearly in line for a repeat salary. McCullers, 26, will be looking to return from Tommy John surgery in his penultimate season of team control. When last we saw him, in 2018, he turned...

Astros Crawfish Boil: December 13th, 2019

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Start your morning with some of the best Astros links around

Check out the rest of the Crawfish Boxes here and listen to the latest version of Locked on Astros, our partnered podcast, here.

The Astros are still on the hunt for a primary catcher this offseason (MLB.com)
But the available choices still on the market are starting to dwindle (Texas Sports Nation, $$$)
They have been looking at trades as well, including talking to the Dodgers about...

Recapping the 2020 Veterans Committee Election, and What it Means Going Forward

New Hall of Fame inductee Ted Simmons | Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Ted Simmons and Marvin Miller are the first two Hall of Famers of this election cycle

On Sunday, we finally got our first Hall of Fame results for the 2020 Election cycle: the Veterans Committee has elected a pair of long-neglected candidates, Ted Simmons and Marvin Miller. Simmons received thirteen of sixteen possible votes, while Miller hit the twelve he needed for induction exactly. Both were long-overdue, as I...

GM Jeff Luhnow Told Carlos Correa 'He's an Astro' Amid Trade Rumors

A report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic on Tuesday said the Houston Astros had " entertained" the idea of trading star shortstop Carlos Correa to trim payroll...

Carlos Correa interrupts honeymoon to contact Astros GM about trade rumors

Carlos Correa’s name came up in trade speculation on Tuesday, leading the shortstop to take time out of his honeymoon to call Jeff Luhnow, the Astros general manager told reporters (including MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart).   Luhnow told the former Rookie Of The Year to not worry about the reports, and he further dismissed the idea of any major trades on Wednesday, telling media members that he would be “surprised if we moved any of our core players.”   Some type of creative salary...

Astros Crawfish Boil: December 12th, 2019

Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Start your morning with some of the best Astros links around

Check out the rest of the Crawfish Boxes here and listen to the latest version of Locked on Astros, our partnered podcast, here.

MLB has promised that the Astros probe will be the most thorough in the history of the game (AP News)
But that hasn’t stopped the team from engaging in conversations about potential trades, and here are some notes on that (MLB Trade Rumors)
That includes the fact...

The Three-Batter Minimum Should Only Reinforce Will Harris’ Value

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The free-agent reliever is likely to have plenty of the suitors this offseason, thanks in part to his overall effectiveness in 2019.

Starting next season, Major League Baseball will implement a new three-batter minimum rule designed to cut down on the number of pitching changes and improve the pace of play during games. From MLB.com, the new rule “requires pitchers to either face a minimum of three batters in an appearance or pitch to the end of a...

Report: Yankees interested in signing Gerrit Cole's personal catcher with Astros

The New York Yankees got their big fish, and now the next move may be how to best roll out the welcome mat for him. Mark Feisand of MLB.com reported on Wednesday that the Yankees are interested in signing free agent catcher Martin Maldonado, who was Gerrit Cole’s personal catcher during their time together on the Houston Astros. Feisand notes that Cole, who agreed to a record deal with the Yankees on Tuesday, posted a lower ERA (1.57) and opponent OPS (.471) with Maldonado catching him...

Report: MLB’s sign-stealing investigation of Astros likely won’t conclude this year

As MLB’s investigation into alleged electronic sign-stealing by the Houston Astros continues past the winter meetings, a conclusion may reportedly not be reached until 2020. According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the league’s investigation includes going through over 70,000 emails to to determine the scope of Houston’s alleged sign-stealing methods fully. As previously reported, the actions likely began in 2017 when an executive for the Astros asked scouts to find ways to steal...

Alex Rodriguez on Yankees signing Gerrit Cole: ‘A move they had to make’

Alex Rodriguez was still playing in the Bronx when the New York Yankees were last envied — and feared — due to how the so-called “Evil Empire” utilized the organization’s vast wealth to dominate free agency. It should come as no surprise, then, that A-Rod fully endorses the Yankees’ bold move to sign Gerrit Cole to a record-setting contract. The Yankees and Cole on Tuesday night agreed to a nine-year, $324 million deal, taking the most coveted starting pitcher off the market....

Are the Astros Considering Trading Carlos Correa?

Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

Could Correa be on the move for a starter?

Jeff Luhnow sat in front of a large media contingent yesterday that was hoping to gain some juicy insight into the MLB investigation about whether the Astros stole signs during the 2017 season. Instead, he dropped a surprise twist on us all and said that the Astros would like to move some salary to sign a top-end starter. The first name that came to mind was Gerrit Cole, especially after Scott Boras alluded to the...

Astros Crawfish Boil: December 11th, 2019

Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Start your morning with some of the best Astros links around

Check out the rest of the Crawfish Boxes here and listen to the latest version of Locked on Astros, our partnered podcast, here.

There are whispers that Correa might be on the trading block this offseason (The Athletic, $$$)
But the real news from yesterday was that AJ Hinch spoke at the winter meetings, mostly to say “no comment” (Forbes)
He also noted that the Astros are fully...

Gerrit Cole reportedly agrees to 9-year, $324 million deal with Yankees

The New York Yankees said they were not going to be denied when it came to Gerrit Cole, and it seems like they were right. Cole has agreed to a nine-year, $324 million deal with the Yankees, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported on Tuesday night. The market for Cole was hot all offseason, and his agent Scott Boras indicated Cole would sign this week. That ended up happening, and it comes a day after Stephen Strasburg got a 7-year, $245 million deal from the Washington Nationals. Cole’s deal blows...

To gain 'payroll flexibility', could the Houston Astros trade Carlos Correa?

As the Houston Astros head into the offseason facing difficult questions, both on the diamond and off, the team is reportedly considering trading All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa. According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, Houston is considering dealing its star shortstop with the team facing difficult payroll decisions in the years to come. Correa, who is under contract for just two more seasons, hit 21 home runs with 16 doubles and a .279/.358/.568 slash line last season. The 25-year-old...

Report: Astros considering trade of Carlos Correa

The Houston Astros are eventually going to have to make some tough decisions about which players to keep on their star-studded roster, and they have reportedly considered trading one of their core players this offseason. Houston is considering a trade of Carlos Correa, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported Tuesday. Though that is a consideration, Rosenthal states that such a move might not come immediately. The Astros have a payroll projected to run over $210 million for 2020. Their owner...

Astros reportedly have considered Carlos Correa trade amid payroll concerns

Astros president of baseball operations Jeff Luhnow painted a somewhat bleak picture in regard to the team’s payroll when peaking with Brian McTaggart of MLB.com and other reporters Tuesday. In Luhnow’s estimation, the Astros are going to have to clear out money if they want to acquire a top-end starting pitcher this offseason. With that in mind, it looks more likely than ever that they’ll be saying goodbye to the No. 1 player on the market, right-hander Gerrit Cole, who teamed...