With the Astros already assumed guilty of cheating, what will be the results?

The probe into the Astros and the sign-stealing accusations have just begun and may go on all winter, and beyond. Have they already been found guilty?

The MLB commissioner, Rob Manfred, has indicated that the punishment levied on the Astros could be severe, depending on the outcome of the alleged cheating investigation. What could the possible ramifications be and are we feeling it already?

Everything has been discussed, from hefty fines to losing draft picks and international money, and/or handing down suspensions to personnel found to be involved. How would this affect the Astros Minor League system and the future of this team? Who would be affected by any suspensions imposed on them? The front office? Managers and/or coaches? Players???

Manfred said. “The general warning that I issued to the clubs, I stand by. It certainly could be all those things. But my authority under the major league constitution would be broader than those things, as well.” via Ryan Gaydos of FoxNews

I closely monitor social media and anything Astros related, I know what you, as fans, are saying. “They haven’t proved anything yet.” “What about all of the other teams that were doing the same thing?” I hear you. I get it.

But Major League Baseball is squarely focused on the Astros and nobody else right now. As much as I hate to say it, Houston is going to end up being the scapegoat in all of this and they’re the ones who are going to be made the example going forward.

“I’m not going to speculate on whether other people are going to be involved. We’ll deal with that if it happens. I have no reason to believe that it extends beyond the Astros at this point in time.” said Rob Manfred. via Justin Tasch of the New York Post

My concern is how this could influence the Astros’ offseason. Will possible free agents think twice before considering coming to Houston? I worry about the farm system and its future prospects, or rather the lack thereof. I fret the coherence of the organization, the coaching staff, and the players may be in jeopardy.

It’s that time of year. The “Hot Stove” season is here and free agency is alive and well. Over 100 players are on the market and teams are scrambling to fill their needs. Every franchise has members of their front office contacting players and their agents. They’ll be negotiating salaries and trying to sell their organizations to players in their attempt to convince them their team is where they belong.

The Astros have eight players of their own up for grabs. Two starting pitchers, including Gerrit Cole, four relievers and both of their starting catchers from last season have all declared themselves as free agents. So, needless to say, the Astros have a lot of holes to fill themselves.

But with a dark cloud hanging over Houston and the media already pounding the gavel, I wonder if all of this could possibly have any bearing on a player’s decision on which uniform to don in 2020.

Would a player want to sign with a team when there is so much uncertainty about the future? If there are some suspensions doled out, they could be playing for a different manager or coach than they envisioned.

Do they want to wear the uniform of a team with a tarnished reputation? And I’m sorry, but whether they’re found guilty or not, a stain has already been cast on them that will take a while to wash out.

These and many other questions and concerns could weigh on a player’s mind when making a big decision on their career. Some might say it’s just the almighty dollar they’re after and none of this will matter. But I can’t help but think there are quite a few players out there that take a lot more into consideration than a paycheck when it comes to deciding on their future.

The latest list of the MLP Pipeline top 100 prospects has been released. Guess how many the Houston Astros have on that list…one. That’s right, the Astros have just one prospect in the top 100. That one player listed is none other than, Forrest Whitley, and I’m still not sure if he’s ready for the big leagues.

The Astros have gone all-in, building this franchise with their top picks of the past to get where they are today. Look at the lineup; George Springer, Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, Yuli Gurriel, Yordan Alvarez. Every one of them is either a product of their draft picks or international signings. This team was built from the farm system.

Then look at what it took to get Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, and Zack Greinke. The front office sacrificed twelve of their prospects in order to acquire those three pitchers. Yes, it worked out extremely well, for a while anyway. Chances are they’ll have just Verlander and Greinke left out of that trio, as Cole will most likely sign with another team as a free agent.

Eight of those twelve traded away for that top tier pitching are still in the top 100 prospects (for other teams), and three are already with Major League teams. Houston has literally “bet the farm” on what they have now and no one can argue with the results, three straight AL West Division Titles, two AL Championships, and a World Series ring.

But where do they go from here? Their Minor League system is basically depleted and now they may be facing penalties that could take away an unspecified number of future draft picks for possibly several years to come. Plus losing the potential International bonus money that allows them to get players like Altuve and Gurriel.

It may take years for the Astros to build that support system back up. Plus there are quite a few players that will be free agents again next season. Will the front office be able to keep those players or will they bolt to another team? If these penalties are severe enough, as Manfred alludes to, the Astros reign at the top may be a short-lived one and a long road back to the top.