JIM CRANE

Dusty Baker will return as manager of the Houston Astros for a third season after agreeing to a one-year contract with the AL champions.

Atlanta’s 7-0 win over Houston in Game 6 to win the World Series could mark the end of an era for the Astros.

Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa are the dynamic duo leading the Houston Astros in another long playoff run.

Carlos Correa is preparing for what could be his final run with the Houston Astros.

Detroit Tigers manager A.

Former Houston Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow has filed a breach of contract lawsuit against the team, seeking more than $22 million in salary owed under his deal when he was fired in January. Luhnow and manager AJ Hinch were suspended for the season last Jan. 13 by Manfred and fired by the Astros later that day. The team was fined $5 million and stripped of its first- and second-round draft picks in both 2020 and 2021. The contract called for disputes to go to an arbitration with Manfred or his designee, but Luhnow asked that to be set aside because of Manfred’s involvement. The lawyers say Hinch later told Manfred he failed to disclose to Luhnow the use of electronic equipment.

HOUSTON The Houston Astros spent the offseason reeling from a sign-stealing scandal that cost manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow their jobs. The change didnt stop the Astros from being the villains of baseball this spring. The Astros are preparing for the possibility of being without designated hitter Yordan Alvarez for the start of the season and potentially longer. The Astros are counting on McCullers to have a big season in his return after missing last season following Tommy John surgery. Tucker, who can play outfield and first base, has appeared in just 50 MLB games over the past two seasons.

HOUSTON The first round of spring training was dominated by fallout from the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scam. New manager Dusty Baker, a respected MLB veteran, helped the team navigate reaction to the scandal during the first spring training, which was stopped on March 12 because of the virus. None of us have been through this before in spring training, the emotions that were out there." Several Houston players were dinged in spring training games before the pause. Some opponents had called for retaliation against the Astros, irritated that no Houston players were disciplined for their roles in the scandal.

As baseball scrambles to start an abbreviated season, the prevailing mood is one of nervous excitement. All of these issues could become moot if there's a major outbreak of the virus within baseball. "Ive seen the reports in Houston how COVIDs going up so Im going to have to really be careful. It will be unusual following new safety protocols that are at times incompatible with human nature on the baseball field. Theyre very focused on that and the staff thats going to be associated with the games once we fire up, Crane said.

Kurt Suzuki #28 of the Washington Nationals celebrates after hitting a walk-off home run to beat the New York Mets at Nationals Park on September 3, 2019 in Washington, DC. Washington Nationals catcher Kurt Suzuki said this week there's "no question" the Astros cheated in the 2019 World Series, despite claims that the team stopped its sign-stealing scheme after the 2018 season, The Washington Post reported on Thursday. The Astros held a news conference on Thursday to address the illegal sign-stealing scheme, but Houston Astros owner Jim Crane claimed that his team's cheating "didn't impact the game," the Post reported. Suzuki told Washington Post's Thomas Boswell. "I kept thinking 'We have to go to the field and work early on our signs in the World Series just to stop their cheating.'

The Houston Astros on Monday fired general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch after Major League Baseball found that the club used technology to steal signs during the 2017 and 2018 season. The Astros will also pay a $5 million penalty and forfeit their first and second-round picks in 2020 and 2021. Astros fire GM and manager over sign stealing scandalLast month, The Athletic reported that the team stole signs from a centerfield camera trained on the opposing team's catcher. Investigators interviewed 68 witnesses, including current and former Astros players, and reviewed tens of thousands of emails, text messages and videos.

The Houston Astros on Monday fired general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch after Major League Baseball found that the club used technology to steal signs during the 2017 and 2018 season. The Astros will also pay a $5 million penalty and forfeit their first and second-round picks in 2020 and 2021. Astros fire GM and manager over sign stealing scandalLast month, The Athletic reported that the team stole signs from a centerfield camera trained on the opposing team's catcher. Investigators interviewed 68 witnesses, including current and former Astros players, and reviewed tens of thousands of emails, text messages and videos.

Houston Astros owner Jim Crane apologized to Sports Illustrated journalist Stephanie Apstein after the team trashed a story she wrote criticizing former Astros Assistant General Manager Brandon Taubman, Apstein said. HOUSTON (CNN) - Houston Astros owner Jim Crane apologized to Sports Illustrated journalist Stephanie Apstein after the team trashed a story she wrote criticizing former Astros Assistant General Manager Brandon Taubman, Apstein said. "We were wrong and I am sorry that we initially questioned your professionalism," Crane said in a letter to Apstein that the journalist shared on Twitter. "On behalf of the entire Astros organization, I want to personally apologize for the statement we issued on Monday October 21st," the letter said. One of the women was wearing a domestic violence awareness bracelet, Sports Illustrated reported.

NEW YORK - NEW YORK (AP) - Houston Astros owner Jim Crane has sent a letter to a Sports Illustrated reporter to apologize for his team accusing her of trying to "fabricate a story." After the SI story was published, the Astros called it "misleading and completely irresponsible." Other reporters corroborated what Apstein wrote, and Taubman was fired on Thursday. In the letter Apstein posted Sunday on Twitter, Crane wrote that he was apologizing and retracting the team's initial statement. "We were wrong and I am sorry that we initially questioned your professionalism," Crane wrote.