Houston Astros

Fantasy baseball nerds, get your rankings out ... Oakland A's legend Dave Stewart tells TMZ Sports rookie Jesus Luzardo is going to have such a huge year, he's a Cy Young dark horse!!

"Luzardo, I think coming into this season obviously is the odds-on favorite to win the Rookie Of the Year," Stewart says. "And, I don't hesitate to take it a little bit further -- I wouldn't be surprised to see him as a Cy Young candidate."

If you haven't heard of Luzardo yet ... you probably should have, because the 22-year-old is arguably the top pitching prospect in baseball and appears poised for a monster first full season in the MLB.

In fact, in just 8.1 innings of spring training ball last month, before the MLB suspended play due to coronavirus ... Luzardo struck out 13 while walking 1 and only giving up 1 earned run.

When we asked Stewart about the kid ... he couldn't have loved the prospect's game more -- but says another rookie on the A's staff is going to impress as well!

"What's a shame is you've got also A.J. Puk," Stewart says. "So, you've got Puk and Luzardo, and they're going to be competing with each other for that Rookie of the Year."

Ex-Astros pitcher Ken Giles says he's absolutely devastated by Houston's sign-stealing scandal ... and despite having no idea his teammates were cheating, he's willing to return his World Series ring.

Giles -- now a member of the Toronto Blue Jays -- revealed his feelings over the bombshell scandal, saying he was hurt to find out through the commissioner's report.

"It crushed me to learn about the stuff that went on when I was there," Giles said via the Toronto Sun.

"I had no idea. I had no clue whatsoever. I was blindsided by the commissioner's report. Up until then, I honestly didn't believe it. Just crazy."

Of course, bullpen pitchers rarely make it to the dugout with the other players ... so the findings of the investigation floored Giles.

There have been players and fans calling for the 'Stros to relinquish the 2017 World Series title ... and Giles says he's willing to give up his championship ring.

"Whatever they ask, I would oblige. Because what was going on at the time, was not OK."

Well, Alex Bregman better get used to this ...

The Houston Astros superstar was just DRILLED for the first time since he was revealed to be a cheater ... and it all begs the question -- HOW MANY MORE TIMES WILL IT HAPPEN THIS YEAR?!

The 3rd baseman stepped up to the plate in the 5th inning of Houston's spring training game against the Cardinals on Wednesday ... and he WORE one right in the back.

Bregman said afterward he didn't think it was intentional -- "It was a splitter. It just got away from him" -- but, COME ON!!!!!!

The HBP sure seemed fishy to us ... you can see the pitch -- on a 3-2 count, nonetheless -- plunked Bregman SQUARELY between the shoulder blades.

And, as you can tell from Bregman's reaction ... it wasn't exactly a lollipop!!

Of course, the 'Stros are likely going to face this all season long after the MLB announced it found they cheated their way to a World Series title in 2017.

In fact, ex-MLB star Aubrey Huff told us just a few days ago he sees this happening REGULARLY to the 'Stros in 2020.

And, according to the unofficial counter on Twitter ... Bregman's hit by pitch marked the SEVENTH time a 'Stros player has been plunked so far this spring.

Announcer: "Now batting ... Jose Altuve."

Fans: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's how it went down at Spring Training in West Palm Beach on Monday when the Houston Astros star made his first plate appearance since the cheating scandal.

Shocked, right?!?

Altuve didn't seem fazed by the chilly reception -- in fact, the guy hit an RBI double against the Detroit Tigers all by himself without any help from high-tech cameras and trash cans!

There was another awkward moment in the game ... Altuve was technically hit by a pitch -- though it was truly accidental. He was clipped in the foot by a breaking ball in the dirt.

Remember, Astros manager Dusty Baker has expressed concern about pitchers throwing at Altuve and other Houston players involved in the cheating scandal -- he doesn't want vigilante justice.

But, again, that didn't seem to be the case this time around ... but it's a loooong season.

Aubrey Huff says there's going to be A LOT of bruises on Astros players' backs this year ... saying the punishment for their cheating scandal is going to be all-out bean wars in 2020!

"I would suggest a lot of those guys -- especially Altuve and Bregman -- wear bulletproof vests up to the plate all year long!" Huff tells TMZ Sports.

Of course, ZERO Houston players were punished for their roles in the 2017 cheating scandal ... and a LOT of people are pissed off about it.

So much so, Huff says pitchers will take matters into their own hands -- regardless of Rob Manfred's rulings -- and hit the Astros at the dish all season.

"Listen, you pay the piper," Huff says. "You reap what you sow. If you're going to go out there and cheat, you're going to get drilled."

As for Huff's thoughts on the Astros' scheme ... he says he's always down for some sign-stealing tricks, but he admits Houston just went way too far.

Billy Corben could have ANOTHER big baseball-themed documentary coming our way ... because the man behind "Screwball" is considering taking on the Houston Astros scandal.

"Screwball" was a massive success for Corben -- he used child actors to tell the unbelievable story about Alex Rodriguez and MLB's Biogenesis scandal.

Now, with MLB in the midst of ANOTHER embarrassing controversy, Corben says he's VERY intrigued about the possibility of a "Screwball 2."

"It's writing itself as we speak right now," Corben tells TMZ Sports ... "And central to that story, as he was to the Biogenesis scandal and the whole A-Rod mess, is Rob Manfred."

As Corben points out ... Manfred was MLB's lead investigator into the Biogenesis scandal -- and now as MLB Commissioner, he's taking a lot of heat for the way he's handling those cheating ass Astros.

What concerns Corben about the Astros cheating scandal is the message it's sending to kids ... that you need to lie, cheat and steal to become successful in baseball.

FYI, Corben is one of the TOP guys in Hollywood when it comes to docs -- he's made huge hits like "Cocaine Cowboys" and did ESPN's 30 for 30 on "The U."

LeBron James is going scorched-earth on the Houston Astros -- saying if someone ever cheated their way to a title he'd be "f**king irate!"

The NBA superstar is joining the chorus of top athletes blasting both the Astros AND the man in charge of punishing them, MLB commish Rob Manfred.

"Listen here baseball commissioner," Bron said ... "Listen to your players speaking today about how disgusted, mad, hurt, broken, etc etc about this."

"Literally the ball(⚾️) is in your court (or should I say field) and you need to fix this for the sake of Sports!"

Bron added, "I know I don’t play baseball but I am in Sports and I know if someone cheated me out of winning the title and I found out about it I would be F*^king irate! I mean like uncontrollable about what I would/could do!"

Obviously, Bron is referring to the fact the 2017 Houston Astros used technology, bats and trash cans to steal signs and tip-off their hitters about upcoming pitches.

Everyone from Mike Trout to Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner and Aaron Judge have ripped Manfred for not punishing Astros players who participated in the cheating.

A bunch of players also want the MLB to strip the Astros of their 2017 World Series title.

In fact, Atlanta Braves star Nick Markakis says he believes everybody on that team deserves a "beating" for tainting the sport he loves by cheating.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Nick Markakis just went SCORCHED EARTH on the Houston Astros -- saying he feels the cheating players "needs a beating" for tarnishing the sport he loves.

"It's damaging to baseball," Markakis told WSB's Zach Klein ... "I feel like every single guy over there needs a beating."

Markakis also went off on MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred ... saying he should be "embarrassed of himself" for the way he handled the scandal.

This clip is straight fire -- and it seems like a BUNCH of MLB stars agree with him.

Mark Cuban is ripping Manfred as well -- essentially saying Rob's the laughingstock of pro sports for the way he's handled the Astros cheating scandal.

"Baseball is a mess right now," Cuban said Monday ... "and they have zero vision to see them out of it. I’m thankful they didn’t let me buy a team."

Cuban is clearly pointing out that players and fans are PISSED Manfred is refusing to punish individual players for their role in the cheating scandal that many believe helped Houston win the World Series in 2017.

In fact, people want Manfred to strip the Astros of their '17 title -- but Manfred ain't moving on that.

Everyone from Mike Trout to Justin Turner and Cody Bellinger has spoken out about the way Manfred is handling the issue.

For his part, Manfred says he promised immunity to players who participated in the MLB investigation.

Enter Cuban -- who famously tried (and was unsuccessful) in buying the Texas Rangers back in 2010 ... and now Mark thinks the failed attempt was a blessing in disguise.

Instead, Cuban can continue to focus on his other endeavors ... running the Dallas Mavericks and starring on "Shark Tank."

In case you need a refresher ... the MLB investigation found Astros players and staffers were involved in a complex scheme using cameras, spies and trash cans to alert batters to which pitches they were about to face.

Mike Trout -- the best player in baseball -- says the tip-off is a HUGE advantage to the hitters and creates a ridiculously unfair advantage.

The Houston Astros' former No. 1 overall prospect was just banned 162 games ... and, no, it has nothing to do with the team's cheating scandal.

The MLB announced Francis Martes -- a pitcher who was touted as the team's next big thing back in 2016 -- has been suspended for a full season for testing positive for PEDs.

It's the second time Martes has been busted for violating the league's drug policy ... in March 2019, he was banned 80 games after a positive drug test.

Martes was a BEAST early in his career ... ranking as high as 15th overall on MLB prospect lists -- but he's struggled to reach his potential so far.

In his first big-league action with Houston in 2017, he posted a 5.80 ERA in 54.1 innings pitched. In 2018, he underwent Tommy John surgery.

What's interesting about all of this ... Martes now becomes the first player from the '17 Astros team since news of their scandal broke to get hit with a punishment from Rob Manfred.

Doubtful that's what Cody Bellinger was looking for ...

Here's a side of Mike Trout you don't see very often -- he's PISSED -- claiming MLB should punish the Houston Astros players who cheated their way to a World Series victory.

Trout -- the best player in baseball -- went off on the situation to reporters at an L.A. Angels spring training workout on Monday ... saying the players are getting off WAY too easy.

"They cheated," Trout said matter of factly ... "I don't agree with the punishments, the players not getting anything. It was a player-driven thing."

"It sucks too, because guys' careers have been affected. A lot of people lost jobs. It was tough. Me going up to the plate knowing what was coming -- it would be pretty fun up there."

Trout added, "It's sad for baseball ... it's tough."

The 28-year-old -- an 8-time All-Star and 3 times A.L. MVP -- said he noticed the Astros trash can banging during the 2017 season but didn't connect the dots until now.

"I lost some respect for some guys ... all the stuff coming out, it's tough to see."

As for the players accused of cheating, MLB commish Rob Manfred says he gave immunity to players who cooperated with the MLB's investigation ... which means no major punishment to the individuals.

CODY BELLINGER JUST WENT OFF!!!!

The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar didn't hold back at all in a meeting with reporters over the Astros' cheating scandal ... ripping the team, its superstars AND its owner!!!

"I thought the apologies were whatever," the NL MVP said. "I thought Jim Crane's was weak. I thought [Rob] Manfred's punishment was weak, giving [the players] immunity."

"These guys were cheating for three years!"

The scorched-earth rant didn't stop there ... Bellinger added, "I think what people don't realize is [Jose] Altuve stole an MVP from [Aaron] Judge in '17. Everyone knows they stole the ring from us."

Bellinger claims the scandal -- and the ensuing apologies from the guys -- has forced him to lose any respect he previously had for the guys in Houston.

"I would say everyone in The Show, in the big leagues, lost respect for those guys."

In fact, Bellinger is so pissed off at Altuve and the 'Stros, he says he doesn't believe the team ONE BIT when they say they never used wearable devices to cheat.

"I don't know what human hits a walk-off home run against Aroldis Chapman to send your team to the World Series, and one, has the thought to say, 'Don't rip my jersey off.' But, two, go into the tunnel, change your shirt and then come out and do your interview. That makes no sense to me."

If you're wondering ... the Dodgers and 'Stros aren't scheduled to play each other in the 2020 regular season.

Current Houston Astros players are FINALLY saying they're sorry for cheating in 2017 ... with Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve issuing apology statements Thursday.

The team was found to have illegally stolen signs from opposing catchers and pitchers in the '17 season ... but 'Stros players were BLASTED this offseason for never officially apologizing.

But, Bregman and Altuve just changed that with brief statements out at Houston's spring training camp ... with the two megastars admitting they screwed up.

"I'm really sorry about the choices that were made by my team, by the organization and by me," Bregman said, "I've learned from this and I hope to regain the trust of baseball fans."

Altuve added, "I want to say that the whole Astros organization and the team feel bad about what happened in 2017. We especially feel remorse for the impact on our fans and the game of baseball."

Houston owner Jim Crane reiterated his players will NOT be punished for their roles in the sign-stealing scheme ... placing the blame squarely on team officials -- a la Alex Cora and A.J. Hinch -- instead.

For his part, new manager Dusty Baker said he hopes MLB fans will accept his players' apologies and "forgive them."

A former MLB relief pitcher says the Houston Astros RUINED his career by cheating to get hits off him in 2017 ... and now, he's suing for a ton of cash.

The man behind the lawsuit is Mike Bolsinger, a former Toronto Blue Jays reliever, who says the 'Stros cost him a chance at an extended MLB career in a game in Houston on Aug. 4, 2017.

Bolsinger claims during the game, the Astros illegally stole signs off him and his catcher by filming them and relaying the pitches to batters via a "banging" sound from the dugout.

Bolsinger -- who gave up 4 hits, 3 walks and 4 earned runs in the .1 innings he pitched that game -- says as a result of his disastrous outing, the Jays cut him and no other MLB team wanted him.

The 32-year-old says he was forced to pitch in Japan the past two seasons ... calling the Aug. 4 appearance "the death knell" in his MLB career.

But now, that MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has found the Astros DID, in fact, cheat during the 2017 season ... Bolsinger is looking for justice.

In his lawsuit, Mike says he wants the Astros to pay for the damages he suffered as a result of the outing.

Bolsinger also wants the 'Stros to give up all of their 2017 World Series post-season bonuses -- which he says are valued at $31 MILLION -- to charity.

Gary Sheffield says it's a downright stupid move for the Red Sox to trade Mookie Betts ... but the MLB legend says if the Dodgers get the OF, it could lock up a World Series title!!

"Mookie is that guy that can be a difference maker," Sheffield tells us.

Of course, Boston is considering moving Betts -- the 2018 AL MVP -- for prospects because of his high salary demands ... and the Dodgers are reportedly more than willing to tango.

Young L.A. stars like Alex Verdugo, Dustin May and even Gavin Lux have been rumored to be in play for the trade ... and Sheffield sure seems to think it'd be worth the price to get Mookie.

"A lot of teams have good offenses," Sheffield says, "But, if you got a certain player in your lineup, he can take you over the top and [Betts] is that guy."

We also talked with Sheffield about the Astros hiring Dusty Baker to be their next manager ... and Gary LOVES the move, saying the 70-year-old will be able to clean up the clubhouse after it was rocked by the cheating scandal.

Cody Bellinger says he wasn't laughing when Justin Verlander made a remark about the Astros' "technology" at an awards ceremony Saturday ... telling TMZ Sports, "It ain't funny to me."

Verlander reportedly went on stage at the annual Baseball Writers' Association of America banquet in NY over the weekend and made a comment about how his Houston squad was "technologically and analytically advanced."

It's unclear if Verlander made the remark as a joke in the wake of the team's cheating scandal ... but it reportedly drew laughter -- and according to at least one witness, ex-Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia was PISSED over it all.

When we got Bellinger out in NY just a day after the ceremony on Sunday ... he said he was feeling the same way as Sabathia -- telling us, "It ain't funny to me and it wasn't funny to CC."

Of course, Bellinger's Dodgers and Sabathia's Yankees both suffered playoff losses to the Astros the last few seasons -- years in which Houston was busted for illegally stealing signs from opponents.

"It's not factual! It's just innuendo."

MLB super-agent Scott Boras is RIPPING all the conspiracy theorists who say his client, Astros star Jose Altuve, used a buzzer to cheat ... calling the rumors nothing more than "suspicion."

"There is nothing to any form of electronic dynamic," Boras said strongly at LAX on Friday. "The Commissioner's office studied it. Everyone knows it."

If you missed it ... a clip of Altuve from Game 7 of the 2019 ALCS went viral this month after the Astros were busted by the MLB for running an illegal sign-stealing operation.

Some thought the clip -- which shows Altuve telling his teammates to NOT remove his jersey after a game-winning home run -- proved Jose was hiding some sort of device that helped him get tipped-off to upcoming pitches.

But, Boras smashed that whole theory Friday ... saying, "No one in the game has ever contended that anyone is doing such a thing and that's just innuendo and suspicion."

For the MLB's part ... it's backed Boras' claims, saying it investigated the buzzer-cheating allegations and found NO evidence that it occurred.