Cacs Cacing: Roberto Osuna trade, Houston Astros zero-tolerance policy is a farce
- Thread starter playahaitian
- Start date
Certainly Jeff Luhnow heard the same stories as everyone else. The disgusting, abhorrent ones about what happened the night Toronto Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna was arrested and charged with domestic assault. He heard about the brutality Osuna allegedly inflicted. About the picture of the victim’s face that police officers in Toronto still talk about. He heard the details that have circulated around the game for months, details that prosecutors in Canada have not confirmed but are so ugly, so off-putting that anyone with a conscience could not, in good faith, place him on a major league roster.
What came next Monday was a clinic in arrogance, tone-deafness and doublespeak, proof that the Astros, like plenty of other professional sports organizations, believe so little in the public’s ability to parse their rhetoric that they’ll peddle blatant falsehoods to excuse their moral bankruptcy. From a feckless “zero-tolerance policy” to an “unprecedented” level of due diligence that sounded like little more than an exercise in confirmation bias, the attempts by Luhnow to rationalize the trade were amateur-hour spin that couldn’t cover up the truth. He didn’t just deal Ken Giles, David Paulino and Hector Perez for Roberto Osuna. He traded the goodwill built up by a clubhouse full of likable players who soon will be sharing a uniform, field and dugout with one currently standing trial for beating a woman.
Like the Blue Jays, who themselves revoltingly held on to Osuna in hopes of extracting trade value rather than simply releasing him, Luhnow, the Astros’ president and general manager, was unmoved. In trying to explain the team’s motivations, he addressed the obvious duplicity of the so-called “zero-tolerance policy.” For an organization as wedded to objective data as the Astros, you’d think they could tell the difference between zero arrests for domestic assault and one arrest for domestic assault. But no. That’s not what the Astros’ zero-tolerance policy means. It’s zero tolerance for those in the Astros’ organization and plenty of tolerance for those arrested elsewhere.
“Quite frankly,” Luhnow said, “I believe that you can have a zero-tolerance policy and also have an opportunity to give people second chances when they have made mistakes in the past in other organizations. That’s kind of how we put those two things together.”
Quite frankly, that is one of the stupidest things I’ve ever heard.
“I hope the rest of your life without baseball is horrible,” Justin Verlander said.
Not once in his statement nor in the 15 minutes he spoke in English during a teleconference did Luhnow mention the victim. Before an Astros senior vice president cut off questioning, I had asked if the team’s “unprecedented” due diligence included seeking out the story of the alleged victim, any of the witnesses or simply someone outside baseball.
“There is still an active case, and I cannot comment on the work that we did,” Luhnow said, “except to say that we did a lot of background work on whatever we were able to do as third parties.”
Thing is, Luhnow was happy to comment on the work the Astros did on the baseball side. He met with some Houston players to take their temperature on the potential deal. And he sought counsel from other former teammates and friends of Osuna. He even received permission to speak with Osuna himself, and that conversation – at least the version Luhnow relayed – went just swimmingly.
“I wanted to get to understand Roberto as a person a little bit more,” Luhnow said, “and hear more about his thoughts, where he was today, what his plans are for the future, what he plans to do when he gets to Houston.”
Conspicuously absent was any discussion of the past. Because the past is difficult and the past is unsightly and the past is wrong and any exploration of the past takes Luhnow to a place where the opacity of his cover stories dissipates to reveal the core of his purpose. Luhnow’s desire to win baseball games knows few bounds, and now the world knows one of them isn’t an allegation of domestic violence – so long as the player is as good as the 23-year-old Osuna, who happens to be one of the best closers in baseball.
At times, Luhnow spoke with such certitude that a number of people inside baseball wondered if he knew something they didn’t – like the alleged victim not cooperating or the details from the trial never seeing the light of day. Because to give up a strong package of players when Osuna could theoretically face more discipline – well, that would be atypical for Houston, an organization that games out endless permutations of deals to ensure it receives proper value.
Never have outsiders’ opinions, be it his peers’, journalists’ or fans’, mattered to Luhnow. His single-mindedness and devotion to what he and his front office believed led the Astros to a championship last season and in prime position to capture another this October. Especially since Osuna’s suspension does not disqualify him from participating in the postseason.
The pattern is reprehensible, and yet it’s of no surprise, because for all of the lip service the game pays wanting to snuff out mistreatment of women, it’s at the mercy of teams that don’t pretend to have some kind of zero-tolerance policy. The Astros are far from alone, though this is no time for whataboutism. Because this is fresh, and it felt positively gross. The visceral details, the clumsy deceit, the haphazard explanations. The entire production just a reminder that the sports we watch, the teams we love, are ready to feed a steady diet of nonsense in hopes that allegiance might obfuscate something so obviously wrong.
https://sports.yahoo.com/trading-roberto-osuna-houston-astros-show-no-conscience-134758777.html
What came next Monday was a clinic in arrogance, tone-deafness and doublespeak, proof that the Astros, like plenty of other professional sports organizations, believe so little in the public’s ability to parse their rhetoric that they’ll peddle blatant falsehoods to excuse their moral bankruptcy. From a feckless “zero-tolerance policy” to an “unprecedented” level of due diligence that sounded like little more than an exercise in confirmation bias, the attempts by Luhnow to rationalize the trade were amateur-hour spin that couldn’t cover up the truth. He didn’t just deal Ken Giles, David Paulino and Hector Perez for Roberto Osuna. He traded the goodwill built up by a clubhouse full of likable players who soon will be sharing a uniform, field and dugout with one currently standing trial for beating a woman.
Like the Blue Jays, who themselves revoltingly held on to Osuna in hopes of extracting trade value rather than simply releasing him, Luhnow, the Astros’ president and general manager, was unmoved. In trying to explain the team’s motivations, he addressed the obvious duplicity of the so-called “zero-tolerance policy.” For an organization as wedded to objective data as the Astros, you’d think they could tell the difference between zero arrests for domestic assault and one arrest for domestic assault. But no. That’s not what the Astros’ zero-tolerance policy means. It’s zero tolerance for those in the Astros’ organization and plenty of tolerance for those arrested elsewhere.
“Quite frankly,” Luhnow said, “I believe that you can have a zero-tolerance policy and also have an opportunity to give people second chances when they have made mistakes in the past in other organizations. That’s kind of how we put those two things together.”
Quite frankly, that is one of the stupidest things I’ve ever heard.
“I hope the rest of your life without baseball is horrible,” Justin Verlander said.
Not once in his statement nor in the 15 minutes he spoke in English during a teleconference did Luhnow mention the victim. Before an Astros senior vice president cut off questioning, I had asked if the team’s “unprecedented” due diligence included seeking out the story of the alleged victim, any of the witnesses or simply someone outside baseball.
“There is still an active case, and I cannot comment on the work that we did,” Luhnow said, “except to say that we did a lot of background work on whatever we were able to do as third parties.”
Thing is, Luhnow was happy to comment on the work the Astros did on the baseball side. He met with some Houston players to take their temperature on the potential deal. And he sought counsel from other former teammates and friends of Osuna. He even received permission to speak with Osuna himself, and that conversation – at least the version Luhnow relayed – went just swimmingly.
“I wanted to get to understand Roberto as a person a little bit more,” Luhnow said, “and hear more about his thoughts, where he was today, what his plans are for the future, what he plans to do when he gets to Houston.”
Conspicuously absent was any discussion of the past. Because the past is difficult and the past is unsightly and the past is wrong and any exploration of the past takes Luhnow to a place where the opacity of his cover stories dissipates to reveal the core of his purpose. Luhnow’s desire to win baseball games knows few bounds, and now the world knows one of them isn’t an allegation of domestic violence – so long as the player is as good as the 23-year-old Osuna, who happens to be one of the best closers in baseball.
At times, Luhnow spoke with such certitude that a number of people inside baseball wondered if he knew something they didn’t – like the alleged victim not cooperating or the details from the trial never seeing the light of day. Because to give up a strong package of players when Osuna could theoretically face more discipline – well, that would be atypical for Houston, an organization that games out endless permutations of deals to ensure it receives proper value.
Never have outsiders’ opinions, be it his peers’, journalists’ or fans’, mattered to Luhnow. His single-mindedness and devotion to what he and his front office believed led the Astros to a championship last season and in prime position to capture another this October. Especially since Osuna’s suspension does not disqualify him from participating in the postseason.
The pattern is reprehensible, and yet it’s of no surprise, because for all of the lip service the game pays wanting to snuff out mistreatment of women, it’s at the mercy of teams that don’t pretend to have some kind of zero-tolerance policy. The Astros are far from alone, though this is no time for whataboutism. Because this is fresh, and it felt positively gross. The visceral details, the clumsy deceit, the haphazard explanations. The entire production just a reminder that the sports we watch, the teams we love, are ready to feed a steady diet of nonsense in hopes that allegiance might obfuscate something so obviously wrong.
https://sports.yahoo.com/trading-roberto-osuna-houston-astros-show-no-conscience-134758777.html
BLUE JAYS PITCHER ROBERTO OSUNASUSPENDED FOR DOM. VIOLENCE INCIDENT
76
4
6/22/2018 3:47 PM PDT
Blue Jays Pitcher Roberto Osuna Suspended for Domestic Violence Incident
BREAKING NEWS
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Roberto Osuna has been suspended for 75 GAMES without pay by MLB for violating the league's domestic violence policy stemming from a May 8 incident.
Osuna was arrested for assault in Toronto after allegedly roughing up his girlfriend -- but officials have been tight-lipped about the details surrounding the incident.
MLB launched its own investigation and concluded 23-year-old Osuna -- a 2017 All-Star -- violated the league's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy.
The 75-game suspension is retroactive to May 8 -- he has not played in a game since the incident.
He'll be eligible to return on August 4. He'll miss out on roughly $2.7 million in salary -- $35k per game.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred says, "My office has completed its investigation into the allegation that Roberto Osuna violated Major League Baseball’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy on May 8, 2018."
"Having reviewed all of the available evidence, I have concluded that Mr. Osuna violated the Policy and should be subject to discipline in the form of an unpaid suspension that will expire on August 4th."
Osuna says he will not appeal the suspension.
As for his criminal case, he's due back in court July 9.
76
4
6/22/2018 3:47 PM PDT
Blue Jays Pitcher Roberto Osuna Suspended for Domestic Violence Incident
BREAKING NEWS
Osuna was arrested for assault in Toronto after allegedly roughing up his girlfriend -- but officials have been tight-lipped about the details surrounding the incident.
MLB launched its own investigation and concluded 23-year-old Osuna -- a 2017 All-Star -- violated the league's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy.
The 75-game suspension is retroactive to May 8 -- he has not played in a game since the incident.
He'll be eligible to return on August 4. He'll miss out on roughly $2.7 million in salary -- $35k per game.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred says, "My office has completed its investigation into the allegation that Roberto Osuna violated Major League Baseball’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy on May 8, 2018."
"Having reviewed all of the available evidence, I have concluded that Mr. Osuna violated the Policy and should be subject to discipline in the form of an unpaid suspension that will expire on August 4th."
Osuna says he will not appeal the suspension.
As for his criminal case, he's due back in court July 9.
In Roberto Osuna, the Astros acquire an all-star closer — and an ongoing domestic violence case
Beset by bullpen issues and facing a dwindling supply of relievers with MLB’s Tuesday nonwaiver trade deadline fast approaching, the defending World Series champion Houston Astros on Monday pulled off a trade that carries a higher degree of risk than the typical prospect-for-veterans swap.
In acquiring closer Roberto Osuna from the Toronto Blue Jays — in exchange for Ken Giles, their own ousted closer, and two pitching prospects — the Astros, at least on paper, have solved their desperate need for lockdown, late-inning relief. But with Osuna, there are several additional layers of complexities involved.
Osuna, 23, is on baseball’s restricted list as a result of a 75-game suspension under MLB’s domestic violence policy. He is eligible for reinstatement Sunday, but his return is subject to other factors, including the outcome of a court hearing scheduled for Wednesday. If any new information emerges, the suspension could be extended.
ADVERTISING
[Svrluga: When an athlete’s ugly tweets hit home, ‘it feels like an actual gut-punch’]
Unlike players suspended for PED use — such as Seattle’s Robinson Cano this season — players facing disciplinary suspensions such as Osuna’s are eligible to be on their team’s postseason roster.
“The due diligence by our front office was unprecedented,” Astros General Manager Jeff Luhnow said in a statement announcing the deal. “We are confident that Osuna is remorseful, has willfully complied with all consequences related to his past behavior, has proactively engaged in counseling and will fully comply with our zero tolerance policy related to abuse of any kind. Roberto has some great examples of character in our existing clubhouse that we believe will help him as he and his family establish a fresh start.”
In the same statement, Osuna used phrases such as “fresh start,” “move forward” and “positive contribution,” and he concluded, “I thank Jeff Luhnow and the entire Astros organization for believing in me — I will not let them down.”
The move is reminiscent of the New York Yankees’ trade with the Cincinnati Reds for closer Aroldis Chapman before the 2016 season, when Chapman was set to serve a suspension for a domestic abuse incident. Osuna was placed on administrative leave May 8 following an arrest by Toronto police on suspicion of assaulting a woman.
For all their might and pedigree, the Astros were in a precarious spot roughly two-thirds of the way through the season. Though they held a four-game lead in the American League West entering Monday and were on pace for 101 wins, they were just third in the overall league standings, behind the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, and theoretically could need to go through both teams in October to return to the World Series — a task that would have been significantly more difficult with an unsettled late-inning relief picture.
Over the weekend, the Astros traded for setup man Ryan Pressly from the Minnesota Twins, but they still needed someone to pitch the ninth. Giles, the Astros’ primary closer in 2017 (until losing his job during the playoffs), was demoted to Class AAA on July 11 following a long bout of inconsistency coupled with a series of ugly (and public) meltdowns — including one in which he punched himself in the face as he walked from the mound to the dugout.
In addition to Giles, 27, the Blue Jays received minor league pitchers Hector Perez and David Paulino. Paulino, formerly the Astros’ fourth-rated prospect by MLB Pipeline, fell in the rankings after serving an 80-game PED suspension in 2017.
[Arms race among contenders at MLB trade deadline reflects maturing science of collecting outs]
All other things being equal, Osuna was the perfect solution for the Astros’ late-inning relief issues. Not only is he brilliant on the mound, with a 2.93 ERA before his suspension, an all-star berth in 2017 and 104 career saves at such a young age, but he is also making just $5.3 million this season and is under club control through 2020.
But with Osuna, all things are far from equal. For starters, he hasn’t pitched in the majors since May 6. He is currently pitching on a minor league rehab assignment and is unscored upon in six appearances.
Perhaps as importantly, the Astros will have to convince their fan base to get behind a new closer in the midst of an ugly domestic violence case — one that is still open.
Every baseball trade is a gamble to some degree, but this one left the Astros vulnerable, even as it left their bullpen less so.
Beset by bullpen issues and facing a dwindling supply of relievers with MLB’s Tuesday nonwaiver trade deadline fast approaching, the defending World Series champion Houston Astros on Monday pulled off a trade that carries a higher degree of risk than the typical prospect-for-veterans swap.
In acquiring closer Roberto Osuna from the Toronto Blue Jays — in exchange for Ken Giles, their own ousted closer, and two pitching prospects — the Astros, at least on paper, have solved their desperate need for lockdown, late-inning relief. But with Osuna, there are several additional layers of complexities involved.
Osuna, 23, is on baseball’s restricted list as a result of a 75-game suspension under MLB’s domestic violence policy. He is eligible for reinstatement Sunday, but his return is subject to other factors, including the outcome of a court hearing scheduled for Wednesday. If any new information emerges, the suspension could be extended.
ADVERTISING
[Svrluga: When an athlete’s ugly tweets hit home, ‘it feels like an actual gut-punch’]
Unlike players suspended for PED use — such as Seattle’s Robinson Cano this season — players facing disciplinary suspensions such as Osuna’s are eligible to be on their team’s postseason roster.
“The due diligence by our front office was unprecedented,” Astros General Manager Jeff Luhnow said in a statement announcing the deal. “We are confident that Osuna is remorseful, has willfully complied with all consequences related to his past behavior, has proactively engaged in counseling and will fully comply with our zero tolerance policy related to abuse of any kind. Roberto has some great examples of character in our existing clubhouse that we believe will help him as he and his family establish a fresh start.”
In the same statement, Osuna used phrases such as “fresh start,” “move forward” and “positive contribution,” and he concluded, “I thank Jeff Luhnow and the entire Astros organization for believing in me — I will not let them down.”
The move is reminiscent of the New York Yankees’ trade with the Cincinnati Reds for closer Aroldis Chapman before the 2016 season, when Chapman was set to serve a suspension for a domestic abuse incident. Osuna was placed on administrative leave May 8 following an arrest by Toronto police on suspicion of assaulting a woman.
For all their might and pedigree, the Astros were in a precarious spot roughly two-thirds of the way through the season. Though they held a four-game lead in the American League West entering Monday and were on pace for 101 wins, they were just third in the overall league standings, behind the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, and theoretically could need to go through both teams in October to return to the World Series — a task that would have been significantly more difficult with an unsettled late-inning relief picture.
Over the weekend, the Astros traded for setup man Ryan Pressly from the Minnesota Twins, but they still needed someone to pitch the ninth. Giles, the Astros’ primary closer in 2017 (until losing his job during the playoffs), was demoted to Class AAA on July 11 following a long bout of inconsistency coupled with a series of ugly (and public) meltdowns — including one in which he punched himself in the face as he walked from the mound to the dugout.
In addition to Giles, 27, the Blue Jays received minor league pitchers Hector Perez and David Paulino. Paulino, formerly the Astros’ fourth-rated prospect by MLB Pipeline, fell in the rankings after serving an 80-game PED suspension in 2017.
[Arms race among contenders at MLB trade deadline reflects maturing science of collecting outs]
All other things being equal, Osuna was the perfect solution for the Astros’ late-inning relief issues. Not only is he brilliant on the mound, with a 2.93 ERA before his suspension, an all-star berth in 2017 and 104 career saves at such a young age, but he is also making just $5.3 million this season and is under club control through 2020.
But with Osuna, all things are far from equal. For starters, he hasn’t pitched in the majors since May 6. He is currently pitching on a minor league rehab assignment and is unscored upon in six appearances.
Perhaps as importantly, the Astros will have to convince their fan base to get behind a new closer in the midst of an ugly domestic violence case — one that is still open.
Every baseball trade is a gamble to some degree, but this one left the Astros vulnerable, even as it left their bullpen less so.
Teams putting themselves in crazy positions. What if he is found not guilty? Then what?
throwbump