For their cheating the Astros got what they deserved. The consequences are grave, both in the short and long term. But you reap what you sow.
In the long term the loss of four top draft picks, and the dismissal of the genius, Jeff Luhnow, myopic as he may be, will hurt the team for a decade. Gone is the man who revolutionized baseball science, and brought the laughing stock of baseball to the pinnacle of success. GMs this good aren’t hanging around on street corners.
In the short term, I don’t see how this doesn’t sap the spirit and enthusiasm of the players in the coming season, just as the Brandon Taubman fiasco seemed to enervate the team during the World Series.