The Houston Astros’ cheating scandal might be a decade old, but every so often, something cracks open, and it’s a whole new monster. This time, it’s Josh Reddick, the Houston Astros veteran who has reignited the fire.

He didn’t just revisit the incident; he pointed the finger right back at the man who most of the world sees as the whistleblower–Mike Fiers.

“Also, the rat that ratted out everybody was out there bashing the trash can half the time anyway… So it’s not like he (Fiers) was out there in the dugout, oh, so wrong. When I found out who it was, I was not surprised. Never was a fan of his in the first place.”

Reddick’s statement is huge. He is the one who exposed the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing system. His comments to The Athletic about the trash‑can banging system, camera setup, and monitor in the tunnel had set the MLB 2020 investigation in motion. And that ultimately had cost the Astros their draft picks, their cash, and, not to mention, their reputation.

But Reddick mentions that’s only half the story—in his eyes, the so-called “rat” wasn’t some innocent bystander; he was very much a part of it. But it’s not like Houston fans or baseball fans took Fiers as a hero–in fact, there was a time when he even faced life threats!

Back in 2020, he had mentioned to the San Francisco Chronicle, “Whatever, I don’t care…I’ve dealt with a lot of death threats before. It’s just another thing on my plate.”

Well, fair or not, his legacy might be too marred right now. Even after years, new allegations keep popping up, and now, yet again, his name is in the headlines–and for reasons he wouldn’t want to revisit. As far as the Houston Astros go, the cheating scandal is one such incident that the team would erase. This season, though, there are things that the Astros would be thankful for.

Things the Astros can be thankful for this season

As far as the Houston Astros are concerned, after missing the postseason for the first time in a decade, it seems like Thanksgiving is more about frustration than about gratitude. But even in a tough year, there are some bright spots for them, too.

1. A new wave of stars rising

The roster exodus has indeed been real for the team. Correa done, Springer excelling in Toronto, and Verlander coming and going, and last winter’s Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman exit–it has not all been easy. However, Houston’s next gen has started to fill that void.

Take Hunter Brown, for example, who broke out with a top-three Cy Young finish, and he looked every bit the ace of the future. Jeremy Pena’s Silver Slugger nomination is another such win. Issac Paredes, too, was on a strong climb, had the hamstring injury not marred it.

The star power, if anything, has not disappeared- just changed hands.

2. A huge appreciation for Yordan Alvarez

Yordan Alvarez had quite a frustrating year–a fractured hand, a slow start, and a late-season ankle injury. But then there were still highlights that show he was electric. His .369/.462/.569 -second-half line reminded fans that he is still one of the league’s fiercest hitters.

With a 160 wRC+ since 2021, only behind Judge and Ohtani, he is Houston’s offense machine.

3. A bullpen that’s elite when healthy

Whilst for many the bullpen remains a rocky thing, the Astros’ 3.70 bullpen ERA looks stellar. When Josh Hader was still active, they had a 3.30 bullpen ERA– the second best in MLB. Hader, Bryan Abreu, Bryan King… When this group is intact, they’re a nightmare for opponents.

Sure, the season was not perfect, but it was not empty either. So, even when the dark past is there, there are things Astros still have to be thankful for.