MLB's Lockout Could Turn Baseball's Offseason Into a Farce

Something funny happened in Major League Baseball on Friday.

The Houston Astros hired Randy Flores to be their general manager. It's funny because Flores came from the St. Louis Cardinals, who originally hired him in 2015 to replace Chris Correa. They fired Correa after MLB learned he illegally accessed the Astros' internal databases when Jeff Luhnow ran Houston's organization.

Before he ran the Astros, Luhnow worked for the Cardinals scouting department. Hello, time loop. Again, it's not what you know, but who you used to work with -- especially when someone else you worked with tried to rob another team blind.

Flores might turn out to be a fine GM. He built a strong reputation with the Cardinals, who appear to be building a bright future with some of the puzzle pieces Flores helped to acquire. It just seems like a bit of a farce.

Now that the World Series is over, it's time for MLB to play a game of charades, with the owners' lockout reportedly set to begin Dec. 2. Fear not, because fans of every team, even those who wear neutral MLB logo hats at games, get to play charades too.

The City of Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin had a feel-good moment Friday when the Milwaukee Brewers had a championship parade. Fans came together to celebrate the Brewers' first title in franchise history, and the first for any Milwaukee MLB team in 69 years. The Brewers made memories with their fans that will last a lifetime -- even if they have a feel-good shelf life of about 48 hours.

Get your feel-goods in now, Brewers fans, because it's going to feel like another 69 years have passed once the lockout kicks in. That ain't cool, like the Fonz would say. Soon, all of our baseball news will focus on collective bargaining negotiations. We'll hear lots of updates about the MLBPA not accepting a salary cap. We'll see lots of video of MLB commissioner Rob Manfred with his tie removed.

"Another tough round of negotiating today," Manfred will say after tagging out.

In the meantime, we can gin up the excitement of the coming transaction frenzy we're reportedly set to experience. The Boston Red Sox went through the procedural motion of declining right-hander Sonny Gray's $30 million contract option this week. The action allows teams to start bidding on his services in free agency. How excited Gray will be to sign with, say, the Atlanta Braves, with his kids on his lap and all that at the press conference.

Right before the Braves lock him out, along with their other players. Go hang with Ronald Acuna in his home-plate bunker, Sonny.

Conversely, New York Mets infielder Bo Bichette said yes to his own $42 million option for 2027. Better to be guaranteed full employment... while being locked out.

Funniest of all might be awards season, which starts this weekend with Gold Glove trophies. The Chicago White Sox will be "so proud" of Chase Meidroth for being named the best second baseman in the league -- as long as Mr. Reinsdorf doesn't catch him in the building after Dec. 2.

Actually, one last detail might be even funnier. A recently leaked MLB memo mentioned the league has a deadline for sending out holiday cards to players. There will be no wishing Mookie Betts a Merry Christmas after Dec. 2.

What a stupid game it is that we love.