Report: MLB Has No Plans to Further Discipline A.J. Hinch, Alex Cora After Bans

Major League Baseball reportedly has no plans to levy additional punishments against A.J. Hinch and Alex Cora for their respective roles in the Houston Astros' 2017 sign-stealing scandal.

According to Andy McCullough of The Athletic, that means teams in search of a manager are free to pursue both Hinch and Cora without any concerns regarding a lengthened suspension or any potential sanctions.

Both Hinch and Cora were suspended for the entire 2020 season after it was determined the Astros illegally stole signs during their World Series-winning season of 2017. The Astros subsequently fired Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow, while Cora and the Boston Red Sox parted ways.

Hinch was a highly successful manager during his time with the Astros. After a two-year stint as manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2009 and 2010 that didn't work out, he was hired by the Astros in 2015.

In five seasons in Houston, Hinch went 481-329, including three consecutive 100-win seasons from 2017-19. Hinch made the playoffs four of those five years, reached the World Series twice and never posted a losing record.

Cora was the bench coach for the 2017 Astros team before getting hired by the Red Sox to be their manager ahead of the 2018 season.

In his first year in Boston, Cora led the Sox to a 108-54 record and a World Series championship. Boston went 84-78 the following season and missed the playoffs, however.

The Astros replaced Hinch with veteran manager Dusty Baker, and he helped lead them to the American League Championship Series this season despite the fact that they posted a below-.500 record during the regular season at 29-31.

Meanwhile, Ron Roenicke stepped in for Cora in Boston, and the results weren't nearly as good, as the Red Sox finished last in the American League East at 24-36.

Given the success Hinch and Baker experienced previously, they could be hot commodities on the managerial market this offseason provided teams are prepared to deal with the line of questioning and any degree of backlash that comes with hiring them.

Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila said earlier this month that both Hinch and Cora are potential candidates for the team's managerial vacancy.

While it stands to reason the Astros will stick with Baker as their manager rather than going back to Hinch after Baker brought Houston to within one win of the World Series, the Red Sox are in an entirely different boat.

According to MLB Network's Jon Heyman (h/t Darren Hartwell of NBC Sports Boston), Cora is considered the favorite to be Boston's manager in 2021.

Both Hinch and Cora will have their suspensions lifted once the 2020 World Series ends, which could happen as soon as Tuesday night, so it's possible that both will be MLB managers once again sometime this week.