NEW YORK _ Two days after the Super Bowl, the New York Yankees' equipment truck will leave the Bronx, headed for Tampa, Fla.
Less than a month away from spring training, the 2020 Yankees are a strong favorite to win the American League pennant, advantaged by signing free agent starter Gerrit Cole away from the defending AL champion Houston Astros.
Manager Aaron Boone's reigning AL East champs were also 19 games better in 2019 than the potent Boston Red Sox, a club now teetering between contention and transition.
And this was all before the Yankees' two biggest October obstacles in recent years became organizations in chaos.
Both the Astros and Red Sox are seeking replacements for World Series winning managers who seemed to have long futures at Minute Maid and Fenway parks, following a sign-stealing scandal � with another wave of aftershocks coming.
MLB is still investigating electronic sign-stealing allegations against the 2018 world champion Red Sox, whose manager Alex Cora was dismissed by Boston on Tuesday.
A day earlier, Astros manager A.J. Hinch was fired along with GM Jeff Luhnow following MLB commissioner Rob Manfred's devastating penalties against Houston for its electronic sign-stealing.
That scandal covered the 2017 postseason, when Houston won all four of its AL Championship Series home games against manager Joe Girardi's Yankees, on the way to the Astros' first franchise world title.
Along with the loss of significant future Astros draft picks and a fine, Hinch and Luhnow were suspended for the 2020 season and Cora could be hit with at least a similar ban � if not lengthier � for his part in both scandals.
During an MLB investigation prompted by reporting in The Athletic of the Astros' electronic sign-stealing methods, Cora � as the 2017 Astros bench coach � was named as instrumental in its setup and practice.
Faced with an untenable situation, the Red Sox came to a "mutual" parting with Cora.
And now, as equipment trucks are being loaded for spring training, two serious AL contenders are seeking managers, one is without a GM and neither club has made an impactful on-field move all winter.
Plus, the Yankees subtracted Cole from the top of Houston's rotation, signing him to a nine-year, $324 million deal.
The Red Sox? They could be shopping superstar Mookie Betts until the trade deadline, rather than losing him to free agency after this season.
David Price has been the subject of trade discussion in the wake of Boston's desire to shed payroll, while the Yankees barrel through the luxury tax guardrails.
After the Yankees' pennant hopes were impacted by the punishable deeds of two otherwise excellent clubs, their best revenge � getting back to a World Series for the first time since 2009 � is in front of them.
