Outspoken Cincinnati Reds pitcher Trevor Bauer didn't mince words when asked his opinion Friday about the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal.

"I'm not going to let them forget the fact that they are hypocrites, they are cheaters, they've stolen from a lot of other people and the game itself," Bauer told reporters at Reds spring training camp in Goodyear, Arizona.

Bauer's impassioned response was part of a more than eight-minute monologue to a question asking why he felt it was important to speak out.

The fallout from the Astros' scheme, in which they used live video to capture catchers' signs and signaled upcoming pitches to batters by banging on a trash can in real time en route to a 2017 World Series title, was a key topic as training camps opened this week. Seemingly everyone has been asked for an opinion on the severity of the actions and how Houston has handled the self-made crisis.

Bauer was among those to take a less-diplomatic approach.

"What did you expect from them?" he said. "The entire time they had been super dismissive, and it's very obvious that they don't think it affected the game. They feel like they were in the right."

Bauer has previously addressed his thoughts on what the Astros did, including writing in The Players' Tribune earlier this month that he thought the actions were akin to the 1919 Black Sox scandal.

The Astros and Bauer have been antagonists for years, ever since the then-Cleveland Indians pitcher suggested that Houston pitchers were doing something illegal to improve the spin rate of their pitches.

"They mocked everything about everyone who said they were doing something under the table or illegal or whatever," Bauer told reporters. "Cheating is one thing -- it's not OK -- but at least if you cheat and you come out and you get caught and you're like, 'Look, I did this and it wasn't right. This is why I did it. I'm not going to do it again, I learned my lesson.'

"Whatever, you can be contrite about it, speak honestly about it, but even now, we don't even have a freakin' apology that means anything from any of them."

In his response, Bauer also explained why it mattered for him and others to openly address what the Astros did.

"I'm probably going to get myself in trouble for saying all of this different stuff, but it's how I feel," he said. "I think it's important to stand up and say something because I'm not afraid of the backlash. ... We're all pissed. If no one ever comes out and says anything, then nothing gets done."

Shareef O'Neal is following his Hall of Fame father's path and will transfer to LSU, he told Sports Illustrated.

"Real big footsteps," he said in explaining his decision to play at the same school where Shaquille O'Neal was a two-time All-American. "But I'm ready for it. Great program. Louisiana is a different scene. I've been in L.A. most of my life, but I'm ready for it."

O'Neal played in 13 games for UCLA this season before announcing last month that he would be transferring out of the program. O'Neal, the No. 32 recruit in the ESPN 100 for the 2018 class, was averaging 2.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in 10.2 minutes.

The 6-foot-9 O'Neal sat out his first season at UCLA after being diagnosed with a right anomalous coronary artery and undergoing open-heart surgery to correct the issue. He was cleared to return to the court last March.

O'Neal also told Sports Illustrated about the final text he received from Kobe Bryant, who was among nine people killed in a helicopter crash Jan. 26. He said Bryant regularly checked in on him and that the message is now the background image for his cellphone.

"[Bryant's death] made me focus more," he told SI. "I feel like it changed my basketball drive to, like, times 10. I'm going to do it for him because I know he would want me to do well."

Shaquille O'Neal, a 2016 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, played for the Tigers from 1989 to 1992. He was the Associated Press' men's college basketball player of the year in 1991, and his No. 33 was retired by the school.

Shareef O'Neal could literally be in his father's shadow at times at LSU, as the school installed a statue of Shaq dunking outside its men's basketball practice facility in 2011.

Information from ESPN's Jeff Borzello was used in this report.

PITTSBURGH -- Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph is calling Myles Garrett's assertion that he used a racial slur a "bold-faced lie," and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is supporting his quarterback.

"1000% False," Rudolph tweeted after Outside the Lines aired a new interview with Garrett after the NFL reinstated the Cleveland Browns defensive end. "Bold-Faced Lie. I did not, have not, and would not utter a racial-slur. This is a disgusting and reckless attempt to assassinate my character."

1000% False.

Bold-Faced Lie.

I did not, have not, and would not utter a racial-slur.

This is a disgusting and reckless attempt to assassinate my character. https://t.co/mZcEcC0tCl

— Mason Rudolph (@Rudolph2Mason) February 15, 2020

In the interview with ESPN's Mina Kimes, Garrett said Rudolph used the slur as he was being sacked with eight seconds left in the Thursday night game on Nov. 14.

Tomlin, though, strongly supported his quarterback in a statement issued Saturday morning -- an unusual move for a coach who rarely speaks publicly in the offseason.

"I support Mason Rudolph not only because I know him, but also because I was on that field immediately following the altercation with Myles Garrett, and subsequently after the game. I interacted with a lot of people in the Cleveland Browns organization -- players and coaches," Tomlin said in the statement.

"If Mason said what Myles claimed, it would have come out during the many interactions I had with those in the Browns' organization. In my conversations, I had a lot of expressions of sorrow for what transpired. I received no indication of anything racial or anything of that nature in those interactions."

Rudolph's agent and attorney, Tim Younger, said the "defamatory" statements by Garrett exposed him to "legal liability."

"We waited to hear the entire interview," Younger said. "Garrett, after originally apologizing to Mason Rudolph, has made the ill-advised choice of publishing the belated and false accusation that Mr. Rudolph uttered a racial slur on the night in question."

Garrett, who was reinstated by the league Wednesday after a six-game suspension, made the accusation against Rudolph during the interview with Kimes that aired Thursday night during SportsCenter.

"He called me the N-word," Garrett told Kimes. "He called me a 'stupid N-word.'"

In the interview, Garrett blamed Rudolph for starting the fight that led to $732,422 in fines and the discipline of 33 players, and said Rudolph used the slur as he was being sacked by Garrett.

Rudolph initially engaged with Garrett on the ground, and then charged at him after Garrett forcibly removed Rudolph's helmet. Then, Garrett hit Rudolph over the head with it.

"I don't say the N-word, whether it's with 'a' [or] 'er.' To me, personally, [it] just shouldn't be said, whether it's by family, friends, anyone," Garrett told Kimes. "I don't want to use it because I don't want [people to] find that appropriate around me for anyone to use.

"When he said it, it kind of sparked something, but I still tried to let it go and still walk away. But once he came back, it kind of reignited the situation. And not only have you escalated things past what they needed to be with such little time in the game left, now you're trying to reengage and start a fight again. It's definitely not entirely his fault; it's definitely both parties doing something that we shouldn't have been doing."

At the time, an NFL spokesman said the league "found no such evidence" that Rudolph used the slur.

Garrett told Kimes that he believed there was recorded audio proving what Rudolph said.

"There were guys who were mic'd up near me, near us, during that time who didn't hear anything," Garrett said. "And from what I've heard, there (might) have been audio during that game that could have heard something or could not have heard something, but they don't want to say."

However, a league spokesman told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Saturday that no sound from the field was recorded. The spokesman added that linemen are mic'd up to amplify ambient sound but that the mics do not record and are shut off after the ball is snapped.

The NFL also released a statement Saturday noting that, after checking with the officiating crew, "no player on either team came forward to say they heard (Rudolph) say it on the field."

Rudolph was fined $50,000 for his role in the incident. He appealed the fine, but it was recently upheld, a source told ESPN.

The Steelers and the Browns were also each fined $250,000.

Garrett first alleged Rudolph used the slur in an appeals hearing with the NFL in an effort to get his suspension reduced, ESPN previously reported. Garrett later said he never intended for the accusation to become public, but said, "I know what I heard."

Rudolph strongly denied the allegation in November and called it "totally untrue."

"I couldn't believe it," the quarterback said Nov. 24. "I couldn't believe he would go that route after the fact."

CHICAGO -- Over the years, Russell Westbrook's media interactions have become legendary across social platforms through funny memes and GIFs.

A quick YouTube search of Russell Westbrook media interactions will show a laundry list of results, mostly from his Oklahoma City tenure.

From his "What?!" response to a reporter question in Utah to his "execution" reply to all postgame questions with too many "next question" situations to count, Westbrook has developed a reputation for those infamous press encounters.

Now in Houston, Westbrook is taking a different approach. There haven't been as many of those heated interviews with local reporters as he's now understanding the media business.

"Just over the years, for me, I've allowed sometimes the media to let them create narratives of myself, and I've protected myself by communicating and I'm no longer allowing that," Westbrook said during Saturday's All-Star media availability. "So that's it."

His toddler son, Noah, joined him on the podium for his ninth All-Star selection in Chicago for Team LeBron as the former MVP didn't mind expressing a rare glimpse of himself.

Westbrook smiled with Noah on his lap and munched on chips with him in between answering questions. His role in Houston appears much different than Oklahoma City -- at least from a media perspective -- with fatherhood seemingly playing a role.

"It's great because he gets to see his dad in his element, which is the most important part, because all of this stuff really doesn't mean anything because he knows me as his father, and that's all I care about," Westbrook said of having Noah tag along.

"It's fun for him," he added. "I want to make sure he has fun. I don't really care about myself; it's more about him and making sure he enjoys it and gets a chance to see different things and experience other things in life."

The NBA slam dunk contest has for 35 years showcased the art of the jam. Hard-core and casual fans alike tune in to the event every year, looking to see something they have never witnessed before. With the rise of social media, creating something completely novel has gotten harder and harder, but dunk men keep finding new and unique ways to make us ask ourselves, "But how?"

Sometimes trying something new goes too far, like in 1997, when Michael Finley tried a cartwheel in the middle of his attempt. He failed miserably, but no one can say he wasn't thinking outside the box. Innovation doesn't necessarily equal a win in the dunk contest, but it never goes unnoticed.

From Spud Webb in the 1980s to Vince Carter in 2000 to Aaron Gordon in the 2010s, these are the most creative, jaw-dropping slams in the history of the dunk contest.

Spud Webb, 1986

Webb became the shortest person ever to win the dunk contest in 1986. The 5-foot-7 point guard defeated 6-foot-8 Dominique Wilkins with two perfect 50-point dunks in the final round, one on which he bounce-passed off the backboard to himself.

Vince Carter, 2000

Before the contest started, Carter told judge Kenny Smith that he had four dunks no one had ever seen. This honey-dip dunk on which Carter stuck his whole forearm through the rim was the icing on one of the greatest performances in contest history.

Baron Davis, 2001

Cedric Ceballos was the first to complete a blindfolded dunk in 1992, but Davis tried to put his own -- ahem -- spin on the trick nine years later, adding a windmill and naming it "blind man's bluff." The bluff part must have referred to his air ball on the attempt.

Andre Iguodala, 2006

Iguodala asked his teammate Allen Iverson to kiss a pass off the backside of the backboard while he ran in from the corner, grabbed the pass and reversed it into the hoop. He predictably smacked his head on the backboard the first time, but on the second try, he was money.

Nate Robinson, 2006

These days, dunk contestants love jumping over upright humans, but Robinson did it first. Contestants had jumped over only sitting or kneeling subjects before the 5-foot-9 three-time dunk contest champion brought aforementioned dunk contest legend Spud Webb out of the crowd to pay homage.

Gerald Green, 2008

When it comes to dunk contest props, no one has done it better than Green. The man blew out a lit candle on top of a cupcake on top of the rim while dunking a basketball. And the cupcake never moved!

Dwight Howard, 2008

Iconic. That's the one way to describe Howard's launch from just beyond the free throw line. Michael Jordan, Julius Erving and others had done the free throw line leap before, but Howard set himself apart by catching the ball in midair before stuffing it.

Related: Expert picks for 2020 dunk contest, Rising Stars, All-Star Game

JaVale McGee, 2011

McGee's 2011 performance was all about multiples. First, he dunked two balls in two different hoops with absolute ease. Then he put three balls through the same hoop. It can be argued that kind of creativity deserved to win, but then ...

Blake Griffin, 2011

... this happened. Griffin's leap over a Kia will be part of his NBA legacy. The most underrated part of the dunk was Baron Davis, who threw a lob for Griffin out of the sunroof. Oh, and there was also a choir for some reason?

Andre Drummond, 2016

Steve Nash's soccer skills have made two dunk contest appearances. In 2005, Amar'e Stoudemire took an alley-oop off Nash's head. Then Nash returned in 2016 to provide the assist for Drummond. It took them six tries, but the ball finally found the net.

Aaron Gordon, 2016

Not only did Gordon complete this incredible dunk over the Orlando Magic mascot, but he also jumped over Stuff while he spun around on a hoverboard. A year later, Gordon brought out a drone to provide the assist. His middle name is Innovation. Look it up.

Glenn Robinson III, 2017

If Nate Robinson set the bar, Glenn Robinson III raised it. He completely cleared the highest obstacle in the dunk contest -- a guy sitting on another guy's shoulders -- and finished it off with a smooth reverse windmill.

Derrick Jones Jr., 2017

Jones had barely played in the NBA before his 2017 dunk contest appearance, but he already had a reputation among fans, thanks to his high-flying pregame dunk shows. He pushed the envelope in New Orleans but came up short against Robinson in the final. He's back this year in Chicago, where he'll face off against fellow innovators Gordon and Howard and first-timer Pat Connaughton, who might have something unexpected up his sleeve.

CHICAGO -- Surrounded by friends and family, Aaron Gordon strolled into the United Center late Thursday night with a purpose. The Orlando Magic forward, one of the showcase attractions of All-Star Saturday night, was looking to avenge past failures.

While league officials worked on ideal camera placements for the upcoming show, Gordon got to work. He placed a blue portable boom box at half-court to blare music throughout the cavernous arena, making up for the absence of the more than 20,000 fans who will be in attendance Saturday night. The sounds of Meek Mill's "Pay You Back" and Roddy Ricch's "The Box" echoed off the empty seats as Gordon weaved his way through the few dozen people lingering on and around the court.

Making his way around the perimeter of the court, Gordon repeated the same phrase over and over.

"Big 50! ... Big 50! ... Big 50!"

Gordon went up, twisted in midair and threw down a tomahawk slam. Later, he put the ball between his legs and then slammed it home with two hands. He practiced a half-dozen slams in all, with plans to enlist help from teammates and celebrity friends on Saturday night, when he unveils not only his new array of high-flying, potentially contest-winning dunks, but also his new sneakers, courtesy of a multiyear, multimillion-dollar deal with Chinese brand 361 Degrees.

The two sides have been circling each other since Gordon leaped over a hoverboard-riding Stuff -- the Orlando Magic's furry green dragon mascot -- during the 2016 NBA dunk contest, and leaped onto the radar of major brands as a potential marketing superstar.

It didn't matter that he didn't win the dunk contest that night (Zach LaVine did). Everything had changed as far as his place in the sport and marketing worlds were concerned.

"It took me from a domestic, American-known name to all over the world, people knew who I was," Gordon told ESPN after Thursday night's dunk contest practice session. "After that 2016 dunk contest, people really started to take a liking to me all over the world."

The only problem, as far as 361 Degrees was concerned, was that Gordon was still locked into the Nike deal he'd signed after being drafted by the Magic with the No. 4 overall pick in 2014. Gordon wore the Nike HyperRev during his dunk contest appearances in 2016 and 2017 -- when he failed to make it out of the first round after a much-hyped but ultimately disappointing "drone dunk" -- but remained buried on the company's roster of endorsers. When his Nike deal expired this past fall, he looked for a partnership that could help raise his profile.

That led him to China, where his fan base has grown rapidly, and to 361, a company looking to raise its own profile as well. The brand, which had partnered with All-Star Kevin Love from 2011 to 2015, will make Gordon its exclusive featured NBA athlete. Gordon began wearing 361 sneakers in games earlier this month, but the partnership will become official with Saturday night's dunk contest.

"The show is on. It's time to go and get it," he said. "It's about having my own presence. Doing what I came here to do and put on a show the best way I know how."

Gordon will be putting on that show in a customized "Kung Fu Dunk" colorway of 361's latest "Big3" sneaker, featuring a support panel styled after the opening number of its name. The tongue icon incorporates his new "AG" circle logo with subtle yin and yang nuances, while the vivid purple and orange colors serve as a nod to his home state.

"It's a California sunset," Gordon said. "I'm a California kid from the West Coast, bringing a little flavor to the East Coast."

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Founded in 2003, the Fujian-based company ranks third among the biggest Chinese sportswear brands, behind Anta and Li-Ning, but boasts more than 8,000 retail locations in China. Having lacked a signature NBA star since Love left for Nike in 2015, the company had long targeted the 24-year-old Gordon to be a featured endorser, given his history in the nation.

Following his 2016 dunk contest performance, Gordon partnered with NBA China for the launch of its Jr. NBA Mentor program throughout the region. One of just seven original Jr. NBA China mentors, Gordon would make the nearly 8,000-mile trek on two occasions to help host skills camps, promote the sport across a variety of cities and further entrench himself in the country.

"Everybody knew me as an athlete, but when they saw the dunk contest, they were like, 'Oh wow, he's like one of the athletes,'" Gordon said.

Gordon met with 361 in September and the two sides began targeting this weekend for finalizing a deal, allowing Gordon to debut his new shoe in the dunk contest.

Next season, Gordon will become the 18th player with his own signature shoe. The forthcoming "Zen-AG" sneaker incorporates his Orlando Magic colors through a swooping and flowing design, with an ice-blue bottom and pinstripe accents.

"It's unreal," Gordon said. "As a kid growing up, that's what I wanted and what everyone wants -- a signature shoe deal."

Gordon also wants to be involved in the design process of his own shoe, which is why 361 appealed to him as a partner. For years, Gordon has worked with a tailor and designer to create his own custom clothes. Embracing the next stage of his passion for design through his own signature shoe was a key element that he was looking for throughout the shoe deal process.

"They're looking for me to really be hands-on with this," he said. "They want to know what the style is like in America, and then bring some eastern style into it as well. Between the fashion of the clothes and the fashion of the shoes, we're going to come out with a product that kids are going to love."

361 continues to invest further into its design and development teams, recently hiring a string of industry veterans. The ability to grow with the brand and stand out in featured marketing campaigns across the world helped to seal the deal for Gordon.

"It's super dope to be able to know that I'll be in my own shoe," he said. "When I'm out there on the court, I don't got to worry about if it don't fit right or if it don't look right. It's like, 'Nah, this is me on my feet.' I'm going to be comfortable and just happy and grateful to be representing."

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Houston manager Dusty Baker urged Major League Baseball to help protect his players from potential retaliation and to discipline opponents who hit Astros players with pitches because they're angry at the organization for the widespread cheating during their championship-winning 2017 season.

"I'm depending on the league to try to put a stop to this seemingly premeditated retaliation that I'm hearing about," Baker said Saturday morning. "And in most instances in life, you get kind of reprimanded when you have premeditated anything. I'm just hoping that the league puts a stop to this before somebody gets hurt."

The deluge of criticism toward the Astros did not abate Saturday, with Chicago Cubs star Kris Bryant calling the organization "a disgrace" and not buying into the team's apology.

"There's no sincerity. There's no genuineness when it comes to it," Bryant said about the Astros. "I know that if I messed up big in that way, I'd be the first one to let you know just how big of a mess up it was. It's hard to believe. It really is. It's sad."

It comes a day after reigning National League MVP Cody Bellinger said the Astros "stole" the 2017 championship from the Los Angeles Dodgers and second baseman Jose Altuve "stole" the American League MVP from New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge in 2017. Cincinnati Reds starter Trevor Bauer went on an eight-minute harangue of the Astros, saying: "I'm not going to let them forget the fact that they are hypocrites, they are cheaters."

Asked whether he would consider throwing at Astros batters, Dodgers pitcher Ross Stripling told reporters: "I would lean toward yes. In the right time and the right place."

Stripling's comments echoed the sentiments of Cleveland Indians starter Mike Clevinger, who two weeks ago said: "I think players will deal with it the way it should be across the league. I don't think it's going to be a comfortable few ABs for a lot of those boys, and it shouldn't be. They shouldn't be comfortable."

Dodgers pitcher Alex Wood balked at the idea that Astros players were not disciplined for the sign-stealing scandal -- they traded honest testimony in interviews with MLB for immunity from punishment -- but others could be disciplined for throwing at them.

When MLB determines the intent of a pitch is to hit a player, it typically levies a suspension for between three and five games.

"Somebody will take it into their own hands, and they'll get suspended more games than any of those guys got for the biggest cheating scandal in 100 years," Wood said. "It'll be pretty ironic when that happens, because I'm sure that's how it'll end up playing out."

"I'm depending on the league to try to put a stop to this seemingly premeditated retaliation that I'm hearing about. ... I'm just hoping that the league puts a stop to this before somebody gets hurt." Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker

Altuve, who a spokesman said was not at the Astros' complex Saturday, was not available for comment. Through the spokesman, outfielder George Springer and shortstop Carlos Correa declined to comment. Starter Justin Verlander was the lone member of the 2017 Astros to speak Saturday.

"The game has changed," Verlander said. "I think the commissioner has made it very clear in the past few seasons that throwing a baseball at somebody isn't an appropriate form of retaliation in the game anymore. The problem is knowing if it's on purpose or not. But I guess when you come out and say I'm going to do it on purpose, you know."

Players across baseball have denigrated the Astros since reporting to spring training -- particularly following an ill-received apology Thursday during which owner Jim Crane suggested the cheating scheme "didn't impact the game" and consistently deferred to commissioner Rob Manfred's report to defend his lack of accountability.

"I thought the apologies were whatever," Bellinger said. "I thought Jim Crane's was weak. I thought Manfred's punishment was weak, giving 'em immunity. I mean, these guys were cheating for three years. I think what people don't realize is Altuve stole an MVP from Judge in '17. Everyone knows they stole the ring from us.

"I know personally I lost respect for those guys. I think I would say everyone in The Show, in the big leagues, lost respect for those guys."

Added Bryant: "I'm pretty sure it was going [on] in 2018 and 2019, too. If they didn't get caught, they'd still be doing it. And they're only doing this apology because they got caught. Everyone around the league is upset and rightfully so, because it's really a disgrace to the game."

The only way to regain the respect, Verlander said, is to win this season.

"It'll be like walking into a visiting stadium in the playoffs every time we go anywhere," he said. "At least we've experienced that before. You hope it'll die down eventually. I don't know if it will or not."

ESPN's Jesse Rogers and Alden Gonzalez contributed to this report.

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Zack Wheeler wants to dial down his little dispute with his former team's general manager.

The new Philadelphia right-hander has recently been trading barbs with New York Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen, adding even more intrigue after Wheeler left the Mets to sign with the rival Phillies.

On Saturday, Wheeler figured there wasn't much more he needed to add.

"I don't want to make this go on any further. I don't think it's meant to go on any further. We're two grown-ups here, and we're battling like little kids, you know what I mean?" Wheeler said. "I'm happy to be here with this group of guys."

Wheeler signed a $118 million, five-year contract with Philadelphia this offseason after pitching for the Mets since his debut season in 2013. Wheeler told the New York Post on Thursday that he circled back with the Mets before signing with Philadelphia and that "it was basically just crickets."

Said Wheeler to the newspaper about the Mets: "It's how they roll."

Van Wagenen responded sharply Friday, saying the Mets contributed to Wheeler's success.

"Our health and performance department, our coaches all contributed and helped him parlay two good half-seasons over the last five years into $118 million," Van Wagenen told reporters Friday. "I'm proud of what our group was able to help him accomplish. I'm happy he was rewarded for it. Players deserve to be rewarded when they perform well."

That put the ball back in Wheeler's court Saturday. He seemed amused but didn't do much more to escalate the feud. He even had some kind words for the Mets.

"The training staff was unbelievable. They helped me out a lot," said Wheeler, who had Tommy John surgery in 2015 and continued to deal with arm and shoulder issues. "They really set up a good program for me, and I really appreciate those guys. I really appreciate everything the Mets did for me, but I'm here with the Phillies now."

This episode may be brought up again when the Phillies face the Mets this season, but that matchup was already going to be emotional.

"I don't think I needed any more motivation," Wheeler said. "When you're going up against a former team or something like that, we were already going to have motivation. I don't think that gives me any more. It's kind of small in my mind, what's going on right now. I think it got blown up a little bit, out of proportion."

MESA -- Guitar lessons and shopping for baby stuff. That's how Chicago Cubs star Kris Bryant filled his time in the offseason, all while avoiding social media.

Bryant, 28, was aware his name was being mentioned in trade rumors but mostly from screenshots sent by friends. He did his best at avoiding the speculation, but it wasn't easy.

"I understand it, but I do my best to tune it out," Bryant said after reporting to Cubs camp on Saturday. "It's hard. It's really hard. ... Twitter is the worst thing in the world.

"I always expected to be here. Pretty happy about it and ready to get going. ... I've had a lot of doctor appointments and baby stuff and getting a nursery ready."

Bryant and his wife Jessica are expecting their first child, but will the baby grow up in Chicago or elsewhere? The team has indicated they are open to moving anyone, and Bryant's name has been linked, in part, because he'll be a free agent in two years.

The former MVP seemed perturbed by the speculation, especially any rumors indicating that he turned down a massive contract.

"The biggest thing with the trade rumors, which has disappointed me, is 'let's get rid of him now because he doesn't want to be here in two years. He turned down this monster extension, well north of $200 million.'

"Where was that? I never saw that. These rumors and sources and people saying things. And never once did I say I didn't want to play here."

As camp begins, any possibility of a trade seems less likely. And while Bryant didn't exactly demand any assurances he'll be with the club when they open the season in Milwaukee next month, he wouldn't mind it.

"I would like one," Bryant said. "I guess I would like to be in the loop a little bit, and it's safe to say they obviously don't have to keep me in the loop by any means. I feel like I've earned a little respect here.

"I don't want it to be a distraction. I've always wanted to go with the flow and be here and be present and not be the guy that distracts people. But I can't control any of it."

Bryant, who lost his service time grievance against the Cubs earlier this month, was bothered more by reports that he was unhappy with the team than he was with the outcome of the grievance itself.

"It's absolutely ridiculous seeing things like that," Bryant said. "That's not who I am. I don't believe in holding grudges. There are no hard feelings whatsoever. I completely respect this organization and what they've done for me and my family. I just saw this as a process that's going to help the players in the next round of negotiating. It was important for me to stand up for what I believe in and what players believe in."

Bryant was held back in the minors for 10 days at the beginning of the 2015 season, which enabled the Cubs to keep him under team control for a whole extra season. His beef is more with the system that allows that to happen than with the team itself.

"I knew it was an uphill battle going into it," Bryant said. "I saw it through to the end because it was something I really believed in. My mom and dad told me to always stand up for what I believe in. There is definitely no hard feelings, so let's put that narrative to bed.

"It would have been great to win. I lost. You move on."

The result means he'll remain a free agent after 2021 instead of 2020. He's hopeful the grievance will put the issue front and center when the next round of collective bargaining takes place between the league and players.

"I believe this is right and it's going to help us in two years," Bryant said. "This last round, the players really took a whupping. It's up to us to fight for things that are right."

As for his future, he's become to understand how the business works, starting with the luxury tax. It's keeping some team payrolls down, according to Bryant, and it sounds like the Cubs might be one of them after they paid the tax in 2019.

"Certain teams are less likely to use it as that [a salary cap], but definitely it's a shame to see it being used that way. Maybe we need to experience this and see how bad this really is and fight for stuff that needs to be changed."

He's sure of one thing: The Cubs have plenty of money if they want to spend it.

"I know that we just got this new [television] network for a lot of money, and the Cubs are one of the most profitable teams out there," Bryant said. "And one of the most desirable teams. People want to always go to Wrigley Field and watch a game."

After days of hearing his team and teammates be criticized across the majors, Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa spoke out Saturday, telling The Athletic that players on other teams -- particularly the Los Angeles Dodgers' Cody Bellinger -- are not informed enough when they address the sign-stealing scandal or 2017 American League MVP Jose Altuve.

"The problem I have is when players go out there and they don't know the facts, they're not informed about the situation, and they just go out there and go on camera and just talk," Correa said in an interview that will air on MLB Network.

Correa, as he did to reporters Thursday, conceded that the Astros stealing signs in 2017 was "wrong" but added that comments about Houston continuing to cheat are off base.

"When he (Bellinger) talks about that we cheated for three years, he either doesn't know how to read, is really bad at reading comprehension or is just not informed at all," Correa told The Athletic. "The commissioner's report clearly says that all those activities were conducted in 2017. 2018 nothing happened. 2019 nothing happened. It was just talented players, playing the game of baseball with passion and winning ballgames."

According to commissioner Rob Manfred's investigation into the Astros, the team used two illegal technological methods to steal signs throughout the 2017 season and for part of the 2018 season, though the summary noted there was no evidence that the team used a trash can to clue players into pitches in 2018.

In Correa's mind, the Astros earned and deserved their 2017 title. He broke down the runs the team scored in the World Series to The Athletic and noted that the title-clinching Game 7 was played in Los Angeles with "no cheating on the road."

"When you analyze the games, we won fair and square," Correa said. "We earned that championship."

Correa also said that teammate Altuve -- along with Josh Reddick and Tony Kemp -- was among the players not to take part in the trash-can cheating. Altuve would, according to Correa, confront others if he heard a trash-can bang during his at-bats.

"He would say, 'I don't want this. I can't hit like this. Don't you do that to me,'" Correa said. "He played the game clean."

That defense was made in part to legitimize Altuve's MVP Award. Bellinger had said that Altuve "stole" the award from the New York Yankees' Aaron Judge, drawing this response from Correa: "Cody, you don't know the facts."

Regarding reports that Altuve may have had a buzzer system inside his jersey, Correa pointed to an earlier incident in which he ripped his teammate's jersey and said the second baseman was trying to hide an unfinished tattoo.

"Altuve has played the game clean. Always. Always," Correa told The Athletic. "He earned that MVP. He hit that home run off (Aroldis) Chapman, fair and square."

Correa also defended Astros owner Jim Crane's apology as coming from someone who "doesn't play the game of baseball" and acknowledged the hurt to see manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow fired. But he is turning his attention to the 2020 season.

"This year, we want to go out and show the fans that we are talented, that we can play the game, that we can win ballgames," Correa said. "That what happened in 2017 does not define us. We still feel terrible. It's 2020, two-and-something years after that happened, and we still feel bad about it. We go to bed thinking about that.

"What people have to say, that's all their right. Because we were wrong. And they can say whatever they want. Because we were wrong. But when players stand up there and they accuse (us) of stuff that didn't happen in 2019, that doesn't sit well with me."