Phillies

MLB Punishes Astros for Sign Stealing

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Jan 13th, 2020 · 2:19 PM EST

---

If you’re not cheating, your’re not trying.

That’s the first rule.

The second rule is not to get caught cheating, which the Astros failed to do. Here’s their punishment for stealing signs:

Additionally, MLB will fine the Astros $5 million and take away their first- and second-round picks in the 2020 and 2021 drafts, sources tell ESPN.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 13, 2020

No players were disciplined by Major League Baseball in the Astros' investigation. While Mets manager Carlos Beltran was part of it, he was a player at the time and thus was not suspended.

Discipline for Red Sox manager Alex Cora is coming. It is going to be harsh, per sources.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 13, 2020

The scheme, laid out by MLB's investigators, that names Alex Cora: pic.twitter.com/ymBK81FW7x

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 13, 2020

Does it really mean anything if the Astros are still World Series champions? That’s honestly not a bad price to pay for a title (with an asterisk). And the sport has a history of cheating anyway, so it’s not like this some shocking revelation here, even thought the punishment is rather steep by MLB standards.

RE: Cora, Ken Rosenthal writes this at The Athletic:

Discipline for Cora will be determined after baseball completes its investigation of the Red Sox for separate sign-stealing allegations that occurred while Cora was the team’s manager in 2018, as reported by The Athletic last week.

Real question is when the Phillies are gonna get back into the postseason and get that fucking trophy back for John Middleton. And let’s stop beating around the bush and get J.T. Realmuto locked up already.

EDIT:

Jim Crane says Jeff Luhnow and A.J. Hinch have been dismissed.

— Jake Kaplan (@jakemkaplan) January 13, 2020