Red Sox Sign Stealing Scandal: Delayed Decision Doesn’t Bode Well for Boston
The biggest story of the MLB offseason, by far, is the Astros being disciplined (and shamed) for using technology to steal signs. Some punishments have been handed out, but the investigation is ongoing and more information continues to be revealed. Forgotten amidst the Astros scandal is that the Red Sox, too, may have used the replay room inappropriately.
However, reports indicate MLB expects to conclude the Red Sox sign stealing investigation in March, rather than punish players and coaches immediately, like they did with the Astros. Most believe little or nothing will come of this, but that might not be true.
Red Sox Sign Stealing More Sophisticated?
If the Red Sox indeed used an entire replay room to conduct their operation, there’s more technology available there than what the Astros were caught using. The Astros investigation isn’t necessarily done either, when it comes to technology used, but it might not be as grand compared to what’s available in a replay room.
Replay rooms consist of multiple video screens (which means more cameras from different viewpoints on the field), microphones, audio boards and TriCaster technology, which provides different viewpoints around the diamond. More technology could lead to more insight. Did it work to help Boston win a World Series with a less talented roster than the Astros had in 2017?
Also, the Red Sox have more money to work with than the Astros, with a much richer ownership group and a much more valuable franchise — 12th according to Forbes’ 2019 list of most valuable sports franchises at $3.2 billion. The Astros weren’t even in the Top 50. If Boston’s ownership group wanted to do everything it could to succeed, they have the financial wherewithal.
The Cora Connection
Then, there is the Alex Cora factor. His knowledge of the Astros operation may have contributed to him landing a managerial job with a big-name organization, rather than being a random managerial candidate for an average or rebuilding team. Did his knowledge of advanced analytics get him the job, or was it his knowledge of a sign-stealing program? A question worth asking.
Another big question: Why the delay? Maybe more evidence is coming and MLB is trying to compare the operations used by the Astros and Red Sox. MLB already suspended Astros manager A.J. Hinch and GM Jeff Luhnow for a year, ultimately leading to their firings. However, no players or other executives have been suspended for now, and commissioner Rob Manfred is allegedly granting players “immunity.”
While Manfred’s reasons for granting immunity were met with resistance and concern, as if he’s trying to save the players and forget about the investigation, there may be specific players targeted in the ongoing investigation. The delay allows MLB to finalize evidence to, at least, the same extent as the Astros, and the ultimate decision will showcase the comparison of the punishments. MLB also may be trying to even out the punishments, at least temporarily, before they go further into the investigation during the season. Cora will likely get suspended for a long time, with a lifetime ban being the extreme, as he is connected to both operations, and the Red Sox could receive the same fine and draft pick loss the Astros received.
More Suspensions to Come?
As for the players and executives, if MLB uncovers proof that specific individuals were involved, there could be suspensions before the season starts. Likely, at least for now, it will be the same amount of players suspended or length of games suspended so MLB avoids more bad PR.
MLB’s ongoing investigation could determine if Red Sox players used anything similar to the suspicions surrounding Jose Altuve’s jersey gesture, Josh Reddick’s “confetti” and the team’s trash-can usage. At the end of the day, it’s possible Cora brought this mentality to the Red Sox and amplified it further through additional use of technology.
There is evidence of Astros executives sending messages and digital signals through the owner’s box and team offices, leading many to believe there was front office involvement, too. Investigators are likely searching for the same within the Red Sox organization.
A Story that Won’t Die
Everything takes time, and the evidence needs to be solid. That’s likely why no players or executives, outside of Hinch and Luhnow, have been suspended yet. We know about the Astros’ infractions, and now we wait to hear about the Red Sox’s alleged cheating system — and the potential for more suspensions.
Besides ignoring these scandals, the next worst thing MLB can do is for punishments to be unfair and suspend key players on the Red Sox and not the Astros, or vice versa. The delay is designed to ensure the accumulation of accurate information, determine if there was a connection between the two organizations (with Cora being the link), and to decide if more suspensions are warranted within each organization.
One thing is certain, the Red Sox sign stealing story isn’t over yet.
