MLB Gives Minor Penalty To Red Sox In Cheating Scandal

The Red Sox had it right – kind of. They kept on telling everyone who would listen to ‘reserve judgment’ on the investigation of them illegally stealing signs during the 2018 season until Major League Baseball actually announces their findings. This afternoon the penalty was announced, and the Red Sox were right about the severity of their penalty. But they were still in the wrong.

MLB, in one of the longest investigations ever, handed down relatively minor penalties to the team and a replay operator named J.T. Watkins. Talk about throwing a relatively low-paying, non-uniformed employee under the bus! Where does the buck stop? With J.T. Watkins who basically gets a two year suspension? Oh ya, and the Red Sox have to forfeit a second round draft choice.

Wait, what about the supposed ringleader or at least the guy who is supposed to be in control of all things on the field and in the dugout, Manager Alex Cora. Nothing, at least from this investigation. Cora was given a year suspension for his contributions to the 2017 cheating scandal of the Houston Astros.

I think that everyone and their brother knew that Cora was going to be suspended for being, basically, the ring leader in the Astros’ cheating scandal. So the Red Sox quickly stepped up and fired him. Oh, wait, ‘they came to a mutual agreement with Cora that he should step down’. At least that’s what they told us in a news conference held in the middle of January. Now, three months later, MLB announces their findings and penalties?!

The Red Sox today released this statement.

‘As an organization, we strive for 100% compliance with the rules. MLB’s investigation concluded that in isolated instances during the 2018 regular season, sign sequences were decoded through the use of of live game video rather than through permissible means.

MLB acknowledged the front office’s extensive efforts to communicate and enforce the rules and concluded that Alex Cora, the coaching staff, and most of the players did not engage in, nor were they aware of, any violations. Regardless, these rule violations are unacceptable. We apologize to our fans and Major League Baseball, and accept the Commissioners ruling.’

The most troubling part of this statement is the admission that some of their players did cheat, but MLB, like they did with the Astros, has decided to penalize no players. MLB interviewed 65 Red Sox employees, including 35 past and present players, and for agreeing to be interviewed those players received full immunity. The players should be issuing a statement of apology as well.

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred does not exactly come out of this smelling like a rose either. Of course nothing he has done lately has made him look or smell good. Baseball, under his watch, has come out of this cheating scandal with a black eye. The Astros’s black eye will be there for a long, long time. The Red Sox black eye has a chance to fade over time, but never completely go away

And then there is the status of former manager Alex Cora, who could be waiting in the wings. While unemployed, he is serving his one year suspension. Has he even removed his clothes from his locker in the Red Sox manager’s office, because next year he could very well reclaim his former managerial position after serving his suspension for something he did in 2017 when he was with the Houston Astros.

Present Red Sox manager and good soldier Ron Roenicke better hope that the 2020 season starts up sometime this summer or he may be the only manager in Red Sox history to end his managerial record at 0-0.