A day after the MLB Commissioner’s Office determined punishment for the 2017 Houston Astros cheating scandal, banning Manager AJ Hinch and General Manager Jeff Luhnow each for a year, loss of draft picks, and a $5 Million fine, the Boston Red Sox have released a statement of their own.
Yesterday, after the MLB announced the punishments, Houston Astros Owner Jim Crane let both Hinch and Luhnow go from the team. Today, the Boston Red Sox have done the same with letting their manager go.
Just under a week ago, Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich released on The Athletic a new investigation that accused the Boston Red Sox of using live video replay systems during the 2018 season that they too won the World Series.
At this time, the MLB investigative offices are still looking into these new allegations, and are withholding punishments towards former Red Sox Manager Alex Cora, who was a part of both the 2017 Astros and 2018 Red Sox, until the investigation is completed.
As with all breaking news, we will update when more information becomes available.
More on penalties: MLB has placed former #Astros assistant GM Brandon Taubman on its ineligible list. Discipline for #RedSox manager Alex Cora, the Houston bench coach in 2017, will be determined after MLB completes its investigation of Boston. https://t.co/djvKEYFiC7 — Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 13, 2020
Statement from the Boston #RedSox and Alex Cora: pic.twitter.com/qXsUhSobSy — Red Sox (@RedSox) January 15, 2020
Red Sox will hold a press conference Wednesday afternoon at Fenway Park. — Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) January 15, 2020
I have been told that the disimissal of Cora does not stop MLB’s investigation into the #RedSox alleged cheating in 2018 nor does it stop MLB from suspending Cora for his parts with the ’17 #Astros and the ’18 #RedSox — Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) January 15, 2020
Quick Thoughts:
This was an easy call by the brass of the Boston Red Sox to make at this time. Alex Cora was mentioned 11 times in the 9-page document from Commissioner Rob Manfred and the MLB. He was noted as the mastermind behind the 2017 Astros cheating process, and being the only major player on both teams (2017 Astros, 2018 Red Sox) under scrutiny about cheating it is almost guaranteed that if it is found that the Boston Red Sox cheated, Cora was behind what was happening.
This move by the Boston Red Sox also seems to confirm that not only had the Red Sox cheated, but that Cora was a major piece in making it happen. Moves like this seem to display guilty behaviors.
What will be interesting to see is if the New York Mets will be releasing new Manager Carlos Beltran from his contract that he signed this winter. He was also dubbed as one of the masterminds behind the 2017 Houston Astros cheating system, along with Alex Cora.
If you’re interested in reading more:
Here is the The Athletic article that accused the 2018 Boston Red Sox of Cheating (sus. req.)
