UPDATE: Astros owner Jim Crane announced during a press conference that both AJ Hinch and Jeff Luhnow have both been fired.
Original Story: The Houston Astros were hit hard by the MLB on Monday afternoon with the punishments being levied after the league’s lengthy investigation wrapped up. The sanctions, as first reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, include manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow being suspended for one year.
Here are the reported penalties:
- One-year suspension for general manager Jeff Luhnow.
- One-year suspension for manager A.J. Hinch.
- The loss of first- and second-round draft picks in both 2020 and 2021.
- A $5 million fine.
- The placement of former Astros assistant GM Brandon Taubman on baseball’s ineligible list.
Stealing signs is not explicitly against MLB’s official rules, but where the Astros crossed the line over is their use of technology (a camera/monitor system) to gain information.
The league’s discipline against the Astros is precedent-setting. It’s expected that the Boston Red Sox will also face severe punishment for their alleged use of cameras to steal signs during their 2018 championship season.
In 2017, the Red Sox were fined for using Apple Watches as part of a sign-stealing scheme, and Manfred warned teams caught cheating in a similar way would be severely disciplined going forward. MLB’s investigation into the Red Sox remains ongoing.
This story will be updated with more information as it becomes available.