Boston Red Sox investigation ends with baffling results

The highly anticipated Boston Red Sox sign-stealing scandal has finally come to an end and the results and disciplinary actions are unfounded and unfair.

After months of waiting, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has finally released his findings, including disciplinary actions in regards to the Boston Red Sox sign-stealing scandal. While many have found the results to be disappointing, I find them to be rather mind-boggling.

Before providing you with the two main reasons for why Manfred’s report baffled me, let’s take a moment to summarize the investigation’s findings.

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First, Manfred reveals that 65 witnesses were interviewed, 34 of whom were current and former players. Also, tens of thousands of documents were reviewed, including emails, text messages, video clips, and photographs.

What this seemingly extensive investigation found was that the Red Sox video replay system operator J.T. Watkins illegally used to replay room to learn sign sequences and provided the information to players mostly before games and definitely not during the postseason.

As a result, Watkins is banned through the 2020 postseason, will not be allowed to perform replay duties during the 2021 season, and the organization will lose a 2nd round pick in the 2020 draft.

Now, why are these findings and disciplinary actions baffling to me?

For one, I find it hard to believe that a replay official acted alone. You have Alex Cora, who has been previously accused of orchestrating a sign-stealing system in Houston just one year prior to this, and he has no knowledge of what J.T. Watkins is doing?

I don’t buy it.

Even so, Manfred’s Executive Summary states:

"Moreover, those who suspected that Watkins was using the replay system largely did not understand that it was a violation of the rules because the evolving rules landscape had not been adequately explained to players."

Question: if the rules surrounding the use of the replay room and sign-stealing were at the time “evolving,” how could anybody be held responsible for breaking said rules? Doesn’t it fall on the commissioner and baseball itself to make sure to establish rules and regulations prior to games being played?

Secondly, in terms of the punishment, if MLB did find that there was wrongdoing on behalf of the Boston Red Sox, why not exercise a harsher punishment?

Essentially, The New York Yankees were punished just as harshly for being aggressive in free agency. So were the Los Angeles Angels for that matter.

In the Yankees signing Gerrit Cole and the Angels signing Rendon, each organization is forced to surrender “one or more Draft picks.” This for attempting to improve their teams legitimately.

Over the last few weeks, MLB and Rob Manfred has received praise for the handling of the coronavirus outbreak. The league has been transparent about the ideas being floated around in an effort to resume the 2020 season and it is prioritizing fan and player safety.

With this report, Manfred has done himself and the league a disservice. What a waste of time.