Pitcher McHugh offers regret for not trying to stop Astros’ cheating

Pitcher Collin McHugh says he regrets he didn’t do more to stop the Houston Astros from breaking sign-stealing rules in 2017 and 2018.

“To know, to put myself in the shoes of the guys who pitched against us in 2017 and to know that our hitters made that job that much harder that year, it’s hard to swallow,“McHugh said Friday, a day after agreeing to a $600,000, one-year contract with the Boston Red Sox.

“I feel for them and I understand the anger,” McHugh said. “I understand when people are mad. ... I get it. I’ve been there. I know what it feels like to be out there and feel like a team has your signs. It’s a lonely place. So, I think from that perspective, knowing that happened to my fellow pitchers that year, I understand and I empathize with them and with the fans.“

McHugh is worried about the impact of the Astros’ actions on young fans.

“You’ve got to be willing to stick up for what you believe in and what you believe is right and what you believe is wrong,“he said.“I think a lot of the guys on that team, including myself, are looking back now and wishing we had been as brave in the moment as we thought we were beforehand.“

A 32-year-old right-hander, McHugh was 58-35 with the Astros from 2014-19. He said Astros pitchers were led to believe other teams were stealing Houston’s signs.

“It was really awkward,“he said. “Sign-stealing is universally across the board bad for pitchers. And we know that it made our jobs harder. And we truly believe, or were made to believe, that it was happening to us, too.”