Manfred: Sox probe is complete
Major League Baseball’s investigation into the 2018 Red Sox that has lasted more than two months has reached a conclusion, but there will be a longer wait before the findings are revealed.
In an interview on ESPN’s SportsCenter late Wednesday night, commissioner Rob Manfred said that the investigation into alleged illegal sign stealing by the 2018 Red Sox is done, but due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the report hasn’t been completed.
“We are done with the investigation,” Manfred said. “There’s been a delay in terms of producing a written report just because, frankly, I have not had time to turn to it with the other issues, but we will get a Boston report out before we resume play.”
MLB’s investigation into the Red Sox came after a report from The Athletic in early January that said the team had improperly used a video room to steal signs during its championship season, and after the league issued its ruling on the 2017 Astros, which led to the dismissal of Alex Cora as Red Sox manager.
When baseball resumes play — and thus, when to expect the report on the Red Sox — is still anybody’s guess. Last week, MLB pushed back Opening Day — which was originally scheduled for Thursday — at least another eight weeks to mid-May at the earliest due to the pandemic. Manfred and the league are currently working to determine their different options for a restart to the season, which would likely include an abbreviated spring training.
Manfred said he hopes that a return would come some time in May, but he admitted it’s mostly out of their hands due to the uncertainty of the pandemic and how long it will last.
“My optimistic outlook is that at some point in May, we’ll be gearing back up,” Manfred said. “We’ll have to make a determination depending on what the precise date is as to how much of a preparation period we need, whether that preparation period is going to be done in the clubs’ home cities or back in Florida and Arizona. Again, I think the goal would be to get to as many regularseason games as possible and think creatively about how we can accomplish that goal.”