Report: Red Sox not expected to face harsh penalty for stealing signs

The Boston Red Sox have reportedly been caught red-handed attempting to steal signs from an opponent, and already we have heard reactions ranging from a yawn to full-blown outrage. But it is the reaction from Major League Baseball that will matter, so which category do league officials fall under?

According to one report, it sounds more like the former. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports was told by sources that any penalties the Red Sox face for allegedly stealing the New York Yankees’ signs using an Apple Watch are not expected to be severe. Passan notes that most feel the biggest crime committed by the Red Sox is that they were so lousy at covering their tracks.

Boston’s greatest crime was the obviousness with which it employed the scheme. Generally speaking, according to sources, if someone on a team’s video staff cracks an opponent’s signals, they are run from the video room to an intermediary in the dugout and forwarded to players on the field. The Red Sox’s crime, according to sources, was sending the decoded material via Wi-Fi rather than vocal cords.

This was particularly stupid because while no rule outlaws sign stealing, the no-technology-in-the-dugout statute is well-known. Nonetheless, sources familiar with the investigation do not expect the penalties on the Red Sox to be harsh. The suggestion they will vacate victories against the Yankees is nonsensical, and the likelihood MLB will dock them draft picks is minimal. The most likely upshot is a fine for the organization, with possible suspensions for those involved in the actual scheme, according to sources.

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports is calling for the Red Sox to be forced to vacate all of their wins against the Yankees this year. He argues that they are repeat offenders, as they were caught skating around signing bonus rules with international players last year. Most baseball people think Heyman’s suggestion for punishment is absurd.

As Passan notes, sign stealing is basically ingrained in baseball culture. It has been going on for more than 100 years, oftentimes just as elaborately — if not more so — than using an Apple Watch. The “everybody does it” argument doesn’t make breaking the rules acceptable, but it does impact the way the people who matter look at the crime. Regardless of what one Yankees player thinks about Boston’s antics, the situation is more likely to blow over than it is to result in the Red Sox’s win-loss record being revised.