The Houston Astros continue to be criticized for their acquisition of closer Roberto Osuna from the Toronto Blue Jays, and continue to try to mend fences with their fans and the community in light of it.
Osuna was officially activated on Sunday after serving his 75-game suspension, and addressed the media for the first time. Simultaneously, the Astros issued a statement asserting that they are confident that Osuna has earned a second chance and believe he will thrive in Houston’s clubhouse environment. They added that they are using the acquisition to work with women’s organizations as well.
The Astros released the following statement: pic.twitter.com/y7ijZ3nzHw
— Houston Astros (@astros) August 5, 2018
Osuna himself also addressed fans with a rather baffling quote.
Roberto Osuna when asked if he had a message to fans, especially female fans (via translator): "At this point, we don’t know what’s happened, what’s going to happen and we have to wait for that to play out. To the community, I’m just very happy to be here and support this team."
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) August 5, 2018
Osuna, who allegedly committed assault, is saying he doesn’t know what happened. He doesn’t do much to reassure fans here.
Osuna’s legal proceedings are still ongoing in Canada. However, based on reporting and the fact that MLB gave him an unprecedented suspension, the indications are there that something serious happened. The Astros are clearly comfortable with it, but the bottom line is, in doing it, they’re happy to prioritize winning over everything else, including taking a moral stance on whatever Osuna did.
