The Houston Astros fired assistant general manager Brandon Taubman over his verbal attack on reporters, but neither side may be finished with discipline.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Major League Baseball’s investigation into Taubman and the Astros is continuing, and may result in further consequences. Taubman is facing a suspension if he ever gets another job in baseball, while the Astros may receive a fine over some combination of Taubman’s behavior and their initial public statement about the reporter who broke the story.
Taubman’s career in baseball may well be over with or without punishment. A suspension attached to him, though, would further poison the well. The revelation that he was specifically targeting a reporter he’d previously complained about was a damning one.
For the Astros, a fine isn’t an issue. The greater damage may be the public relations hit the team is taking. That’s particularly true since the team’s botched response to the story has begun to lead to a few stories painting the Astros’ culture in a very unfavorable light.
Here is LBS’ video published on Tuesday about the matter:
