Report: Red Sox sign-stealing investigation to take at least another week

Major League Baseball appears to be leaving no stone unturned in its investigation into allegations that the Boston Red Sox illegally stole signs during their World Series season in 2018.

While the feeling for weeks has been that MLB is on the verge of releasing its findings and levying potential disciplinary action against the Red Sox, Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe reported on Tuesday that the investigation will not be wrapped up until next week at the earliest. There were rumblings at one point that MLB would want to finish with the probe prior to spring training games, but it is already too late for that.

The investigation began six weeks ago after a report from the The Athletic cited anonymous sources who said the Red Sox illegally used their video replay room to steal signs in 2018. Former manager Alex Cora has been fired stemming from his role as one of the masterminds behind the sign-stealing scheme with the Houston Astros, but MLB chose to hold off on discipline for him until the Red Sox investigation is also completed.

There have been numerous reports that whatever the Red Sox were doing — if anything — was not nearly as egregious as what went on in Houston in 2017. Several Boston players have expressed confidence that MLB is not going to find anything substantial.

There has been a tremendous amount of backlash against MLB commissioner Rob Manfred for his handling of the Astros investigation, so that could be why the league is being so diligent with the Red Sox.