Carlos Correa became the first current Astros player to provide in-depth comments about the electronic sign-stealing allegations surrounding the team.
The World Series-winning shortstop seemed to feel a bit betrayed that his former teammate, Mike Fiers, helped blow the lid on the scandal that broke in November. Correa also said he didn’t believe the scandal taints the team’s 2017 World Series title.
“He’s a grown man, and he can do whatever he wants to do. It’s a free country,” Correa told the Houston Chronicle on Saturday, where he was appearing an autograph show alongside teammates Alex Bregman and George Springer. “Knowing Fiers, it was surprising, because we were a team. We were a team. We were all together, and we had a bond, and we won a World Series championship. But this is America, the land of the free. You can say what you want to say.”
Correa was referring to the time Fiers and three other unnamed sources told The Athletic that the Astros stole opposing teams’ signs during home games at Minute Maid Park during that season with the aid of a camera positioned in the outfield.
Correa also told the Chronicle that he has been in contact with Major League Baseball.
“It was pretty surprising to wake up to that news (in November),” Correa said of the allegations. “I cooperated with MLB, like we’ve all been doing so we can put an end to all of this and all this talk and move forward.”
It seems unlikely the Astros can move forward yet as MLB is now in the middle of an in-depth probe of the matter.
“I think that this is probably the most thorough investigation that the commissioner’s office has ever undertaken,” Rob Manfred said in December of the Astros inquiry. “I think we’ve interviewed already nearly 60 witnesses, [read] 76,000 e-mails, a whole additional trove of instant messages.”
Suspensions and fines, if not worse, seem very likely, given the on-the-record allegations by Fiers and video that has emerged of a 2017 Astros game against the White Sox.
“At this point in the investigation, it would be wholly inappropriate for me to speculate about what types of discipline might be in play,” Manfred said. “I’m going to get all the facts in front of me and make a decision as promptly as possible on discipline, and obviously you all will know about it as soon as it happens.”
Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch did not answer numerous inquiries at the winter meetings last month.
“I know you’re probably expecting this, but I can’t comment on it,” Hinch said at the winter meetings. “It is an ongoing investigation. What I can say is I’ve committed my time and energy to cooperate with MLB. I’ve talked to them a couple times, and we continue to work with them as they navigate the investigation, and now we’re waiting with everything in their hands.
“So I know there’s still going to be questions. I hope there’s a day where I’m able to answer more questions, but I know today’s not that day. I know it will disappoint some people. It will not stop all of you from asking questions about it, but I can assure you I’m not going to answer questions about the ongoing investigation.”
— additional reporting by Ken Davidoff
