Red Sox escape severe penalties for cheating against Dodgers in 2018 World Series

Thursday, April 23, 2020 3:18PM

NEW YORK -- The Boston Red Sox escaped severe penalties in Major League Baseball's cheating investigation on Wednesday, with Commissioner Rob Manfred concluding that the 2018 World Series champions' sign-stealing efforts were less egregious than the Astros' when they won it all the previous season.

Ex-manager Alex Cora was formally suspended for the coronavirus-delayed 2020 season - but only for his role as Houston's bench coach; Manfred had held off a penalty for Cora despite fingering him as the ringleader of the Astros' sign-stealing operation.

In a statement, Cora said he was "relieved'' the investigations were finished and that Manfred found he "did not violate any MLB rules as a member of the Red Sox organization in 2018 or 2019."

"I also take full responsibility for the role I played, along with others, in the Astros' violations of MLB rules in 2017," Cora said. "The collective conduct of the Astros organization in 2017 was unacceptable and I respect and accept the Commissioner's discipline for my past actions."

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The only member of the Red Sox organization who was penalized was replay system operator J.T. Watkins, who was suspended without pay for a year for violating the prohibition on in-game use of video to identify pitch signals. Watkins, who denied the allegations, was also prohibited from serving as the replay room operator through 2021.

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