Rob Manfred: 'I Hate Where We Are' with MLB's Sign-Stealing and Technology

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred expressed regret Tuesday over not acting more quickly to stop teams like the Houston Astros from using technology to steal signs.

In an interview with Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Manfred said, "I think we were slow to appreciate the risk on this topic," adding, "I hate where we are."

Manfred also said:

"If you think about it when we really became aware that something was going on, it was in 2017. By 2018, we were on the corrective action. When I say we were slow, we were slow by a few months. Look, I don't think that that's the worst reaction time of all time. Do I wish we would have got there a little sooner? Yeah, I do."

An MLB investigation found the Astros used illegal means to steal signs during the 2017 season, which ended with them beating the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of the World Series to win their first championship.

As a result, manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow were suspended one year each by MLB and subsequently fired by the Astros.

In addition to Hinch and Luhnow, former Astros outfielder Carlos Beltran and bench coach Alex Cora were indirectly punished for their involvement.

While neither Beltran (Mets) nor Cora (Red Sox) has been suspended by MLB thus far, they lost their jobs as managers after being named as people of involvement in the Astros' sign-stealing system. Even so, Manfred and MLB have come under fire by players and fans alike.

No players have been punished, and Manfred said the Astros will not be stripped of their 2017 title.

He defended the punishment in an interview with ESPN's Karl Ravech this week, and during the discussion he referred to the Commissioner's Trophy given to the World Series champion as a "piece of metal."

That didn't sit well with Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner, who was part of the L.A. team from 2017. Per Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times, he said.

"I don't know if the commissioner has ever won anything in his life. Maybe he hasn't. But the reason every guy's in this room, the reason every guy is working out all offseason, and showing up to camp early and putting in all the time and effort is specifically for that trophy, which, by the way, is called the Commissioner's Trophy.

"So for him to devalue it the way he did yesterday just tells me how out of touch he is with the players in this game. At this point the only thing devaluing that trophy is that it says 'commissioner' on it."

Dodgers teammate Cody Bellinger and Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant are among the high-profile players who have spoken out against the Astros and the manner in which MLB has handled the situation.

The Astros may also only be the tip of the iceberg, as the Red Sox are under investigation for allegedly using their replay room to steal signs in 2018. Boston won the 2018 World Series, and the club could be subject to much of the same scrutiny the Astros have faced if Major League Baseball comes to a similar conclusion.