Trevor Bauer Says He Hopes Astros' Cheating Scandal Creates New MLB Culture

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Trevor Bauer said he's hopeful the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal creates a "new culture" around Major League Baseball where players are more willing to speak out about issues they feel are negatively impacting the sport.

Bauer told Marc Carig of The Athletic in an interview released Friday he believes MLB is at a crossroads:

"This is a very, very, very important time for the baseball industry. There's two paths forward. One, it gets squashed, tries to get forgotten about … 'Hey, let's get back to life how it was and let's go forward with that.' That's one route. The other route is you establish a new norm. You change the culture and move forward.

"This happens in politics. Any sort of leadership role, this happens. There's certain moments that come across when you have to make a decision. Do I do A or do I do B? The decision drastically changes the future. My hope, and what I think is the right answer, is it establishes a new culture where players are willing to stand up and speak on the things that they're passionate about, because I think the game desperately needs that."

Bauer is one of several high-profile players to bash the Astros for their sign-stealing scheme, which originated during the 2017 season that ended with Houston winning the World Series.

"I'm not going to let them forget the fact that they are hypocrites, they are cheaters, they've stolen from a lot of other people and the game itself," Bauer told reporters last week.

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger added: "Those guys were cheating for three years. I think what people don't realize is [Jose] Altuve stole an MVP from [Aaron] Judge in 2017. Everyone knows they stole the ring from us. But it's over."

Several players have also lamented the fact that none of the Astros players who took part in the scandal were punished by MLB for their actions.

"I don't agree with the punishments, you know, the players not getting anything. It was player-driven," Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout said. "Going up to the plate knowing what's coming...that would be a lot of fun."

Although the initial reaction was limited since Commissioner Rob Manfred announced the penalties in mid-January, the heart of the MLB offseason, the league's stars haven't shied away from the subject since spring training got underway earlier this month.

Manfred has also come under fire for his handling of the scandal, and he apologized this week for calling the league's championship trophy a "piece of metal."

"He is 100 percent in a leadership position," Bauer said of Manfred to Carig. "How do you follow a leader if you're not sure exactly the principles of that guy?"

The situation continues to hang over MLB, with the first game of spring training taking place Friday when the Texas Rangers take on the Kansas City Royals.