Ex-Astro Collin McHugh Says Team's Pitchers Weren't 'Brave' Amid Sign-Stealing

Boston Red Sox pitcher Collin McHugh, who was part of the 2017 Houston Astros team at the center of the sign-stealing scandal, said he and other pitchers wish they had done more to stop their teammates from cheating.

"You've got to be willing to stick up for what you believe in and what you believe is right and what you believe is wrong," McHugh told reporters Friday. "And I think a lot of the guys on that team, including myself, are looking back now and wishing we had been as brave in the moment as we thought we were beforehand."

The Red Sox signed McHugh to a one-year contract Thursday, ending his six-year run in Houston. Major League Baseball concluded its investigation into the Astros in January, with findings showing the team used video cameras to capture signs from opposing teams and help hitters know when an off-speed pitch was coming.

Manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow were fired in the aftermath of the scandal after being given one-year suspensions by the league. Astros players were granted immunity in exchange for their cooperation. 

"To put myself in the shoes of the guys who pitched against us in 2017 and to know that our hitters made that job that much harder that year—it's hard to swallow. And I feel for them and I understand the anger and I understand when people are mad and pissed off," McHugh said. "I get it. I've been there. I know what it feels like to be out there and feel like a team has your signs. It's a lonely place."

Astros players and commissioner Rob Manfred have taken a near-constant stream of criticism in the fallout of the scandal. Some have been critical of Manfred's decision to grant players immunity, choosing to dole it out via the occasional beanball, while others have called on the league office to take away the Astros' World Series victory.

"Looking back, I don't know what we could have done as pitchers," McHugh said. "It wasn't really our territory. Maybe we could've gotten together and somehow tried to stop it. Yeah, it was tough watching that. You feel for guys out there who are working their tails off whether they're on your team or against you. I love seeing good pitching and it took some really good pitching that year to beat us."

Several Astros players and team management have issued apologies, though fans and players alike have found those pleas lacking in sincerity. 

"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," Cincinnati Reds pitcher Trevor Bauer told reporters in February.

The Red Sox are currently under investigation for their own sign-stealing scheme during their 2018 World Series season. Alex Cora, who was the Astros' bench coach in 2017, served as Boston's manager in 2018. Cora and the Red Sox parted ways during the fallout from the Astros scandal.