Jim Crane Says Astros 'Own' MLB's Findings in Sign-Stealing Investigation

Houston Astros owner Jim Crane said the team "owns" cheating during its 2017 World Series season but believes the franchise handled the fallout "appropriately."

"I can speak for the Astros. I'm not doing the investigations, and I'm not in the courthouse, and I don't want to be," Crane told reporters Wednesday when asked about MLB's investigations into the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. "But listen, we broke the rules. We got punished. You know, we accepted the punishment. We did what we did. We let two of our key guys go. We think we've handled it appropriately. I'm not happy about the whole situation, but we gotta accept what we did. We own it." 

The Astros fired manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow after MLB suspended them for the 2020 season after finding the team used video cameras to steal signs from opposing teams in 2017. MLB also fined the Astros $5 million and stripped their first- and second-round draft picks in 2020 and 2021.

Former Red Sox manager Alex Cora was suspended for the 2020 season for his part in the Astros' scheme, as he was Houston's bench coach at the time.

MLB also investigated the Red Sox for their sign stealing scandal, which took place during the 2018 season.  Video operator J.T. Watkins was suspended for the upcoming campaign and the team was docked a 2020 second-round pick.

MLB and the Yankees recently appealed a judge's ruling calling for the release of a letter the commissioner's office sent to the franchise regarding potential cheating. The judge previously ruled the letter must be unsealed, but that won't take place until the appeal is read.