January 18, 2020 | 4:01pm | Updated January 18, 2020 | 7:34pm
After seeing their manager and general manager first suspended for a season by MLB and then fired by Astros owner Jim Crane, Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve didn’t have much to say about the sign-stealing scandal that has forever tainted their 2017 World Series title.
“The commissioner and league came out with the report and the Astros did what they did,’’ Bregman said of Rob Manfred’s report that detailed the Astros’ use of a video and camera system that included players banging a garbage can to relay pitches to hitters. “They made their decision on what to do and I have no thoughts on it.”
Not everyone was satisfied with Bregman’s statement. Orioles pitcher Josh Rogers responded on Twitter.
“Just plead the 5th bud. Cause your guilty,” was posted to his verified account.
Altuve said it was “too soon” to comment on the report, but he knew the Astros would be considered “cheaters.”
“You don’t want anybody to call you like that,’’ the second baseman said. “But I have two options: One is cry or one is to go out there and play the game to help my team. You know which one I’m going to do.”
Both players denied speculation that the Astros wore devices to help steal signs last season, an allegation that first surfaced on Twitter on Thursday, but MLB said in a statement they found no evidence of players wearing electronics during the 2019 season.
Alex Bregman on sign-stealing saga: “The Commissioner came out with a report, MLB did their report and the Astros did what they did. They made their decision on what they’re going to do.”
More from Bregman in this video: pic.twitter.com/dKIfVFROFS— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) January 18, 2020
Asked if players wore devices, Bregman said “No” and then called the allegations “stupid.’’
Altuve called the accusation “ridiculous. MLB did their investigation and they didn’t find anything.’’
Altuve also rejected the idea the scandal would hurt the Astros’ aspirations this season: “Believe me, at the end of the year, everything will be fine. We’re going to be in the World Series again.’’
The two stars spoke to reporters during the Astros’ unfortunately-timed FanFest in Houston on Saturday. It marked the first time Astros players weighed in on the scandal that resulted in the firing of general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager AJ Hinch.
Neither player commented on what role the players may have played in the system that also led to the dismissal of Boston manager Alex Cora, who was Houston’s bench coach in 2017, as well as the Mets firing their new manager, Carlos Beltran, who was the lone player singled out in the report.
The Astros, like the Red Sox and Mets, continue to look for a new manager with spring training less than a month away.
The Red Sox, still under investigation by MLB for the possible use of electronics to steal signs in 2018, when Boston won the World Series in Cora’s first season as manager, also addressed their situation at a team event in Springfield, Mass., on Saturday.
“It’s one of those things where we’ve just got to let it happen,’’ Jackie Bradley, Jr. told reporters at Red Sox Winter Weekend. “Let it all play out. We’ll find out when you all find out.”
Bradley added “your guess is as good as mine” about what the league might find in its investigation.
J.D. Martinez admitted “it sucks” to have the investigation going on, but sounded confident it wouldn’t turn up anything.
“To be honest with you, it does suck,’’ Martinez said. “But you know what? I’m excited for the investigation to get over with so they can see there was nothing going on here.”
Ron Roenicke, Boston’s bench coach since 2018, denied knowledge of possible sign-stealing.
“It would be concerning if something happened — that I knew I wasn’t part of — that I was brought into as part of that,” Roenicke said. “I know what I do. I always try to do things the right way … to see what we did through the whole season, then have an allegation made that deters from that feeling of what we accomplished, it’s hard.”
Roenicke added, “I also realize that we all screw up. I’ve screwed up. Everybody has. It just happens this is a huge deal in what happened, and it’s sad to see that for the game, sad to see that for [the Astros’] organization. I know we’re going through it in ours, and we’ll see what happens there.”