Red Sox Punished For Sign-Stealing Scandal; Cora Banned For 2020

BOSTON — Former Red Sox manager Alex Cora is banned from baseball for the rest of 2020, but the Red Sox dodged major discipline for a sign-stealing scandal that went on during the team's 2018 World Series run.

Cora's punishment is unrelated to his time in Boston, MLB said in reporting its findings following an investigation. Cora was disciplined for his role in the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal during their 2017 championship run.

The Red Sox were stripped of a second-round pick and lost an employee for two seasons. The report said video replay operator J.T. Watkins was at the center of the scandal. He was banned through 2020 and from returning to the replay room through 2021.

"As an organization, we strive for 100% compliance with the rules," Red Sox President and CEO Sam Kennedy said in a statement. "MLB’s investigation concluded that in isolated instances during the 2018 regular season, sign sequences were decoded through the use of live game video rather than through permissible means."

Cora and the Red Sox parted ways in January, a day after MLB came down hard on Houston, resulting in the firings of the team's manager and general manager.

Ron Roenicke is the interim manager if and when the Red Sox begin their 2020 season.