Rob Manfred says MLB’s investigation into Red Sox sign-stealing is complete

Amid everything else that has happened this offseason with the Red Sox, not even counting the international pandemic that has shut down the sport for an indefinite period of time, there has been the backdrop of the pending MLB investigation into a possible sign-stealing scheme back in 2018. The players and coaches who were around for that season have been somewhat strangely confident that they were going to be found innocent by the time that report dropped. However, a recent argument in a court of law may contradict that, though even that isn’t entirely clear.

It’s taken an almost comically long time for the league to finish their investigation, and it’s going to be who knows how much longer now. At least for the report, that is. Rob Manfred was a guest on Scott Van Pelt’s late-night Sportscenter on Wednesday night, and Van Pelt asked him about the status of this investigation. Manfred indicated that the investigation itself is indeed over and that he just needs to write up the report, which he has not had time to do given everything else the game is dealing with right now.

I don’t think that argument is quite as unfair as some other people seem to — there is a lot of work being put in not only to figure out when they may resume play but what rules will be in place with things like service time and salary and roster spots and a whole lot more. There really is a lot on the plate of both the league and players, and Manfred understandably wants that taken care of before anything else. That being said, there was a ton of time to get this done before, and it’s still really frustrating that it wasn’t even done before spring training, never mind before this COVID-19 pandemic shutdown the game.

Either way, Manfred did say the report will be out before the sport resumes play. So, given how this has gone so far, I suspect that means, oh, a little after New Years 2021.