In 2017, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred sent a letter to New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman concerning sign-stealing.
Since that day, the Yankees have objected to the letter being released, as team president Randy Levine cites “privacy interests” as the reason.
The letter, according to Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media, is set to be unsealed after a judge’s decision on Monday.
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit Judge Debra Ann Livingston wrote this, per Kuty:
“In light of plaintiffs’ attempted use of the letter in their proposed Second Amended Complaint and the district court’s discussion of the letter in explaining its decision to deny plaintiffs’ request for leave to amend in their reconsideration motion, and because MLB disclosed a substantial portion of the substance of the letter in its press release about the investigation, we conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion in unsealing the letter, subject to redacting the names of certain individuals.”
As it is expected, the MLB universe reacted to the decision to unveil the content of the letter.
Some think the Yankees, if they have nothing to be afraid of, should just let the letter content be revealed.
It looks way worse that the Yankees keep fighting to keep this letter closed. It has more power hidden from the public.
— Jalen Grimes (@excusetheping) March 21, 2022
U.S. District Court judge Jed S. Rakoff’s ruled in 2020 that the letter should be unsealed, but both the Yankees and MLB appealed.
The Astros And Red Sox Scandals Come To Mind
The 2017 season saw the Houston Astros implement a complex sign-stealing scandal that resulted in suspensions, loss of draft picks, and fines.
The Boston Red Sox suffered a similar fate a year later.
For what it’s worth, SNY’s Andy Martino said in the past (2020) that the letter “did not say Yankees engaged in sign stealing.”
Can report that Manfred's letter to Yankees in 2017 did not say Yankees engaged in sign stealing. MLB's department of investigations did not find any evidence of violations by in '17. Story up shortly to explain why NYY still want letter sealed.
— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) June 13, 2020
Some fans have stated that today’s news shouldn’t erase what the Astros did.
People out here acting like the "Yankee Letter" is going to rock the sport to its core. @astros stole a World Series and got nothing, so unless the Yankees used an apple watch to steal the Declaration of Independence I can't see them getting punished at all. pic.twitter.com/2W0Rfs71Dx
— Lucas Jones (@ljones1138) March 21, 2022
But some fans, especially Astros fans, would like to know the content of the letter, and that’s for sure.
If it’s revealed in the Yankees letter that the Yankees were cheating too, everyone better have the same energy as they did Vs the Astros
— Ren (@lorenzoplays1g1) March 21, 2022
Time will tell what fans learn from all of this.
NEXT: Yankees Trying Giancarlo Stanton At A New Spot