On Tuesday, The Athletic reported that the Houston Astros engaged in an elaborate sign-stealing scheme that involved cameras, electronic transmissions and trash cans during their 2017 World Series run.

On Wednesday, the same reporters — Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich — reported that current managers of two other MLB teams joined A.J. Hinch in devising the scheme.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora and New York Mets manager Carlos Beltrán both “played a key role in devising the sign-stealing system the team used that season,” according to the report.

Cora, Beltrán were members of ‘17 Astros

Cora was the Astros bench coach and Beltrán was a designated hitter and outfielder in Houston in his final season as an MLB player in 2017. Hinch was and remains the Astros manager.

Former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers was among four people associated with the team in 2017 to expose and explain the system to The Athletic. The other three sources remained anonymous.

How the alleged scheme works

According to the report, a camera in center field would relay signs from opposing players to a TV in the Houston dugout.

Astros players and employees would then bang code on trash cans for hitters to hear that relayed what pitch to expect.

Beltrán’s sign-stealing reputation

According to another report from The Athletic published earlier in November and unrelated to the sign-stealing controversy, Beltrán had developed a reputation “as one of the best in the game at stealing signs,” an asset in his role as Mets manager.

That characterization was made in terms of traditional, legal sign-stealing that relies on players using their own eyes — without the aid of electronics — to decipher opponents’ strategies and exploit weaknesses.

Wednesday’s report sheds new light on that characterization.

Beltrán: ‘I don’t call that cheating’

Beltrán responded to The Athletic’s latest report.
Cora and Hinch declined comment to The Athletic.

The Astros announced after the initial report that they are conducting an investigation alongside MLB into the accusations

No players were disciplined by Major League Baseball in the Astros' investigation. While Mets manager Carlos Beltran was part of it, he was a player at the time and thus was not suspended. Discipline for Red Sox manager Alex Cora is coming. It is going to be harsh, per sources.

If this Astros ugliness doesn’t convince moral relativists to find some backbone and admit that sometimes there really is a “right” and a “wrong” — and that the wrong must be punished — then what will?