Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout said he "lost respect" for players involved in the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal. "They cheated. ... I don't agree with the punishment," Trout told reporters Monday at the Angels' spring training facility in Tempe, Ariz. "I lost respect for some of those guys."
A Major League Baseball investigation concluded that the Astros stole signs throughout the 2017 season and continued to do so for part of the 2018 campaign. Houston won the World Series in 2017.
Astros fined $5 million
The Astros were fined $5 million and lost upcoming draft picks. Manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow were suspended for a year and subsequently fired, but no individual players were punished. Trout, who won his third American League MVP award last season, said he noticed some of the methods the Astros were using to relay signs to hitters.
Unfair advantage
"I didn't notice the banging (of the trash can). I did notice the banging of the bat in center field," he said. The 28-year-old outfielder said the Astros definitely had an unfair advantage. "Going up to the plate knowing what's coming ... that would be a lot of fun," Trout said.
The Angels have an 18-39 record against the Astros in the past three seasons. With the rest of their American League West rivals, the Angels are 30-27 against both the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners, and 28-29 versus the Oakland Athletics.
