Potential Yankees sign-stealing not good news for Phillies

A judge has ruled a letter must be unsealed that could potentially link then-Yankees and now-Phillies to stealing signs in 2015 and 2016.

Since the Philadelphia Phillies last played a regular season game, they have added several former members of the New York Yankees organization.

To name a few, a scouting director, shortstop, and even manager: Brian Barber, Didi Gregorius and Joe Girardi, respectively. And, former Yankees who donned red pinstripes in 2019 include bench coach Rob Thomson and reliever David Robertson.

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It is possible bringing them all on board could come back to bite the Phillies, due to potential findings that could soon be revealed in regards to a 2017 investigation of the Yankees. On Friday, a New York judge ruled that a letter Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred sent to the Yankees should be unsealed, according to The Athletic. The ruling came as part of lawsuit proceedings against MLB from Draft Kings daily fantasy sports users.

The judge says that “much of the letter’s contents” have already been revealed in a 2017 press release. However, per the judge, plaintiffs argue that it “falsely suggested” the investigation determined the Yankees only engaged in a “minor technical infraction,” whereas it actually determined the Yankees engaged in a “more serious, sign-stealing scheme.” The minor infraction: improperly using a dugout phone.

Further, the plaintiffs claim the letter proves the commissioner’s “duplicity.”

Update: According to SNY’s Andy Martino, Manfred’s letter to the Yankees in 2017 did not say the team engaged in sign-stealing, and that the Yankees want the letter to remain sealed “since their employees took part in a confidential process during MLB’s investigation.”

This news follows the recent sign-stealing scandals of the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox, who were handed punishments that led to the dismissals of both their managers. The Phillies’ Girardi previously managed the Yankees for many years, including the reported 2015 and 2016 seasons in question.

It is important to note that no names, including any then-Yankees and current-Phillies, have yet to been reported as being part of this letter, soon to be unsealed per the judge’s order.

Both the league and the Yankees look to keep the letter “under wraps.” The judge is allowing them, by noon on Monday, to submit a “minimally redacted version of the letter” to “protect the identity of the individuals mentioned.”

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“Is that fair or right? Were the Astros singled out? I suppose we’ll have to wait for details,” says ESPN’s Jeff Passan. “If what the Yankees did in action and deed was anything close to Houston’s — there’s no evidence to this point it was — they deserve to have to book thrown at them just the same.”

The Yankees say revealing this letter would result in “significant reputational injury.” The letter is not to be unsealed until June 19, so the Yankees have enough time to make an emergency appeal, which is reported they will likely do.

Yankees lawyer Jonathan Schiller wrote to The Athletic that there is “no justification for public disclosure” of Manfred’s letter to the organization.

Schiller continues: “The plaintiff has no case anymore, and the court held that what MLB wrote in confidence was irrelevant to the court’s dismissal of the plaintiff’s case. Under established law, this supports the Yankees’ right to confidentiality required by the Commissioner of Baseball.”

This is just another blow to baseball, and, potentially now-members of the Phillies, if they were involved in any sign-stealing.