According to a report, former Houston Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow is suing the team, saying that they had no cause to fire him over the sign-stealing sandal.
In the suit, Luhnow claims Astros Owner Jim Crane and MLB Rob Manfred made him a “scapegoat for the organization” in the aftermath of the scandal, CBS Sports reported.
Luhnow further claims that in place of a real investigation into the actions by members of the team, the league and team ownership engaged in a “negotiation resolution” to enable the team to “keep its (2017) World Series championship, went to great lengths to publicly exonerate Crane, and scapegoated Luhnow for a sign-stealing scandal that he had no knowledge of and played no part in.”
The suit further alleges that the league bartered with Crane to get him off the hook, including vetting penalties with Crane in a series of proposals during their discussions. “Those negotiations proved beneficial to Crane and the Astros,” Luhnow’s filing alleges.
Luhnow has maintained his innocence since the scandal erupted across the baseball world, but MLB handed him a one-year suspension as it did with Astros manager AJ Hinch. The Astros fired both men immediately. The team was also fined $5 million and lost four high draft picks for the 2020 season.
It may not end up sending him into retirement, though. The 53-year-old executive is in the running for several front-office openings now that his suspension has ended.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston.