MLB Scandals and Controversies Over the Years: Gambling, Sign Stealing

MLB has seen its fair share of public scandals over the years, some involving more than one player — and in some cases, an entire team.

After years of speculation, Athletic published the exposition in November 2019 that revealed the Houston Astros were stealing signs from opposing teams. This quickly became the biggest controversy in MLB in recent years.

A former Astros pitcher explained to a reporter at the time that the team placed a video camera in center field that was pointed at the opposing catcher to film what the pitches were called. A live feed was watched during each game, with players and team personnel signaling to Astros players — by banging on trash cans — which pitch was coming next.

Following an MLB investigation into the organization’s claims, in January 2020 it found that the Astros had stolen the signs during the entire 2017 baseball season and some of the 2018 regular season.

Keep scrolling for a breakdown of some of baseball’s biggest scandals over the years:

The Pete Rose Betting Scandal

After his playing career Rose – who is best in MLB history — assumed the role of manager of the Cincinnati Reds. During his managerial career, Rose was accused of gambling during his playing career with the strong suggestion that he bet on games involving his own team.

While Rose vehemently denied the allegations for years, he was banned from MLB and ineligible for induction into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. In 2014, Rose admitted that the allegations were true.

Roses died of heart disease aged 83 in September 2024.

HGH Scandal 2013

While steroid scandals have raged throughout MLB over the years, things reached a new level in 2013 when 20 players were charged with human growth hormone (HGH) after obtaining it from a Biogenesis of America clinic in Florida.

The scandal erupted when a former Biogenesis employee linked several MLB players to the clinic. A total of 14 athletes have been linked to the scandal, with several denying any involvement.

Tony Bosch, the owner of the clinic, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute testosterone in October 2014. USA today announced at the time that it was not specified whether the allegations were related to the MLB scandal. He was sentenced to four years in prison.

Death of José Fernandez

The Miami Marlins player died at the age of 24 in September 2016 in a boating accident.

The athlete drove the boat at 65 mph with two other men – Eduardo Rivero and Emilio Jesus Macias — on board when it crashed into a rock pier in Miami Beach. All three men were found dead at the scene, with Fernández’s cause of death being blunt force trauma. A toxicology report obtained by ESPN later revealed that Fernández had cocaine and alcohol in his system at the time of the crash. (The Rivera and Macias families sued the Fernández estate in 2017 for negligence and personal injury. The lawsuits were settled the following year.)

An investigative report published in March 2017 ruled that Fernández drove the boat “recklessly, at extremely high speed, in the dark of night, in an area with known navigational hazards such as rock jetties and channel markers. It was also noted that he was legally intoxicated at the time of the crash with a blood alcohol level of 0.147% — nearly twice the legal limit.

Investigators also determined that Fernández violated various state laws, including involuntary manslaughter, boating under the influence, manslaughter of a vessel and reckless or negligent operation of a vessel. (A lawyer for the Fernández family eventually disputed the findings.)

All that stole the sign

Following MLB’s January 2020 ruling that the Astros were involved in sign theft, the team’s manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow were suspended for one year. The Astros owner subsequently fired them Jim Crane.

The Astros organization was also fined $5 million and forfeited their 2020 and 2021 first- and second-round draft picks.

Former manager of the Boston Red Sox Alex Cora (who was the Astros bench coach in 2017) and manager of the New York Mets Carlos Beltran (who played for the Astros in 2017) were also implicated in the scandal. Cora and Beltran were released from the Red Sox and Mets organizations in January 2020.

No Spider Tack

Pitcher Trevor Bauer first mentioned the use of Spider Tack — a resin-based substance used to improve grip on a baseball — during a 2020 interview Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. He estimated that about 70 percent of MLB pitchers used an illegal substance while on the mound.

The following year, MLB looked at baseballs used during games. Until June 2021, it was decided that pitchers found using illegal substances during games would be ejected from the game and subsequently suspended for 10 games.

Several jugs, incl Edwin Diaz and Ronel Blancothey have since been suspended due to the use of sticky substances.

Translator Shohei Ohtani does the subtitles

It made headlines when Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara he was fired in March 2024. At that time, the representatives charged the athlete Mizuhara from stealing millions from Ohtani pay off gambling debts in an illegal bookmaker.

The criminal complaint alleged that Mizuhara would transfer money to the account of someone who went by the name “Associate 1.” Months later, It was reported by ESPN “Companion 1” was The Real Housewives of Orange County star Jennifer Pedrantfiance, Ryan Boyajian.

Ohtani claimed he was the victim of a “massive theft” and had no part in Mizuhara’s wrongdoings. In June 2024, Mizuhara pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud.

Mariano Rivera’s alleged sexual abuse cover-up

In January 2025, the court claimed that the former New York Yankees the jug covered up child sexual abuse which allegedly took place at their home in New York and at a summer camp associated with their church.

Rivera and his wife Clara, he denied the charges.

“Mariano and Clara Rivera do not tolerate child abuse of any kind, and allegations that they knew about reports of child abuse or failed to respond are completely false.” Josef A. Rutathe couple’s lawyer said in a statement after news of the lawsuit became public.

“They first became aware of these allegations nearly four years after the alleged incident, when in 2022 a New York attorney sent a letter requesting a financial settlement. A second letter followed in 2023 from another Florida law firm, again demanding a financial settlement,” the statement continued. “The lawsuit, which seeks monetary damages for the Riveras’ alleged failure to respond to alleged incidents that were never reported to them, is filled with inaccurate and misleading statements that we have no doubt will not hold up in court.”