The biggest storyline of the winter wasn’t a free-agent signing or trade, but rather the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal that transpired during the 2017 season.
The scheme first came to light when former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers revealed that the organization used a camera in center field at Minute Maid Park to capture signs of opposing players.
The signs were then decoded by team employees in the video replay room, and subsequently relayed to Astros hitters in the form of banging on a trash can. It was later determined at the conclusion of Major League Baseball’s investigation that the method continued into the 2018 season as well.