Time seems to be running out on MLB's investigation of the Redsocks

Here's a sign that we don't need a centerfield camera and specialized software to decode:  

The longer that MLB delays unveiling its case against the Redsocks, the more likely it is that Boston will skate.

The probe surrounds ex-Redsock manager Alex Cora, "ringleader" to the ongoing Houston scandal, according to the Commissioner's first report. Ever since the volcanic accusations against the 2017 Astros became public - prompting Boston to fire Cora - MLB investigators have hemmed and hawed on the matter of Boston. They have three times delayed a public release of their findings. The longer they wait, the more likely it seems they will come up empty. 

You have to think: If they had anything, they'd have gone public by now. 

So, what's happening? Commissioner Rob Manfred said recently: 

"There have been a couple of developments in the Boston thing that slowed us down, people who had to be re-interviewed as a result of things."

Hm-mm. 

Long ago, I was an "investigative journalist," a phrase that today is pretty much a punch line. On many occasions, we were on the verge of breaking a story, but waiting for one more person, one more source, to wrestle with his/her conscience and decide to go public. Thus, we held the story for another week. My guess is that's what happening here. The investigators have smoke but no fire. They suspect something but cannot prove it. Soon - to use the wrong sports metaphor - they'll simply have to punt. 

This week, in camp after camp, MLB players are reporting to spring training and immediately sounding off about the Astros scandal. But not the Redsocks. Chris Sale spoke his peace, mentioning some bad outings in Houston, but he's a pitcher. Overall, it's as if the Redsocks suspect something might be out there, and they don't want to look bad by denying everything, only to be later proven a liar, on top of a cheat.

Yesterday, Ian Kinsler - now retired - weighed in. He's practically the first 2018 Redsock hitter to give an interview on the matter. He told MassLive.com: 

"I don’t know what [MLB] is going to find, but in my opinion, it’s not anything close to what’s going on [in Houston] .The Red Sox were just a very tight-knit group. When I was injected into that team in the middle of the season, it was a lot like the Rangers clubs I was on, where it was just a very tight-knit group and their system was flawless. They just had a very good system of relaying from second base to home plate. That was it. Honestly. We’ll see what happens with the commissioner’s report.”

Clearly, I have a grudge against Kinsler, a great player in his day, who killed the Yankees many times. But in terms of integrity, he seems a stand-up guy. My guess is that he's telling it like it is, from the standpoint of a veteran who joined the team relatively late in the season. Tight-knit group... Very good system of relaying from second base... We'll see what happens... 

The Astros scandal continues to dominate baseball. Certainly, every Redsock player, now and former, is taking notes. They see Astros being personally condemned, mocked, even threatened. No players, not even the pitchers, are emerging unscathed. Boston has had two months now to polish its stories and shut down any potential whistle-blower.  

We know that, in Houston, Cora was one of the architects of a complicated sign-stealing system, which broke down codes via algorithms. We know he was not Stump Merrill, and that Boston had a video room near the dugout. We know that after Cora came to Boston, the Redsocks enjoyed the greatest year in franchise history. They won 106 games - 13 more than in 2017. At home, they won seven out of every ten games. They were practically unstoppable. A team for the ages. 

And here's the ugliest part of this scandal's second half: 

We will probably never know if the Redsocks cheated.