When former St. Louis Cardinals executive Chris Correa was subjected to lifetime ban after hacking into Astros database
Former St. Louis Cardinals scouting director Chris Correa found himself in hot water in 2017. He was found guilty of hacking into the Houston Astros’ computer system.
Correa, who pleaded guilty to hacking the Astros' database while working with the Cardinals, was sentenced to 46 months in jail.
Chris Correa broke into Astros' systems for 2 1/2 years, tried to hack into coaches' accounts, obviously sought a competitive advantage.
"Chris Correa broke into Astros' systems for 2 1/2 years, tried to hack into coaches' accounts, obviously sought a competitive advantage," Jeff Passan, Twitter
That wasn't all, as the MLB came down heavily on the St. Louis Cardinals organization too. While they weren't directly involved in the fiasco, Correa was an employee with them during the incident. This led to the Cardinals sending their top two draft picks to the Houston Astros and paying them $2 million in damages. The perpetrator, Chris Correa, was placed permanently on the ineligible list.
“Although Mr. Correa’s conduct was not authorized by the Cardinals, as a matter of MLB policy, I am holding the Cardinals responsible for his conduct,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred wrote. “Mr. Correa held positions in the Cardinals’ front office that enabled him to have input into his club’s decisions and processes.
Manfred also spoke about the extent to which the hacking damaged the Astros organization. He indicated that this very incident will serve as a precedent for similar violations in the future.
"The type of potential comparative harm the Astros suffered as a result of Mr. Correa's conduct is not amenable to precise quantification," Manfred wrote.
"In addition, as a result of Mr. Correa's conduct, the Astros suffered substantial negative publicity and had to endure the time, expense and distraction of both a lengthy government investigation and an MLB investigation."
What happened to Chris Correa?
Chris Correa's 46-month sentence was reduced thanks to good behavior.
"Every day I'm getting closer," he concluded. "I hope someone's willing to give me a chance."
Correa was transferred to a halfway house in Washington in July 2018 and was then moved to home confinement in October of that year. No news of Correa has made the rounds in the past few years.