After information was leaked from the Houston Astros' proprietary database, revealing 10 months of internal trade talks, the club's general manager Jeff Luhnow acknowledged that some of the information "was accurate" and confirmed the team will try to prosecute whoever hacked into the database.
Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow addresses database leaks
The Astros GM says the organization and Major League Baseball are still investigating just who hacked into the team’s proprietary database.
Bob Levey
Earlier on Monday, Deadspin published information that had been leaked after Houston’s database, nicknamed “Ground Control,” was hacked by an unknown source. The information contained 10 months worth of communications between the Astros front office and other organizations regarding trade talks and negotiations, some of which ultimately led to actual trades.
Following what proved to be a trying day for the Astros organization, Luhnow addressed the media prior to Houston's game against the Mariners on Monday night:
It's a very unfortunate circumstance. When somebody illegally from the outside breaks into a proprietary database that we have, not all the information that was published is accurate. Some of it is not. I really can't get into what was accurate and what wasn't. Some of it was. But it was an illegal activity and we're going to pursue it and try to find out who did it and prosecute them because it's not something that should be happening.
Luhnow also stated that the FBI has gotten involved, as well as MLB security, and that the Astros will try to prosecute whoever illegally obtained the information, though little else has been determined as of yet.
According to Luhnow, the Astros were informed about the leak roughly a month ago and have been investigating ever since. The third-year GM also stated that Houston has upgraded its internal security in response to the leak.
As for how the situation impacts other teams, Luhnow admitted “it’s unfortunate,” going on to say “when you have a conversation with another team, it’s a conversation between two individuals or two clubs. It’s not meant to be shared with the world ... I feel bad about that.”
Luhnow went on to say that he has had conversations with other teams since the information was leaked, stating that, in general, other MLB clubs have been “understanding and supportive.” He did acknowledge that other teams are probably “not happy” about the leaks, regardless.
For the Astros and Luhnow, there is never truly a good time for such information to be leaked. However, with July’s trade deadline now a month away, the timing of the leaks is especially troublesome. Houston is expected to be active in the trade market again as it looks to continue adding young talent to the organization, and it is hard denying that this situation won’t have at least some impact on the club’s future trade talks with other teams.
Luhnow also admitted that he did have to do some damage control with current Astros players who were mentioned in the leaks, though the GM stated that, for the most part, the team’s players “understand what happened.”
“The reality is,” Luhnow went on to say, “that a lot of players are discussed all the time, and it’s part of the nature of our industry.”
There is surely more fallout to come from this whole situation, especially as the Astros and Major League Baseball continue to investigate whoever leaked all the information. For now, the Astros will continue with their season, and, as the trade deadline approaches, their communications with other clubs will likely pick up as well.
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