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The Houston Astros cheating scandal just got a lot more interesting after recent allegations that Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman wore buzzers underneath their jerseys. A woman claiming to be Carlos Beltran’s niece sent out a series of tweets alleging the two players were wearing devices connected to the Astros’ video person in the dugout, per Barstool Sports.
“I’m told to stay quiet but I refuse sorry Tio Jose Altuve and Bregman wore devices that buzzed on inside right shoulder from hallway video guy. Let’s get it all out now,” Twitter user @SO_blessed1 tweeted.
She then went on to reference a postgame interview in the 2019 ALCS where Altuve discussed not wanting his jersey ripped after hitting a home run. A slow-motion video also shows Altuve asking his teammates not to rip his jersey.
“I have pictures from locker I will keep for rainy day. Altuve didn’t want shirt torn off if I remember maybe I misspoke but Chapman gave up HR in game,” a subsequent tweet read.
The tweets have since been deleted by the individual, per USA Today. ESPN’s Marly Rivera reported that the Beltran family is denying the woman is related “in any way.”
“The Beltrán family told me that this individual, who claims to be Carlos Beltrán’s “niece”, is not related to the family in any way. This person may or may not have additional information about the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal, but they are not related to the Beltráns,” Rivera noted on Twitter.
All of this has led #buzzergate to trend on Twitter, and some are suggesting the tweets came from a player’s burner account. The Astros’ cheating scandal continues to have more layers unfold but none of the buzzer allegations have been confirmed by MLB.
A Slow-Motion Video Shows Altuve Asking His Teammates Not to Rip His Jersey
Here is a look at the slow-motion video of Altuve hitting a game-winning home run in the MLB playoffs against the Yankees. Altuve can be seen telling teammates not to rip his jersey and there looks to be a small strip of something under his shirt in the clip.
Altuve was asked about not wanting his jersey ripped in a postgame interview with Ken Rosenthal. The Astros star noted that his wife did not want him to take off his shirt, again.
Some fans are suggesting the video below shows Altuve taking the ALCS championship shirt and changing in the dugout away from the cameras.
It is important to note that Altuve requesting not to have his jersey ripped off does not necessarily indicate any wrongdoing. That said, it is not a good look for an Astros team that was just punished for stealing signs. The videos and interviews make a compelling case that there may have been more going on in the scandal than what was initially thought.
Pitcher Trevor Bauer Noted He Heard Rumors About Astros Players Wearing Buzzers
Pitcher Trevor Bauer offered his thoughts on the latest allegations against the Astros. Bauer retweeted the allegations noting that he heard the same thing from “multiple parties.”
“I’ve heard this from multiple parties too, for what it’s worth,” Bauer tweeted.
New York Post’s Joel Sherman reported that MLB found “no evidence” to suggest the team used “wearable devices.”
“From MLB with so much coming out publicly about Altuve HR to end ALCS and other incidents: ‘MLB explored wearable devices during the investigation but found no evidence to substantiate it.’ That investigation, MLB said, includes 2019,” Sherman explained on Twitter.
Altuve’s Agent Scott Boras Denied the Allegations
Sherman later reported that Altuve’s agent Scott Boras released a statement to the New York Post denying the allegations on behalf of his client. Boras emphasized that Altuve has been “transparent” during the MLB investigation and “has never been involved in any information with the use of an electronic device” during games.
“He has been transparent and truthful with MLB and their [investigation],” Boras told New York Post. “…(Altuve) has never been involved in any information with the use of an [electronic] device that is triggered during the course of the game…Fans need to keep in mind that there are a lot of players who are in the spider web, but they are not the black widow just because they are a member of the team or the league.”
MLB suspended former Astros manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow for the 2020 season after their sign-stealing investigation was completed. The Astros later fired Hinch and Luhnow from their positions as part of their own punishment separate from MLB.
“I find that the conduct of the Astros, and its senior baseball operations executives, merits significant discipline,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said, per MLB.com. “I base this finding on the fact that the club’s senior baseball operations executives were given express notice in September 2017 that I would hold them accountable for violations of our policies covering sign stealing, and those individuals took no action to ensure that the club’s players and staff complied with those policies during the 2017 postseason and the 2018 regular season.”
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