As penalty for hacking into the Houston Astros' email system and scouting database, MLB ruled the St. Louis Cardinals must give up their top two picks in this year's draft and pay the Astros $2 million, according to The Wall Street Journal.
MLB's ruling was handed down by commissioner Rob Manfred Jan. 30.
The ruling comes after MLB's thorough investigation, which involved interviews, document reviews and forensic analysis into the systems of the Cardinals and the Astros. The investigation included evidence proving a single Cardinals employee — scouting director Chris Correa — was responsible for the breach.
Over the course of two and a half years beginning in 2012, Mr. Correa allegedly accessed the Astros' database 48 times and accessed the accounts of five Astros employees. Mr. Correa was thus able to view the Astros' plans for the 2013 draft and analyze the team's notes.
Although he declined to cooperate with MLB's investigation, last January Mr. Correa pleaded guilty to five counts of unauthorized access of a protected computer. In July, he was sentenced to 46 months in prison. Commissioner Manfred also ruled Mr. Correa was placed on MLB's permanently ineligible list, thus banning him from baseball indefinitely.
"The Houston Astros support MLB's ruling and award of penalties," the team said in a statement. "This unprecedented award by the Commissioner's Office sends a clear message of the severity of these actions."
The Astros will now have the 56th and 75th overall draft picks in the amateur draft, which begins June 12.