Jeff Luhnow wants $22 million from the Astros for being the cheating scandals ‘scapegoat’

Jeff Luhnow is trying to take the Astros to court.

While the likes of AJ Hinch, Alex Cora, and former Houston Astros GM Jeff Luhnow all received suspensions and/or lost their job as a result of the team’s sign-stealing scandal during their 2017 title run, many are starting to find work again, as Hinch and Cora will assume managerial roles with the Tigers and Red Sox, respectively. Luhnow remains persona non grata across baseball, and he’s trying to get his old team to lawyer up as a result.

The LA Times unveiled the fact that Luhnow is taking his old team to court and is trying to recoup around $22 million in damages, citing the belief that he was wrongfully terminated from his position as Astros GM while insisting the sign-stealing went completely under his nose.

Jeff Luhnow is claiming he was wrongfully terminated

“The Astros’ termination of Luhnow is an attempt, like the Commissioner before them, to make Luhnow the scapegoat for the organization while the players and video-room staff who devised and executed the schemes went unpunished,” the suit states. 

Luhnow has an uphill battle, to say the least. Considering the fact that proving wrongful termination, an argument that hinges on him proving that owner Jim Crane and commissioner Rob Manfred went behind his back to settle on punishments, will be difficult to prove, the chance of him getting the amount of money he’s asking for is negligible. Luhnow might find it hard to work again in baseball, but he has only himself to blame after failing to properly curtail the rampant cheating.

In all likelihood, this wreaks of Luhnow blatantly trying to grab some cash and spook the MLB by threatening to excoriate them in a deposition hearing. Considering how he has a clause in his contract that states Manfred himself will arbitrate all disputes, he might not get a cent out of this.