Fan Sues MLB Over Sign-Stealing’s Fantasy Implications

The latest Major League Baseball scandal has angered more than the commissioner, as a fan this week lawyered up and sued the league. 

Kristopher Olson is suing the MLB, the Houston Astros and the Boston Red Sox, as part of a class action lawsuit on behalf of all fans who participated in DraftKings' fantasy baseball contests, alleging the sign-stealing scandal deprived fans of an "honest fantasy baseball competition."

"At the very least, all of DraftKings' fantasy baseball contests from early in the 2017 baseball season through the end of the 2018 regular season and into the 2019 season, were tainted by cheating and compromised, at the expense of DraftKings' contestants," according to the filing on Thursday, which was reported by Reuters. 

The complaint may be more than just hot air, as it claims the MLB actively promoted fantasy baseball competition through its equity stake in fantasy sport and gambling company DraftKings.

Olson’s lawsuit comes in the wake of MLB’s suspension of the Astros’ manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow, which ultimately led to Houston firing both. The Boston Red Sox also fired manager Alex Cora who was a bench coach for the Astros in 2017 when the team won the World Series.