Former A's Teammate Claims Mike Fiers Told MLB That Astros Cheating Started in 2014 and Continued Into This Season

The investigation that exposed the Houston Astros cheating scandal was helped along by the comments of Mike Fiers. He served as the whistleblower and like anyone in that position he is now receiving backlash.

Fiers has stood by his comments and according to his former Oakland A's teammate Ryan Buchter, Fiers has privately shared that the scandal should not just be about the 2017 season.

Ryan Buchter on the @sternshow #WrapUpShow sheds a LOT of light on the @astros. Mike Fiers told @MLB that he’d give up his ring and his WS share if any of the Astros are suspended. He also confirms that they started this garbage in 2014 and it continued all last year.
— woods (@thestevenwoods) January 17, 2020

Fans, media members, and current MLB players all assumed the team did not stop cheating after 2017. These latest comments from Buchter now claim that Fiers told MLB that the Astros had years to perfect the scheme.

Fiers seems to have a lot of regret for being a part of that organization and is the only member of the 2017 squad who has a moral compass.

I wouldn’t say this started with Mike Fiers. Players were talking about the trash can was whispered by mid 2017, they knew, and were talking to reporters off the record about it. I just figured no player would put his name on it. Kudos to Fiers for being brave.
— Eno Sarris (@enosarris) January 16, 2020

Considering this information was readily available to MLB the minute Fiers spoke, it's concerning that more hasn't been done. Sure, the suspensions to AJ Hinch, Jeff Luhnow and (likely) Alex Cora are significant, but if this form of rule-breaking really does go back to 2014 this should only be the tip of the iceberg.

And Rob Manfred wonders why so many fans are frustrated with him.