Justin Verlander Trying to Laugh off Astros' Sign-Stealing Scandal is a Disgrace | Rasmussen's Rants

Justin Verlander took home the American League Cy Young award on Saturday night during the BBWAA dinner in New York. The veteran right-hander gave a speech upon receiving the honor, in which he briefly addressed the controversial sign-stealing scandal involving the Houston Astros.

Well, rather than offering an apology for his involvement in the team's cheating, Verlander tried to play the whole scandal off as a joke.

And while he may have gotten a few chuckles from those in the audience, the reaction to his comments from most fans across the nation have been extremely negative -- and rightfully so.

Verlander has always been one of the more outspoken players in baseball. He's never shied away from calling someone out during a PED scandal, and was extremely vocal about his thoughts on the possibility of baseballs being juiced in 2019.

Remember when Robinson Cano was busted for his PED use a few years ago? Well, surely you recall who was at the forefront of his criticism, firing off a snide tweet just moments after the news of Cano's suspension broke.

Where's your excuse, JV?

Now that the negative media spotlight is cast upon him and his comrades in Houston, Verlander has been completely silent, with exception to his ill-timed attempt at comedy on Saturday night.

The only player to come forth and apologize for his involvement in the sign-stealing scandal is former Astro Dallas Keuchel, who is now two teams removed from his days in Houston. Verlander, and the other notable stars on the team, failed to even sound remorseful when addressing the media.

Verlander trying to take the heat off of him by joking about the situation isn't just hypocritical, it's disgraceful. The veteran would be up in arms had he discovered this "tactic" were being utilized against him on the mound, yet, because he's the one in the crosshairs of the media, he is attempting to douse the flames with comedy.

Does he not realize that by doing that, he made himself the biggest joke in the room? For someone who is so frequently crying about injustices within the sport, he sure seems to think it's awfully funny when he's the one caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

We understand the importance of putting this incident in the past, but Verlander's tone-deaf response to the situation comes off as both disrespectful and downright arrogant.