Former Houston Astros assistant general manager Brandon Taubman is eligible to work in baseball again.
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, MLB quietly reinstated former Astros assistant general manager Brandon Taubman at the conclusion of last year’s World Series after he was placed on the ineligible list following MLB’s investigation of the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal and his firing from the organization after an incident with a reporter during the 2019 ALCS.
It was the earliest Taubman could apply for reinstatement from the ineligible list, although there is no indication he plans to try to return to MLB, per Sherman.
The Astros had already fired Taubman prior to MLB’s decision after he yelled at a group of female reporters about reliever Roberto Osuna, whom the Astros acquired the year prior while he was in the midst of serving a suspension for domestic violence.
One of the reporters would tweet the domestic violence hotline every time Osuna pitched. Taubman shouted, “Thank God we got Osuna! I’m so f---ing glad we got Osuna” and would later tell MLB officials that his comments were indeed directed toward that reporter.
Osuna had actually nearly blown the game for the Astros that night, allowing a game-tying home run to DJ LeMahieu in the ninth inning before Jose Altuve won the game with a walk-off home run in the bottom half of the inning off Aroldis Chapman.
The incident overshadowed the Astros’ trip to the World Series, which was exacerbated when the team refuted the initial story, calling it “completely irresponsible” and said that the then 34-year-old was only supporting a player being questioned after a “difficult outing.”
A quick investigation revealed Taubman was nowhere near anyone being interviewed and the Astros fired him after Game 2 of the World Series and apologized to the reporter who first broke the story.
Per Sherman, Taubman was reinstated because MLB found no proof he participated in the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal and that he had also made amends with the reporter he yelled at, done work for a domestic abuse center and underwent therapy.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram