I am a fan of MLB and am following Astrogate pretty closely. My reaction at this point is that what has been handed down so far is simply not enough.
The relevant facts:
Stealing signs is ok in baseball in most situations eg if the pitcher tips his selection by some repeated move, or if a runner on second can decode and flash information to the batter. Even studying video of the catcher signals before the game is ok.
But what is not ok is using electronic aids including video to steal signs and transmit to the batter in real time.
In Sept 2017 MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred fined the Boston Red Sox , then managed by ex-Astro Alex Cora, for using electronic aids in illegally stealing signs. Moreover, Manfred went on to stress "All 30 clubs have been notified that future violations of this type will be subject to more serious sanctions, including the possible loss of draft picks".
While it it appears likely that possibly multiple clubs employed sign stealing schemes using video/electronic aids before Sept 2017, only the Astros and the Red Sox are under active investigations for ignoring Manfred;s Sept 2017 warning. But the Astros continued to cheat throughout the 2017 post-season.
MLB in its report confirms the Astros stole signs at home in the 2017 post-season. Notably the Astros eliminated the Yankees 4-3 games, by winning all 4 home games, where they outperformed significantly on almost all batting metrics.
Beyond the chump change penalty and loss of a couple of draft slots, the Astro ownership gets off scot free. This is wrong. I believe that the Astros should be stripped of the 2017 championship, but really no need to name a different champion as both the Yankees or Dodgers both have standing. So do any number of teams and pitchers victimized by the Astros in 2017.
I am curious about what baseball will do with Cora and the 2018 champion Red Sox. Cora probably will get a large suspension, but the Sox undoubtedly get to keep their crown.
And who says " cheaters never prosper".
