Houston Astros Fan Sues Team After Sign-Stealing Scandal, Alleges They 'Secretly Put a Deficient Product on The Field'

A Houston Astros season ticket holder has filed a lawsuit against the team following the outcome of their 2017 sign-stealing scandal, claiming that the team "secretly put a deficient product on the field."

According to The Houston Chronicle, the class action lawsuit was filed on Friday in Harris County District Court by Adam Wallach. In the suit, Wallach accuses the Astros of negligence, breach of contract and violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, for sign-stealing during the 2017 MLB season.

The lawsuit states the Astros overcharged fans for season tickets while the team "knowingly and surreptitiously engaged in a sign-stealing scheme in violation of the MLB rules and Regulations." The lawsuit also claims that the Astros "secretly put a deficient product on the field that could result (and now has resulted) in severe penalties instituted by the MLB."

The lawsuit seeks over $1 million for full- and part-time season ticket holders for the 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 seasons, while also asking the judge to stop the team from increasing their season ticket prices for the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

The lawsuit comes just a few months after the MLB determined the Astros used sign-stealing methods, such as cameras, TV screens and a garbage can, to relay opposing team's signs to Astros' batters during the 2017 season. The Astros were fined $5 million and A.J. Hinch, the team's manager, and Jeff Luhnow, the general manager, were both suspended for a year. However, both Hinch and Luhnow were later fired by the Astros. None of the players involved in the scandal were punished by the MLB.

Wallach's lawsuit is not the only court case the Astros are facing in regard to the sign-stealing scandal. Another Texas law firm, Hilliard Martinez Gonzales, has posted ads on Facebook urging fans to file similar lawsuits against the team.

"The Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal refers to a series of incidents where members of the Houston Astros baseball organization stole signs of opposing teams THAT VIOLATED MLB RULES. This is unfair to paying fans and compensation should be demanded," the law firm writes on their website.

The Astros are also facing a civil lawsuit from former MLB pitcher Mike Bolsinger, who claims the team ruined his career as a major league pitcher with the sign-stealing scandal.