What did New York Yankees do -- and does it matter? What you need to know about sign-stealing letter

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For the first time, a letter detailing an investigation into an alleged sign-stealing effort by the New York Yankees was revealed. The Yankees spent more than two years fighting the release of the letter in court, which is why its contents are not nearly as damning as the revelations about what the Houston Astros did five years ago.

Where did this letter come from? What does it mean? What did the Yankees do? Will there be more repercussions? What should fans do to get away from it?

We break it down.

What does the letter reveal about the Yankees? Are any of the people named?

We already know that the Yankees were fined $100,000 by the league in 2017, and that the money would be used for Hurricane Irma relief.

There are redactions in the leaked letter, including an admission ofrelaying real-time information from the replay room to the Yankees' dugout, both physically and via telephone. According to sources, Larry Rothschild used the dugout phone to call the replay room.

How does the Yankees compare to other teams who have been involved in sign-stealing in the past?

The Yankees are alleged to have used the video feed that was originally installed for instant replay review to try to decipher pitch-signal sequence of opposing catchers, ferrying that information to base runners who might have an opportunity to interpret signs for hitters. Teams have stolen signs for decades with the added element of technology. According to players and staff at multiple clubs, using the replay room was common in baseball at the time the Yankees were doing it. The Yankees did not use the video feed in the way that the Astros were found to have done, despite the fact that the Astros were found to have used trash cans to convey pitch sign information.

The letter took so long to be released. It was sealed in the first place.

The letter was sent privately and was not public, but it was filed under seal in a case in which daily fantasy sports contestants argued MLB lied to them. The Yankees and MLB tried to prevent the letter from being made public.

While the Yankees appealed, the fate of the letter was stuck in the court system. The Yankees argued that the letter could cause significant and irreparable harm, while MLB attorneys argued that the letter could cause potential embarrassment.

What does this mean for the Yankees?

Nothing. The Yankees were disciplined over this matter in 2017, and then in the following year, Manfred cracked down on sign-stealing and warned his kids not to do it again.

What should fans take away from this letter?

The Yankees desire to keep the letter out of public view turned out to be more interesting than the actual rule-breaking MLB presented in its investigation.