WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — After listening to an avalanche of outrage against his teammates, Carlos Correa spoke with more candor than any of the Astros who participated in the 2017 electronic sign-stealing scandal.

In two separate Saturday interviews, Correa defended the legitimacy of José Altuve’s 2017 American League MVP, detailed the team’s use of the trash-can banging system and blasted Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger and Nationals catcher Kurt Suzuki’s recent criticism.

On Friday, Bellinger claimed Altuve “stole” the 2017 American League MVP from Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge and Houston “stole” a World Series title from the Dodgers. Suzuki said he still believes the Astros were cheating during the 2019 World Series, one they lost in seven games against Washington.

Correa spoke first to Ken Rosenthal on MLB Network. Three hours later, he met with four local reporters in a back hallway of the team’s spring training facility. Below is the transcript of Correa’s comments to the Houston media.

Carlos Correa lets it eat. The opening statement. pic.twitter.com/Ss1z60ruTb — Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) February 15, 2020

Carlos, tell us why you wanted to speak out.

“Like I said, I have no problem when people talk about what happened during the regular season of 2017. Whatever people have to say, we have to take that on the chin. It was wrong. It was wrong. We have to own that. We have to take that. But when you stand in front of the camera and you don’t know the facts, you don’t know what happened, you’re not informed and you try to rip one of my teammates like that when we all know, Mike Fiers knows, that Altuve didn't use the trash can. And you guys are going to find out because I’m sure someone is going to ask him. And he’s going to tell everybody, he’s going to tell the world that Altuve didn’t use it. If he’s man enough to tell the truth and tell the story and break the story, he should be man enough to say that the MVP of 2017 did not use it. He should be man enough to say that. Because we all in that clubhouse know that Altuve’s integrity is going to be intact because of what was said today. He earned that MVP and nobody can take that away from him. When (Cody Bellinger) stands up there and he says that (Altuve) cheated (Aaron) Judge out of an MVP. A guy that hit .400 on the road? Are you kidding me? Like, that doesn’t sit well with me. If you state facts, if you tell the truth out there, if you talk about (2017) and whatever the Astros did, yeah, that’s OK. I’m not going to comment on that. I’m not going to talk anything about that. We have to take that. We made that mistake. We were wrong for everything we did. And everything that comes with it, we have to take. We have to be man enough to own it and take responsibility for all those actions that we took. But when you stand up there and say lies about my teammates, that’s when I have to say something.”

What do you think about Mike Fiers?

“Mike Fiers, man, he was our teammate and he decided to break out the story. That’s just him. I really don’t have much to say. But what I have to say is that he should tell the truth. He should tell the whole world the truth. José Altuve earned that MVP.”

A lot of you guys have apologized for not stopping the sign-stealing. Mike Fiers has been silent. Do you think Fiers should apologize for being a part of it?

“Absolutely. Did you see the smile that he had when he got that ring at Minute Maid (Park)? Did you see when he was celebrating when we won the championship? He was part of the team. He didn’t say anything about it back then. He definitely should apologize as well. We all feel bad in this organization and we have to go through this process because of our wrongdoing back in 2017. When you look back at it, bro, it’s just terrible, man. It’s not right for the game of baseball. The game that we grew up loving so much. The game that we show passion (for) every single day. It’s not right to know what’s coming and do what we did. We were wrong. We were wrong. And we have to own that. Whatever comes this year on the road from the fans, we have to take that. I have no problem with that because if they’re going to talk the facts, those are the facts. The commissioner’s office has their report. They said what they had to say about the investigation. But don’t go out there and tell us that we cheated for three years when, clearly, the commissioner’s report doesn’t say that.”

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Who on the 2017 team did not use the trash can banging system?

“José Altuve, Josh Reddick, Tony Kemp, they didn’t use it at all. They didn’t want to. They would get mad if someone would bang the trash can when they were hitting. Yeah, it was those three guys. They’re not going to say it. They’re not going to say it. Altuve’s too humble to go out there and say it. Reddick, he’s a veteran of this game, he’s well respected around the league (and) he’s not going to go out there and throw his team under the bus. I’m going to say it because I was there. I saw it. I saw it with my own eyes. They didn’t want it. This Altuve talk about him stealing the MVP, that should be dead. That should be dead after what I said and after you guys ask Mike Fiers if that’s true.”

What would Altuve do to signal he didn’t want the trash can banging to happen?

“I remember one time somebody banged the trash can without his consent when he was hitting. I don’t remember if he got a hit or got out. I just remember he was heated. And you guys don’t see Altuve mad very often. But you don’t want to see him mad. When he gets mad, he’s heated. He’s going to tell you whatever he feels and whatever he wants to say. I remember him heated every time somebody would accidentally or without his consent would bang on the trash can.”

Correa interrupts a question

“Hold on, one more thing. The buzzers. Guys, that story should be killed already guys. Like, seriously? A fake account on Twitter said that and then we all make it a story? Like what are we all doing here? You guys are great reporters, you guys should do a better job of killing this story already. MLB did their investigation. I’m telling you, there was no buzzers. And, three, I already told you why he didn’t want his shirt ripped off. This story should not keep dragging out there. Altuve didn’t use the trash can in 2017. You think he would use a buzzer that, with all the technology that’s all around the ballparks and all the cameras around the ballparks, and ruin his legacy like that? That story. People should stop talking about that.”

Are there any other players other than Kemp, Reddick and Altuve who didn’t use the trash cans?

“I gotta study a lot of players because that happened a couple years ago. But I know for a fact those three guys were loud about it and refused to use it.”

Carlos, for clarification, you did use the trash cans, right?

“Yes, I used the trash cans. Yes, I used the trash cans. And I’m here like a man and I’ll tell you I used it. Because, my credibility, right here, this is what I live for. Every time I speak, I want you guys to believe me. So I’ll tell you, yes, I did. A lot of players used it. And that’s why we’re going through this right now because of what happened in 2017. But, Altuve, leave him out of this conversation.”

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You cited Altuve’s road batting average in 2017. Did you guys attempt to steal signs on the road?

(Laughs) “No. Not at all. It’s impossible, man. If you look in our division, you go to Oakland, man. Like, you see all the players right there, you have to go (upstairs to the clubhouse). No. I’m not even going to go into details. It’s just a straight ‘no.’ It’s impossible to just be on the road and steal signs. The (opposing) team owns the cameras and everything on the road. So, no, I’m not going to go in any detail about that.”

In the interview with Ken Rosenthal, you went through a lot of the playoff hits and why they weren’t aided by the trash can. Are there any big playoff hits — or playoff hits at all — that were aided by the trash can?

“So, yeah, when I talked to Ken, we went through games at Minute Maid (Park). The (World Series) games we won on the road, fair and square. I’m not going to say nothing about that, those are two games right there. Game 3, we scored five runs. Three came with guys on second base. Catchers use multiple signs (with runners on second) and, as many people have expressed out there, (there were) a lot of mound visits and changing signs over and over. That’s why MLB implemented the rule of mound visits because the 2017 World Series took so long because (signs) were changed all the time. So, it was a double by Marwin (Gonzalez), first and second both scored. There was a hit by (Brian) McCann, man on second — multiple signs — and he scored. There was a chopper to the pitcher by Evan Gattis with Reddick at first. (The pitcher) threw the ball away and Reddick scored from first. And the solo homer by Yuli (Gurriel). So, four runs. Three of them we got with men on second base, one of them by just bad defense. Don’t tell me we cheated you out of a World Series when, in Game 5, homer, I hit a double with men on second base — multiple signs. Yuli hit a homer with guys on second and third — again, multiple signs. Altuve hit a home run off (Kenta) Maeda with guys on first and second — multiple signs. And, (Alex) Bregman hit a walkoff single with a pinch-runner — Derek Fisher — that didn’t know what was going on in the game because he hadn’t been involved in the game. He was just warming up getting ready to run. Multiple signs. Walkoff. Game 7, I mean, (Bellinger) is telling me we cheated them out of a championship. Game 7, he throws a ball away in the first inning and we scored two runs. We win Game 7 on the road because they left 20 guys on base. And you’re telling me, you’re telling our team and our fans that we cheated you out of a World Series championship? Like I said on the interview with Ken, (Bellinger) should not be talking about that, he should have done something about that.”

What about the two series to get to that point?

“The Yankees (in the ALCS). They scored one run in the first game, one run in the second game, they scored one run in Game 6 and they scored no runs in Game 7. If you expect to win with three runs in four games, you’re out of your mind. With the group of talent that we have? With the numbers that we put up throughout the years? Take 2017 out. Look at the numbers that we put up across the board all these years that we’ve been playing. One run per game is not going to do it.”

The commissioner’s report said there was no wrongdoing last season. You guys came within eight outs of a World Series. What do you think that says about that accomplishment?

“That’s a great question. I appreciate that. Last year, there was nothing and we got to a World Series. We were close to winning a championship. It still hurts to this day. But, I heard (Nationals catcher) Kurt Suzuki’s comments also that we were cheating. Like, so you guys now, all the players now are above the lawyers that MLB is using, above the commissioner’s report? Like, seriously, bro? The commissioner's report clearly says that in 2019 nothing happened. Just straight up baseball players with talent playing the game of baseball. And you have the audacity to tell the reporters that, yeah, they were cheating? Because we heard the whistles? The fans whistle in the game. The fans are whistling all the time in the game. What does a whistle mean? So, don’t go out there and tell reporters that we were cheating. And don’t go above MLB, the investigation, the lawyers, the report, when obviously there was nothing going on. And, oh, they won the championship. And he’s still talking about that? Enjoy your ring. Enjoy your teammates. Enjoy what you guys accomplished. Congratulations to you guys. You guys played better than us. That was it.”