An old letter sent by Major League Baseball to the New York Yankees and obtained by ESPN details illicit use of technology during the 2015 and '16 seasons that was relatively benign within the context of the sign-stealing scandals that occurred around the game at the same time.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Second Court of Appeals denied the Yankees' request to keep the letter under seal.

Manfred's letter contains information about technology violations that occurred before the commissioner issued a memo to all teams in September 2017, a mandate that was regarded as a benchmark in the evolving concern about sign-stealing within the sport.

The commissioner warned teams that he would hold the front offices and staffers accountable for violations, and that violators faced penalties that included the possible loss of draft picks.