Experts: Cardinals hacking probe will stretch longer if feds implicate team executives

Legal experts say the federal hacking investigation of the St. Louis Cardinals could take longer if high-level executives are implicated in the breach of the Houston Astros' database.

No charges have been filed in the ongoing probe, which legal experts believe is several months old and has likely involved scouring Astros servers for any IP addresses that might lead back to the Cardinals organization.

Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. has blamed the alleged hack on "roguish behavior" by a handful of individuals. An attorney for the team has said high-level executives were not involved in the scandal.

Former federal prosecutor Philip Hilder says if any "higher-ups" are implicated, that would require corroboration and extend the investigation's duration.

If it's just low-level employees, it could wrap up quickly.