Yoenis Cespedes may make his Cactus League debut this weekend, GM Billy Beane said, according to Barry Bloom of MLB.com. Here are some more Athletics-related notes…
- Athletics outfielder Jason Pridie will be suspended 50 games for violating the minor league drug program, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Twitter links). Pridie tested positive for a “drug of abuse,” rather than a performance-enhancing drug, apparently doing so for the second time. He signed a minor league deal with the A’s in November.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports explains that retiring was probably a mistake for Manny Ramirez. The decision to retire affected the type of suspension he faced for violating MLB's drug policy.
- Ramirez said he almost signed with the Blue Jays this offseason before determining the Athletics' interest was more serious. “At first [the Blue Jays] said yes. Then they said, ‘We’re going to have to think about it,’” Ramirez said.
- The A's released catcher Landon Powell earlier today.
Drugs of abuse include: Cocaine, LSD, Marijuana, Opiates (e.g., heroin, codeine, morphine), MDMA (“Ecstasy”), GHB, Phencyclidine (“PCP”).
Pridie, was once traded for the Cuban Cigar of Death….could have seen this coming.
“Testing for drugs of abuse is not administered randomly, but on a basis of reasonable cause.
If one of the HPAC panel members has evidence that a player has used,
possessed, or sold banned substances in the last 12 months, they call a
conference and discuss the evidence with the other members. If a
majority vote to test the suspected player is reached then testing will
take place no more than 48 hours later.”
Pretty surprised the Jays were that seriously interested in Manny.
I’m not buying it. They weren’t interested last year when Ramirez was dropping hints, so I really can’t see that they were a serious suitor for his services.
If nothing else to draw Red Sox and Yankee fans to the ballpark
They don’t have that problem. Any time The Yankees or Sox play here it’s packed.
Who cares if baseball players do drugs? Grow up MLB.
it really changes their game and how they play it. if every pitcher was doing recreational drugs, they’d all be throwing perfect games like doc ellis, and we just can’t have that in our sport.