Free-agent lefty Antonio Bastardo has received a 140-game suspension, per a league announcement. He tested positive for the banned performance-enhancing drug stanozolol.
Stanozolol (better known by its popular name, Winstrol) is one of very few anabolic steroids that’s actually been deemed safe for consumption by the FDA; Stanozolol possesses the rare quality of being able to survive both the digestive system and the liver, meaning it can be taken orally (as opposed to intravenously) and still deliver the desired effects. Because of that, it can be legally sold and as such is easy to obtain. Stanozolol is known for its use in competitive body building, occasionally being used in the offseason for building definition (as opposed to enormous muscle growth).
Of course, being legal for sale and consumption doesn’t equate to being sanctioned for use in Major League Baseball, so Bastardo will receive the second PED-related suspension of his career. Five years ago, Bastardo was slapped with a 50-game ban for his involvement in the infamous Biogenesis clinic. As a result, his second suspension is (obviously) much more severe and has the potential to end the lefthander’s career.
Bastardo’s best known for his time spent with the Philadelphia Phillies, in whose system he spent upwards of ten seasons. Bastardo pitched for Philadelphia at the MLB level for parts every season from 2009-2015. The left-hander also tossed innings for the Mets and Pirates, and was certainly known for being effectively wild. His career ERA to date sits just above 4.00, and he managed to strike out 10.76 batters per nine innings while walking a whopping 4.40. During his career, Bastardo has largely served as living proof that even the most extreme fly ball pitchers can carve out a role for themselves at the MLB level. His 28.6% career ground ball rate ranks as the 10th-lowest all time among qualified pitchers ever since the stat first began to be measured.
Bastardo’s career took a turn for the worse at the beginning of the 2017 season, when he made just nine appearances for the Pirates before hitting the disabled list with a left quad strain. Those nine appearances were absolutely catastrophic; the right-hander issued a walk per inning across those nine innings while allowing five homers and giving up 15 earned runs on the whole. After spending two months on the DL, the Pirates elected to designate the veteran for assignment, closing the books on the two-year, $12MM contract he signed with the Mets prior to 2016. He hasn’t pitched at the MLB level since.
The Diamondbacks too a chance on Bastardo at the beginning of 2018, adding him to a large pool of veterans they signed to minors deals prior to spring training. Though he did manage to strike out nine hitters in just 5 2/3 innings (against only one walk), Arizona prioritized other pitchers ahead of him and granted him his release on March 20th. As MLBTR’s Jeff Todd noted at the time, it still seemed possible that the veteran’s track record and decent spring performance would afford him an opportunity elsewhere.
That never ended up coming to fruition, and now Bastardo will have to sit out 140 MLB games before even getting a chance to set foot on a major league mound again. His removal from the 2018 pool leaves Eric O’Flaherty as the lone major league free agent lefty on the market.
I didn’t know they had 140 game suspensions…..
Right? I thought it was only three for substances… first offense is for 81 games, second offense is for 162 games, and third offense is for life.
I thought it was 80 games for the first offense then 162 for a 2nd offense. The 3rd and last one is a life time ban
And the 3rd one isn’t even a lifetime ban!
Yes it is. The Mets had a player banned for life. He was reinstated a week before the all star break. Jenry Mejia failed 3 test. He was given the lifetime ban. He add to be out a full year before asking for reinstatement.
You just backed up what he said
I proved him wrong. Jenry Mejia did receive a lifetime ban. That’s a fact. Theres something in the players agreement that allows the banned player to apply for reinstatement which Mejia did. He’s been out of baseball for since 2016
He reapplied and was reinstated. He wasnt given a life time ban, though they may call it that.
He was banned with possibility of reinstatement.
A life time ban- pete rose esq- would stand no matter if you reapplied or not. That is what a life time ban looks like.
Youre arguing over semantics and if hes reinstated it wasnt a life time ban now was it?
I’m just going by the 3 strike rule. The 2nd offense is 162 games. Manfred is giving him q slap on the wrist. Jenry Mejia should not have a 4th chance. If he was reinstated Pete rose should be in the hof.
@Pitches Love
You’re the one arguing semantics. It’s a lifetime ban. Just like Pete Rose. Except that Meija won his bid for reinstatement.
Just like a criminal who is given a “life sentence” doesn’t always stay in prison until their death.
Get over yourself.
Pete Rose is a moron who can’t keep his trap shut and who continues to gamble till this they. he would have been pardoned a long time ago if he played his cards right
ThatBallwasBryzzoed…….Here is the difference between the two. If a player is suspended for violating the JDA he is placed on the restricted list. If a player, ump or team official is found to have bet on a game in which they are involved (violating Rule 21D) they are placed on the permanently ineligible list.
IMO a player with 3 strikes in the JDA should be placed on the permanently ineligible list. but that is not what was decided
Adam6710…it’s not semantics, it’s two different lists. restricted list for violating the JDA and permanently ineligible list for violating Rule 21D.
Not to mention Pete took the lifetime ban, he willingly signed that plea. He didn’t want the real truth to come out, so he was able to play the victim and make MLB look like the evil empire while he campaigned for reinstatement and sold books that were full of lies. Until the book quit selling and he decided to be a little more honest in the newer one in an effort to sell more books. He’s a lie and a cheat and a terrible human. And BTW, he is in the HOF, his stuff has been on display, he’s just not an inducted member. He and other cheats can be used as a learning tool for youngsters as to why to do things the right way.
That’s bc it’s technically legal
He probably could fight it
lowtalker1……….DHEA is “technically legal” but banned by WADA, USADA, MLB, NFL etc. Adderall is “technically legal” but also banned unless a player has a TUE (Therapeutic Use Exemption), The same can be said for HGH, so how would he fight it?
I believe Mejias third failed test might have been residual still in his system from the second failed test
I know right? Why not just suspended him for a season like a-rod.
ARod should have been given a life time ban. Of course bud selig had to give him only a full season suspension.
jorge78…….I believe it’s because his last assignment was in the minors and therefore he was tested and penalized under the MiLB program. I’m looking it up now.
AAA Minor league was his last assignment and as such he was penalized under the MiLB Plan which states…………
2. Second violation: a suspension equal to the total number of championship season games in the league to which the Player is assigned at the time of his discipline under the Program, unless at the time of discipline the Player is assigned to a Short-Season League (defined above), in which case the suspension shall be equal to twice the total number of championship season games in the Short-Season League to which the Player is assigned;
That’s why it’s a 140 game suspenson
Right!
Is someone keeping track on Stanzolol users? Seems like I’ve been hearing it a lot
Definitely an old school steroid that’s been around a long time. I’m surprised any professional athlete would be taking today since there are much more effective PEDs out there.
Is it free agenty lefty Antonio Bastardo?
Because later on it could end the right-hander’s career.. there’s only room for one dual thrower in baseball
He’s left-handed, just something I picked up from the article.
He said he was RH twice. perhaps the picture is a mirror image? 🙂
Actually 3 times…and maybe more?
That dirty little Antonio!
They actually referred to him asright handed once though.
Uh no actually 3 times
Yep. And he’s definitely a lefty
Yeah, I see that, I guess I wasn’t counting, just pointing out there was an error as well… but yes its LEFT, RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT, LEFT … so they got it wrong 60% of the time. Awesome proofreading.
That explains why he had control issues.
Article said the “right hander” was absolutely catastrophic in 2017. One might think that wouldn’t be surprising if as a left hander he tried to pitch right handed that season. LOL!
As John Sterling would say…”ANTONIO!…NO CAN PLAY-O !!!!!
Underrated comment.
Though I’ll bet he’d go with “Antonio Bastardo! Prohibido por un largo tiempo!”
“has the potential to end the right-hander’s career.”
Bastardo is ambiguous? I mean, amphibious. Oh wait…I know…ambivalent.
Crap, I wished that I was ambidextrous like him.
Lol, Winstrol can NOT be purchased legally without a PRESCRIPTION. You can buy fake knockoffs online if you want, but real Stanozolol is Rx only in the US, bud.
It just says easy to obtain. That could include easy to ask your doctor for a script.
Adderall is legal too, but not allowed by mlb.
Adderall is legal in MLB, with a doctor’s note, essentially.
“As a result, his second suspension is (obviously) much more severe “
Am I missing something? Isn’t this less severe than the standard suspension for a second offense (162 games)?
MiLB policy, thus its 140 games/season.
What a bastage
Why 140 games? Seems weird that they just didn’t give him all 162.
He’s a minor-leaguer so the suspension is the length of the minor league season 140 games.
> deemed safe for consumption by the EPA
> can be legally sold
Why is it banned? Why would anybody consider it cheating to take it?
P E R F O R M A N C E____E N H A N C I N G
Eating healthy and getting regular sleep also enhance performance, compared to not doing those things. Try again.
“Why is it banned?”
That’s actually a decent question. I thought the rationale for banning PEDs was health related. Bill James suggested about ten years ago that we would eventually develop steroids without the negative side effects. He expected that when we did MLB players would not only be permitted to use them, it will be expected of them.
“Why would anyone consider it cheating to take it?”
Well, the easy answer is that it is currently against the rules. MLB can make whatever rules it likes—subject to any appropriate MLBPA participation—and players are expected to adhere, even if some rules are silly or counterproductive.
I’d also note that cheating in baseball is older than MLB and that several prominent cheaters have been elected to the HoF. Cheating in one form or another always has been and always will be a part of baseball. Folks needs to recognize the difference between bad and evil. Trying to gain an edge in a competitive sport using proscribed means is bad, but that’s about it.
I guess baseball is still waiting for the steroids with negative side effects 10 yrs later
“I guess baseball is still waiting for the steroids with negative side effects 10 yrs later”
Did you read the above article? It appears that they may have already found it. And to be fair to Bill James, his prediction was made ~ten years ago, he did not predict that it would happen within ten years.
Imagine how exciting a separate All-Steroid league would be to watch.
I imagine something like the old slugfest video game. Take steroids and then get into fist fights at second base
Bastardo is left handed. I know this, because as a Phillies fan, I saw him come in frequently to retire opposing lefties and promptly walked them on 4 consecutive pitches.
Well under Mandred’s office he’ll probably be back playing next week, maybe sooner.
Manfred**
so another Dominican cheating the system
Ah, and the racists rear their ugly heads.
Has nothing to do with race. It most likely has to do with how easy it is to still obtain those sorts of drugs in the Dominican Republic.
Yeah because you could never find anything in this country, only drugs we have in the States are all properly prescribed and handled with care by responsible people. SMH
You can’t buy those types of drugs over the counter in a CVS which is basically what you can do in the Dominican. Simply pointing out that being a problem and a possible reason why a higher percentage of Dominicans might be getting popped this year doesn’t make someone a racist.
They have this thing called google where you can search out articles on this topic. You should give it a try.
Those dirty Antonios!
It would never fly, but first offense should be a season-long ban (or 365 days, actually). Second offense, banned for life. Either offense should be elimination from Hall of Fame consideration and post-career player benefits. They have known for decades that this is against the rules and continue to cheat. Take a stand.
One chance: 365 day ban, a fine of 100% of your salary you would earn over the course of the fine, you’re trespassed from every property owned or leased by an MLB or MiLB affiliated business entity (no rehab assignment leading up to the end of the ban or any of that) and to be reinstated you have to 1) consent pay a fine of 100% of what you earned over the previous year or 2x your original fine, whichever is BIGGER, and 2) consent to multiple weekly urine tests and multiple monthly blood tests. Including during the off-season. Don’t like it? Find a new league.
Second offense, you’re escorted to the nearest public sidewalk by police officers, they fedex you the belongings of your locker, and if you can’t pay the fine you agreed to pay good luck in civil court.
That oughta do it.
A guy can dream anyway.
Johnny Dipshit/Agendapost at it again…