Free agent righty Victor Alcantara has received an 80-game suspension, per a league announcement. He tested positive for banned perforrmance-enhancing drug stanozolol.
Alcantara, 26, had appeared in each of the past three MLB campaigns. He was cut loose by the Tigers at the end of the 2019 season and had not yet signed on with another organization.
While he gets a good number of groundballs with his 94 mph sinker and carries a decent lifetime 10.5% swinging-strike rate (about average for a starter), Alcantara hasn’t found consistent success in the majors. Through eighty total frames, he carries a 4.28 ERA with 5.6 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 along with a 52.3% groundball rate.
It was never likely Alcantara would land a major league deal, but he was also an obvious candidate to get a non-roster shot. No doubt he’ll still command another opportunity, though he’ll need to serve his suspension upon joining a new team.
If this is the worst thing he ever does he’s a better person than me. Good luck on your next endeavor Victor!
Good post. Genuine and refreshing. Unlike all the other “never were” experts on here.
HMM complete opposite of the comment you made to me yesterday. So can you answer why you troll my comment but act so nice to this one?
You must have me mistaken pal, I don’t troll. I don’t recall your username or our conversation.
clepto yesterday was trolling me now he is pretending to be some nice person.. Is he biolar or just wants to troll? Its easy for him to hide behind a computer and act tough.
It clearly looks like he was responding to clepto’s post, not yours. Notice the indentation…
Yes it was directed at clepto not bob.
Yes it was directed at clepto not bob.
Let me answer your original question, Arc. Your comment was stupid. Bob’s was not. Ill shed a tear for you to help your whiny condition.
Have a blessed day.
No you are a troll here. you are bipolar and have a problem of acting like a bully. You bring 0 to any discussion but to make it a personal issue. You are angry that somebody is calling you out for who you are. If you don’t like the comment so much say nothing how hard is that???
Ok, Ok, Ill shed 2 tears for your whine, little one. Is that good for you? 3?
Can we please have these comments removed? Particularly based on the implied negative connotation of bipolar. Intent seems to be to harm.
Bipolar does not cause someone to be a troll.
Yeah but you were also in a mental institution, had rabies, and sold bogus sable hats. Not really crimes of the century
They were rat hats. She’s foaming at the mouth!
That’s a rat hat?
And a rather poorly made one, even by rat hat standards.
Ah the crime of the century, that was either committed by the Astros, or Nathan Rothschild depends on what you are reading.
Cheaters support cheaters. It’s funny when they put themselves on a pedestal while doing it.
Co-dependents also support cheaters. Don’t judge.
Your post is quite hypocritical.
How so? It’s not hypocritical in any way. You might want to look up the meaning of that word before using it again.
Bob… I don’t really understand that attitude.
Don’t get me wrong, In the steroid era, I can understand why the 32nd man on a roster took PEDs because he couldn’t compete with the 23rd man on the roster who was taking PEDs. I don’t blame the players for that, I blame the players union for that. They were too busy looking out for the dirty players that they forced clean players to make choices that no one should have to make.
But now, he’s the 32nd man on a roster trying to beat out the supposedly clean 23rd man on a roster.
He’s trying to steal a half million dollar roster spot from someone who deserves it. I’ve never done anything that bad, I doubt you have either.
Good point, Halo. I don’t think the cheater apologists really think these things through.
I’ve hurt people that probably had no economical value whatsoever. But, I might have given someone an ill thought that has paid it negatively forward towards society. Look no further than this forum. I honestly believe it’s not so much what you do, rather it’s how you make a person feel. Haha, sorry not to get weird on MLBTR. What the Astros did was morally wrong, but I think it would be cool if fans didn’t treat them like cancer. JMO. I’m a beatnik lover though..better take it with 2 grains of salt
Bob, I think we need more public stigmas. It’s one of the few things people can do to shape society.
Bonds an Clemens are getting 60% of the vote for the Hall of Fame. Sixty percent of the people are saying it’s OK to cheat. If 60% think it’s OK, then there is not a lot of incentive to be honest.
Imagine If Bonds and Clemens got zero votes, Imagine every ballplayer speaking out against PED use. Do you think this Astro situation would have bell less likely to happen? I do.
When we accept bad behavior, we get more bad behavior.
Just keep shakin’ that bush so we know you’re still there. And you, Bob, just keep huggin’ that tree.
Yeah, because life needs to be more like the Scarlet Letter.
Yes, because life needs more accountability.
Someone without wisdom would equate a public branding vs an acknowledging that certain behavior is not acceptable. I would not confuse the two. Someone without wisdom can’t tell the difference.
Forcing Bonds and Clemens to where “C” for cheater on their attire is identical to not voting them into the Hall of Fame.
But without Demi Moore.
HaloFan, are you 11 years old? Not trolling. Honest question.
You’ve never been in the position to do so. Just think about it, and be truly honest with yourself. If you found yourself in that position, how would you actually act?
Gizm022, is that directed at me?
I don’t think I’d steal from someone. I don’t take things I don’t earn. Stuff like that has never been a hard choice.
Some people are cheaters, and they generally just assume everyone else is, too, in my experience. Personally, I’m with you, Halo. I don’t cheat. Quite frankly, I wouldn’t be able to respect myself if I did. Some people simply can’t relate to that mentality and seem to think it doesn’t exist. People vary, and so do moral standards.
Victor’s decision is just another reminder that we’re all human. I’ve stolen time from my company, where instead of working I was on my phone reading MLBTR. Sure it wasn’t $500k, but like Victor it was the agreeable amount. I’ve taken extra packets of ketchup home, I’ve cheated going 10mph over the speed limit to get home earlier.
I’m gonna say it. BS!!!!! The same morally outraged people reacting to the Astros fiasco are the same that react to this garbage. If you are in that dugout, you would most likely go along with it. If you are an injection away from making a major league roster, you most likely are taking that injection. Act like Mother Teresa all you want, but I don’t buy it for a second. If this many people, on one comment section of one sports website are truly as pure as the driven snow, I’ve witnessed the greatest miracle in human history.
Thanks for proving my point, gizmo. Apparently, in your world anyone who doesn’t cheat is “pure as the driven snow” and their existence would constitute a miracle. Believe it or not, there are people who actually have some moral character. It sounds like you are simply too low to conceive of it.
gizmo22 is right that its no different in a way from Astros cheating. What Victor did does effect others because a player who deserved a roster spot might not get it because a steroid user gets it. The guy left out doesn’t get the pay he deserved because somebody cheated. Now if Victor is remorseful for what he did we should forgive him but if his attitude is everyone does it but i got caught he don’t deserve forgiveness for making a mistake.
You are welcome, Mother Teresa.
So gismo22 if you don’t take things you didn’t earn you are Mother Teresa?
If you want to advance your point of view, hyperbole is probably not the best way to accomplish that.
@arc89…Cheating is cheating, and some of us feel it is wrong, but that clearly was not gizmo’s point. He just wants to excuse it all.
@chief 2 hands. Cheating is wrong no matter if a whole team does it or 1 individual. I think his point was why forgive a steroid abuser but not a whole team.
But there is no assumption. Everyone does cheat. Now some people cheat at more important things than others, but EVERYONE has cheated or will cheat at something. Peeking at solitaire is cheating. Copying someone else’s homework is cheating. Letting someone else copy your homework is cheating. Adultery is cheating and nearly half of all adults have done that. Running a stop sign or stoplight is cheating.
To be honest, I suspect anyone claiming that they have never cheated to be hiding something big.
I mean for a chance to become a millionaire, I don’t blame the guy.
Von, you have a chance to become a millionaire. Steal expensive cars until you reach a million dollars. If you want some extra money, learn how to steal just one.
How about sell drugs? Get into that game.
What’s stopping you? What’s stopping you from shoplifting? There are lots of things you can steal.
Victor probably wasn’t raised with the same values as yours or mine though. I can’t imagine the Dominican Republic having the same perception of recreational entertainment like we do. Maybe it’s rather ‘get out of this politically corrupt, crime ridden dangerous society and go chase your dreams’
And it would be okay, too, because that would just be a “reminder that we are all human.” Steal away, folks! Embrace your humanity!
I never said it was okay. Actually no one said it was okay. And yes, I absolutely embrace humanity!
Bob, you and others are clearly excusing cheating and, by extension, what some people consider immoral behavior here, whether you actually said the word “okay” or not. As I said in another response, whether that is your intended sentiment or not, that is how you are coming across.
I’m not excusing cheating. Not at all man. I’m just saying he’s a person and not trash. Did Victor do wrong “in our society”? Absolutely. But if you ask a person or someone who actually raised Victor in the DR? I’d imagine you would have a different answer. It was his decision (probably influenced by society), and he will face the consequences.
Not all PEDs are illegal. They are against MLB rules, but not a crime per se. So you know breaking the law is a good deterrent. Your analogy doesn’t work for me.
And he absolutely should be suspended.
Going from past articles of busts. Expect to see all kinds of excuses from posters here on this dude taking some kind of not so illegal substance innocently.. Hogwash.. Read the instructions if jeopardizing a potential 1/2m dollar (minimum) yearly salary.
Loser
….since you were such a success in life, evidenced by the moronic proposal in your name. Nice work! Mommy and Daddy must be so proud.
He’s a person
He trash
He’s actually a person, and someone’s child.
How does this site turn from baseball to either grammar (mostly comma debates) or antagonistic/pithy retorts to insensitive or badly thought out comments? It truly amazes me.
Actually, it doesn’t surprise me at all. Humans are very bad at staying on topic as a general rule.
So is Charlie Manson. What’s your point?
Is it okay to steal? Is it okay to steal to save someone’s life? Is it still okay to steal? Morality is not black and white
Yet most of your posts indicate a “black and white” mentality, Bob. As in, it doesn’t matter what someone does because we are all people. Whether that is your sentiment or not, that is exactly how you are coming across.
No he isn’t. Charlie Manson is a corpse. He is no longer a person.
I don’t know, man, that Walking Dead show is pretty convincing. Haven’t you been reading the posts here? We are all god’s children or some such cute little ideal. Manson’s soul must surely still be intact because all is sunshine and roses in the world.
I stopped watching the walking dead the minute they killed off Glenn.
BobSacamano, Was it OK to lie to the Nazis and attempt to save Anne Frank? Easy.
If you are the 27th man on a roster and the 25th man is taking PEDs is it OK to take PEDs? Hard.
If you are the 27th man on the roster and the 25th man is clean, is it OK to take PEDs and steal his roster spot. Easy.
This one is pretty easy.
It really went downhill from there, but the moment they decided to leap 7 years or so ahead the show completely fell apart.
We actually agree on something. Although I quit watching the minute they did the bait and switch with killing Glenn on the roof of the car before they killed him.
And he’s actually a cheater, too.
He gets 80 games while the buzzer boys get nothing. Sad!
Thank Tony Clark for that.
It is sad, but the players union is protecting the buzzer boys., For well over a decade, the player union was protecting the PED users. It took an act of congress for the players union to stop protecting PED users.
Fortunately in the next CBA, the players have made it know they will not tolerate that kind of cheating. I wish they had the same attitude in the steroid era.
Knew some moron would relate this to the Astros lol. What a great life these losers must have.
It’s relatable to the Astros because you have people stealing things from other people.
I think you have to be pretty blind to not see a connection.
and thats about where the similarities end.
where’s your compelling proof that they actually had buzzers?
Another Dominican popped for PEDs…I’m surprised no sportswriter is talking about this.
It’s wrong to group together people based on location, race and gender. It is always Southern white guys doing that.
I’m of Hispanic descent,but that doesn’t matter because anyone can be racist. Are you too woke for facts?
Are you too slow to recognize sarcasm in its simplest form?
Please use sarcasm font next time.
No. Learn to interpret fairly easy signals in the English language.
Sure thing, master!
because that’s not something that’s been really accepted since the 60s. correlation does not equal causation, amd causation does not mean action can be taken.
Maybe the Astros can sign him? He now has cheater credentials.
Sounds like a Yankee fan, not too smart either. Look up who Beltran played for before the Astros…. He didn’t just wake up in 2017 and come up with this elaborate scheme out of nowhere, he used it on his previous teams.
Happy to see John Rocker is still hating on the yanks after all this time
I like how fans are allowed to criticize everything under the sun but as soon as someone criticizes the yankees they’re branded a hater. Sound logic.
Another player from the DR getting busted for the same thing, you say?
People rag against government regulations but in a country with no FDA you have no idea what is really in the supplements given to you by people who are supposedly helping you. Not saying he’s an innocent bystander, but lots of these guys simply don’t know what they’re putting in their bodies and sometimes trust the advice of the wrong people.
As a capitalist, I like the FDA. People will try to get away with things at the expense of others.
I like government oversight, but in thousands of cases, it’s not oversight, its overreach.
You mean capitalists will try to get away with things at the expense of others? I agree with that, it’s the heart of capitalism.
A capitalist will provide something of value for something of value.. It’s a win-win approach to economics. If I don’t make a product that someone wants, for a price they can afford, I go out of business.
There is nothing selfish about capitalism.
I pay for a baseball reference subscription. I pay for a Fangraphs subscription. If this was a subscription site, I’d pay for this.
They provide a product that I believe has value.
So everyone is trying to get away with things at the expense of others? Does this include people who live in poverty or just have the basic essentials their entire lives?
I’m talking about things that actually effect others deeply enough to alter their quality of life.
I’m almost sure you’ve mentioned capitalism here before.. Do you seriously think it’s reasonable for someone to have $60 billion.. Do you draw the line anywhere?
“There is nothing selfish about capitalism.”
Now THAT’S funny.
MLB and MLBPA both offer guidance and assistance to players who request it. BEFORE they take anything, including supplements. It doesn’t matter where you live.
They also have a service for driving home drunk players from the bar but not everybody uses it. My argument was with the insinuation from Strike4 that large amounts of Dominicans are cheating.
guess that makes the fact that he hasn’t resigned less surprising
Well, looks like he’s going to have to go somewhere else.
Who dat?
Stan Ozo? Lol!
Another Domini-can’t.
I can’t help but wonder if his recent injuries lead him to take something which was supposed to help him heal but instead got him suspended. Yes, he should have checked with the league. Still, he had several injuries in the last few years, including a fracture in his back, so I can see the possibility of this being unintentional. When the Tigers released him, it was supposed to be for him to sign overseas. Guess it didn’t happen.
It’s the time of year when suspension like this happen. More to come.
Like many others, a million-dollar arm to go with a 5 cent brain. Couldn’t consistently throw strikes…that’s what keeps a 95 mph minor leaguer from becoming a 95 mph major leaguer. Good luck to you, young man.
Stanzolololo lololo lololo! Couldn’t resist… Rough life for minor leaguers. Hopefully a pay increase and better lifestyle will help more guys understand it’s not worth it to use banned substances and lose half or a full season…especially if there’s a trash can nearby…
For the humor deficient, jk on the last part of course.
This whole conversation reminds me of some wise words from a very special man:
“In a way, all of us has an El Guapo to face. For some, shyness might be their El Guapo. For others, a lack of education might be their El Guapo. For us, El Guapo is a big, dangerous man who wants to kill us. But as sure as my name is Lucky Day, the people of Santo Poco can conquer their own personal El Guapo, who also happens to be ‘the actual’ El Guapo!”
-Lucky Day
Ah, yes, truer words have not been spoken. Timeless and universal…
Great! You shot the Invisible Swordsman!
Did I hear 80-game suspension? I got excited for a minute there and I thought that they finally handed down suspension to the real perpetrators in that infamous illegal trash can technique of 2017.
Entertaining back and forth. Not the usual ‘x fanbase is stupid’ stuff.
See ya, wouldn’t want to be ya! When will these idiots learn? Bonds, McGuire, Sosa, Rodriguez, Braun, Canseco, Clemons, etc., etc. never played as far as I’m concerned. For example; Roger Maris still holds home run record!
Alfonso Soriano is the only player with a 40-40 season!
Obvious PED user
Halo11Fan I quit watching Walking Dead the episode they killed Glen
Troll here, hate that these players get hit for substances that the average Joe can get from Dr.. I know MLB is trying to clean up sport but should allow prescribed meds if players go through them to get them. There’s a lot of banned items that will help players heal
Word on the street is the Tigers hope to sign Victor Alcantara asap to a multi year contract and feel he has tremendous potential. They may have to part ways with a number of other starters but feel keeping Victor on the roster is worth it despite what they consider his short disciplinary stay.. The Tigers feel confident they will contend and have established a dynamic force in baseball. The general manager is as sharp as they come and is confident this team will do as well as last years’ surprising club.