Major League Baseball announced this afternoon that three players — reliever Richard Rodríguez, utilityman Danny Santana and infielder José Rondón — have each been suspended for 80 games after testing positive for the performance-enhancing substance Boldenone. All three are currently free agents. PED testing had been suspended during the lockout, but Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal reports (0n Twitter) that the trio tested positive before the work stoppage.
Rodríguez was one of the higher-profile remaining free agents, and today’s suspension offers insight into why he’s yet to sign. The 32-year-old isn’t far removed from being an excellent late-game option for the Pirates. Over three and a half seasons in Pittsburgh, he posted a 2.98 ERA in 196 1/3 innings of relief. Along the way, he punched out a strong 27.2% of batters faced while walking just 6.5% of opponents.
The rebuilding Bucs traded Rodríguez to the Braves at this past summer’s trade deadline. The 32-year-old’s performance dipped at the end of the year. While he managed a respectable 3.12 ERA in 26 innings as a Brave, he surrounded six home runs and struck out only nine batters in that time. Atlanta non-tendered Rodríguez at the end of the year. The Pirates were reported to have interest in a reunion in December, but it stands to reason the failed PED test put a damper on that pursuit.
Santana, 31, has appeared in the majors in each of the last eight seasons. Known for his speed and defensive versatility, the switch-hitting Santana has mixed in some solid showings at the plate but has an up-and-down overall track record. He’s coming off a tough year in which he hit just .181/.252/.345 with five homers and four steals over 38 games with the Red Sox.
Rondón has played in parts of four seasons, never tallying more than 157 plate appearances in a year. A right-handed hitting utility infielder, he owns a .216/.274/.353 slash in 380 career trips to the dish. Rondón had a respectable .263/.322/.413 showing in limited playing time with the Cardinals last season, but St. Louis non-tendered him in November.
uh oh RichRod bros, we got too cocky!
Not Dick Rod
Fascinating that no players actually on teams tested positive. That’s just so convenient—and not believable.
Most likely they tested positive while they were on teams. Would explain why Rodriguez was non-tendered by the Braves.
Ya. And why no one signed him.
Looks like Rich Rod not only cheated with the sticky stuff he cheats all the way around. Wow!
Clearly there is still a massive hole in the system if players think they can attempt to take these. Makes you wonder how thorough the testing actually is. Drug users will always one step ahead of the drug tests.
I wonder if they were trying to skirt the system but we’re told they were taking stuff that was not banned.
The hole in the system is I don’t think a lot of testing is taking place outside the United States.
Is it possible players who spend a lot of time out of the U.S. in the off-season think they can take this stuff and for some it’s not completely out of their system when they get back in the US.
Who is doing the testing and when?
I bet only a fraction are caught.
Halo……
ALL testing is done at the WADA (world anti-doping agency) lab in Montreal and the MLB follow WADA protocols.
Here is a link to the JDA on the MLBPA website. I encourage you to read it. The days of players being able to “cycle” is gone (The best thing A-Roid ever did was get caught because that changed everything).
https://www.mlbplayers.com/jda
I think he meant the gathering of samples. Not the actual testing facility.
vt………………
There is only one company, Comprehensive Drug Testing, Inc. (“CDT”), that collects and transports all samples to the WADA laboratory known as Laboratoire de Controle du Dopage (INRS – Institut Armand-Frappier) in Montreal. It’s not like they call some random Dr. in Santo Domingo, or LA for that matter to collect samples.
Like I said, things changed, for the better, after Biogenesis.
Another player from the DR tested positive.
Who collects it? Almost all these guys are foreign players.
I can’t think of one current player who has been suspended that isn’t a foreign player. Maybe you can.
Thank VTN. That’s exactly what I meant.
People are always saying these guys lie about their age, it’s got to be easier to fudge collections than birth records.
Does anyone know if players banned for PEDs are still tested during their suspension? If they’re not then it would seem like a great time for them to take a load of PEDs.
UK……………………Yes….page 20 of the JDA ( https://www.mlbplayers.com/jda )
Don’t know why these guys think they can ever get away with it
Because they usually do lol
No testing in the offseason made it more tempting
Perhaps, but it says they tested positive before the work stoppage
In some cases it doesn’t affect HOF chances as long as you’re a nice guy.
(David Ortiz)
Or if there’s no evidence you actually used (also David Ortiz)
He literally tested positive in 2003 for a PED. He also admitted he was careless in terms of what supplements he took but go ahead and continue to let your admiration get in the way of reality, Cosmo2.
Before it mattered.
Somehow it mattered for Bonds in 2003.
Facts. I’m glad someone is finally saying this. Bonds, Palmeiro, McGwire, Clemens and Arod all should be in the hall. They pick and choose letting others who have taken PED’s in. These guys mentioned aren’t favorites of the media so they punish them.
All the names you mention was in Jose Censco’s book. He literally threw the top names in the game, under the bus. Rather any of the men (but Bonds whom I believe 100 percent used PEDs) used pEDs or not, it’s never been proven true. Bonds was a twig in Pittsburgh and by 1999, he looked like Brock Lesnar and smashing bombs out of the park. The guy was juiced no matter what anyone says. When they look like Seth Green and then a few years later, looks like hulk Hogan, something is fishy there.
Probably not members of Mensa.
Bold.
Those 2019 28 dingers Santana hit outta nowhere … hmmmm
I mean, even if Santana was jucing then, the baseballs being used were even more juiced.
Danny santana used the wrong bottle. Took estrogen instead with those numbers. Yikes
Clearly the language barrier and ignorance in this guys is the problem. Most of them take these without even knowing is banned and they take these for other purposes. Even sex pills.
Cleary that’s an excuse. God forbid people actually take personal responsibility for what they put into their bodies.
I agree. Believe me they know what they’re taking. They do this on purpose and hope to get away with it. If they can get a big season in their walk year they never have to give back any $$
I’m not so sure. Certainly not defending them but it’s why you don’t order certain items online without thoroughly vetting the seller. Anyone ever but counterfeit Gillette blades on eBay or Amazon and nearly rip their face off?
These guys have agents… or bad ones. The problem is the reward far outweighs the risks of getting caught. I was hoping the new CBA would include stiffer PED penalties but alas.
CBA and JDA are separate issues. The JDA is normally revised each Dec. but the lockout interfered.
Speaking of language barriers, i had to read the post 3 times to get it straight
Why would they be taking ANY pills that they don’t know EXACTLY what is in it? Why take anything else not prescribed by a doctor? There’s no excuse. The pill popping is unnecessary and probably a cover story anyway.
You have to realize that it’s possible to find a doctor willing to prescribe you literally anything if you pay enough for it, right? PED’s in baseball is almost no different than high schoolers getting smarter, more diligent kids to do their homework or write papers for them. It will always happen because there will always be incentive to do so. Getting caught is a risk for sure but the reward can be well worth it.
Guys from the DR doing PED’s? I’m
Shocked.
Tainting the legacies of Manny, Papi, Cano, and a host of others.
Papi? Where’s the proof?,,,tongue in cheek here as most know how I feel about the HOF, records and PED use.
So where IS the proof?
Papi knows. Ask him.
As opposed to all the Americans who have got caught with PEDs you ignorant trash bag
Anyone have a list of say last fifty ped suspensions?
Interesting to see nationalities.
Keeping in mind surnames not necessarily indication of nationality. Plenty of “ Rodrigues’s “ American born as example. No racism please. Just looking for a pattern.
A study done a couple years back showed a disproportionate amount of positive tests came from the DR.
It’s not racist to point to an obvious pattern and problem.
Those guys are escaping extreme poverty. I understand why they’re more likely to use.
Will only change when it’s considered fraud and there are criminal implications. No one is downplaying the situation but to allow no real punishment punishes those competing honestly.
The new cba adjusted peds and hgh testing protocols…..these guys may be the first of many who are caught. It seems likely the mlbpa is on-board with more aggressive testing, and if true, is a good thing. They need to stamp out this junk from baseball at all levels.
And those than shouldn’t swing for the fences on each pitch should learn to beat the shift. Ow wait, the league’s answer is to eliminate the shift. I’m sorry but it’s always been hard to hit. baseball and when Gossage or Lee Smith came in, great hitters adjusted with no excuses. George Brett’s playoff homer off Gossage was more impressive because if the way the game was played then. The same with the Chambliss Homer off of Littell.
My guess is they’ll force infielders to set on shifts like they used to do in the 90s, with the shortstop near but not past second and the second baseman playing back.
Santana had to hop on the juice after the season he was awful last year.
When you are on the outside with what seems to be little chance to get back in the game you will take any opportunity offered to you. It would be very hard for me to say I wouldn’t do it.
It’s why I equate it with fraud. They’re trying to get that contract they couldn’t otherwise get. Compare it to a resume of lies or just trying to pad your accomplishments. Get caught at JPMC or any other big company and you get fired.
did AA have some suspicions? would make sense in hindsight.
Maybe, but I bet it was enough to chuck Rodriguez since he stopped striking people out.
His September was shaky, as he only had four outings in 13 appearances where he didn’t give up a hit. As Sam said, he also stopped striking people out. I think the Braves just felt they had stronger options, which looks fortuitous now.
A player can test positive and not be announced while they dispute it.
So this is speculation on my side, but it’s possible that when he was told he failed is right at the time he started to falter. When the team found out they kept him out of the playoff roster and then non-tendered him.
They should have selected Danish instead.
Oh, wait a minute……
“When asked if he was guilty, Rodriguez shook his head, then pawed at the ground and neighed until his agent fed him a lump of sugar”.
One thing I wish MLB would do is allow herbal medicines to players as treatment, such as marijuana. This season will be brutal for their bodies as I saw a lot more 15+ games in a row before a day off. I think I saw one day off a month for this season. That is a huge grind on the players and coaches. This is where I believe marijuana could be useful to help players. Rather it’s to sleep or nagging pain, I think marijuana would help players quite a bit with other herbals or medicines deemed as a “drug”. A lot of healing rubs are banned under PEDs that help with aches and pains. These guys have 100x better physical stamina than I do, but their bodies breakdown just like mine. This is where I think the league needs to reevaluate their banned substances. Marijuana is slowly becoming legal from coast to coast. Might as well make it available to players for medical purposes only.
Ah good. Our resident stoner is here. Glad you could type a comment in between Twinkies and Cheetos.
I am far from a stoner. Nice of you to automatically assume such things. Glad you can’t read between the lines. What part of “medical purposes” don’t you understand? Maybe medical was too educated for you. Who knows
I have known a lot of people that used marijuana. It didn’t make them better at anything, except relaxing. Not sure that equates to recovery.
Fivepound, you’re being flippant. Because you don’t “see” the therapeutic effects of weed does t mean they aren’t there. It can help cope with pain, flexibility and other areas. In any case, it does no harm so…
Medical with THC removed us one thing but imagine either the batter or pitcher under the effects.
well, doc ellis threw a no hitter while high on lsd, so….
i don’t disagree with you, just wanted to point out it happened once (allegedly).
That is what Ellis subsequently said.
I believe him.
That was easily the best game that he ever pitched.
Late night in San Diego.My trusty transistor worked but I had to go to bed early on.
There would be virtually zero effect to a pitcher or batter if they were a regular user high on weed. The effects of weed are very minimal for regular users.
That game he was high on LSD.
Best game Doc pitched was the 6 batter outing against the Reds where he walked two and hit four of them. The two walks only happened because the batters got out of the way four times. Reds were a powerhouse at the time and he took the mound with the intention of hitting everyone to show them the Bucs aren’t scared. Big Red Machine died soon after and Bucs eventually won the 79 world series. Changed the mentality of both teams simply because Doc Ellis ain’t scared or worried about a thing.
I couldn’t agree more, PF1981
I believe MLB no longer tests for THC if a player is on the 40-man roster.
I will never understand the decision to use PEDS. They will be tested and discovered.
And we will hear the ever popular: “My trainer told me what he was giving me was allowed. I had no idea.”
They should be suspended for a season and banned from HOF consideration.
Maybe you’d understand more if you knew that they definitely don’t always get caught. Ever wonder why guys suddenly have a career year then go back to sucking or being average? Not always, but maybe sometimes there’s a nefarious reason.
I think with these 3, the HOF is safe
Well let’s see:
– Rondon had 660 thousand reasons to use them.
– Rodriguez had 2.35 million reasons to use them.
– Santana had 6.9 million reasons to use them.
It’s not at all hard to fathom why fringe players do it. If you’re not quite good enough, but can gain enough of an edge to make 3-5m bucks by doing it, I mean…
I’m not saying it’s right, but I can absolutely understand the thought process for guys like this. I couldn’t 100% say for sure that I wouldn’t be tempted to do the same if I were in that position.
What you don’t understand is that very often they are NOT discovered. Very often. Also, sometimes they get caught AFTER making their money so it’s worth it. Does that clear it up?
Thank you all for assuming I need to be enlightened. I approach the PED issue from a character perspective. It’s cheating. I’m not the best at my job but I never thought of trying to get ahead through cheating. Apparently that is lost on some folks here.
Prov-It is a moral issue with you,but that did not come out clearly in your post,other than the severity of your penalty.
To some posters,it is simply a matter of what players can get away with and why.
Values or lack thereof quite often take second stage to money issues.
Yeah, money can make people do things they wouldn’t ordinarily do, or shouldn’t do at all. Instant gratification has hijacked character.
Not for everyone,but unfortunately for many.
Because the reward outweighs the risk.
It’s telling that all 3 tested positive for the same drug. It must be well known in MLB; it appears that they were misinformed on how to properly use the masking agents in order to get a negative test result.
It’s a shame that PEDs are still so prevalent in MLB (and all sports) but if you are a marginal talent and have the chance to make millions of dollars with an increase in productivity, then I can see how these players are tempted to use them, even with such strict penalties for getting caught. All most of these guys know is baseball, so they try to hang on as long as they can since they don’t have a degree to fall back on should they be released.
It’s one of the most common steroids
Dorothy…..they test for masking agents too and a masking agent is considered a failed test
I’m surprised that only two of the three are from the DR, the juicing capital of the Western Hemisphere. You can buy steroids over the counter in the DR.
So… have there ever been any cases of a sports franchise deliberately slipping one of their players some oral steroids in their food or sports drinks in order to get out of a bad contract?
In the next day or so those players will come out and say they had no idea that they were taking a banned substance.
When a free agent is suspended a number of games, at what point does the suspension take effect? After signing a new contract? Or can they be serving it while a free agent with some way to measure how many games are being played?
Cheaters !
I was hoping that the Pirates would sign RichRod but they may have known about this in advance.Not sure how though.
If I recall correctly he,like Glasgow,really came down on MLB when the stickum rule came out mid season last year.It seems that his performance went downhill soon thereafter.
Pirates and anyone who actually watches baseball or can look up stats knew he wasn’t the same guy without his sticky. They waited to the last minute and took the best or only deal. He wasn’t coming back. They found better options for minimum wage.
Curious as to why Rodríguez was lingering in FA for so long. Guess this explains it.
Oh well…
Might as well try if you’re not getting signed otherwise.
Makes sense why the Braves non-tendered Rodriguez.
Santana was mostly terrible in Boston last season and this kind of puts his numbers in Texas in to a bad perspective.
Rondon has basically just been AAA roster fodder
How do they serve their suspensions if they’re not part of any organization?
ATL made the right call to move on from Rich Rod.
Dodged a bullet on that one. Predictable 1 or 2 pitch pitcher & he was getting hit hard at the back end of last year.
Remember, cheaters never win.
Except for the players who sign eight and nine figure deals after being caught using PED’s.
And the former players who get hired for prominent manager or broadcaster jobs despite being caught using PED’s as players.
Oh, and the teams who cheated to win actual World Series titles.
Those cheaters win. ALL the time.
Baseball might want to really take a look in the mirror.
MLB promoted the hell out of the Sosa/McGwire chase to break Maris’ record. They’re just as guilty and complicit when and if it benefits the league.
“Baseball might want to really take a look in the mirror.”
Hello Anthony Franco,
I think you meant surrendered, not “surrounded”, maybe auto correct did it.
Baseball was so much better with peds.
I agree, lol. And many of them just allow you to heal quicker anyway. Not make you better.
Severino got suspended too. The catcher. Not the pitcher.