Locked On Mariners - Daily Podcast On the Seattle Mariners - Robinson Canó: PED Posterboy

Episode Date: November 22, 2020

Robinson Canó has failed his second PED test. D.C. talks about this, cheating in Major League Baseball at large, and the impact this suspension will have on the New York Mets. He also lists the more prominent Major League Baseball players who have previously tested positive for performance enhancing drugs, as a reminder that what you see on the field isn't always legitimate, and that there are still plenty of known cheaters in the game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to Locked-on Mariners, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. Here's your host, D.C. Lundberg. You know, one of these days, it's all going to come together, and I'll be able to actually publish this show on time for an entire week. I don't know when that's going to me, but it sure is frustrating. Anyways, ladies and gentlemen, I am still D.C. Lundberg, and this still is Locked-on Mariner's, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network. Please remember to download rate and subscribe to this program using whichever podcasting app that you personally care to use.

Ask your smart device to play Locked-on Mariners podcast or any program here on the Locked-on Podcast Network or T-L-O-O-P-N-Lop-N-N-R-N-R-G or Tlopin. Follow us on Twitter at L-O-U-N-S-R-G and follow me on Twitter at D-C-U-N-E-R-G if you're scoring in home. Today we're going to take a break talking about Prominent World Series of the past. to get back to that maybe on the next show or maybe the show after that. Not exactly sure at this time, but there is some pretty large baseball news that has something of a Mariners connection, which I would probably be talking about even if it did not have a mariner's connection, because it hits on a topic that is a real pet peeve of mine, cheating. And this involves former Mariners' second baseman Robinson Canoe.

To the surprise of no one with an IQ above room temperature, Robinson Canoe has tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs for the second time. This news broke last Wednesday, and I'm sure that you've heard it by now. He was busted for Stanazolo, which is indeed a performance-enhancing drug, last time he was caught with a masking agent. Kanoe will miss the entire 2021 season and will also forfeit his entire pay for the season. That's $24 million worth for 2021. He is still due $48 million for 2022 and $202.

and the Mariners are responsible for about $8 million of that total. They are not responsible for the money that they owe him this year, which I believe is just shy of $4 million. Met's president Sandy Alderson said, quote, We were extremely disappointed to be informed about Robinson's suspension for violating Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. The violation is very unfortunate for him. the organization, our fans, and the sport. The Mets fully support MLB's efforts towards eliminating performance-enhancing substances from the game.

That statement, of course, is bull-h-h-hick because the Mets acquired Robinson Canoe mere months after his first positive test. This is what I don't understand. Actually, I do understand it. This, oh, we want to get steroids out of the game. We want to get PEDs out of the game. We can't stand for this.

It's all optics and it's all crap. If these teams were actually honest about it, then players who have been busted would not continue to gain lucrative contracts after they have been busted. After the biogenesis scandal of 2013, the very next offseason, Johnny Peralta, who was suspended 50 games for that, signed a lucrative contract with the St. Louis Cardinals. Nelson Cruz was also busted as part of that biogenesis scandal. He signed as a free agent with Baltimore and then went on to a huge contract. contract with the Seattle Mariners. Evereth Cabrera was a part of that biogenesis scandal as well. He, Peralta, and Cruz were all 2013 all-stars.

Francisco Cervelli was in the minor leagues at the time of the scandal. He was suspended, and then he went on to a career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hesus Montero, who was in the Mariners system at the time, was also busted for that scandal, although the Mariners had other reasons not to like Montero, and he wound up fizzling. Any team that acquires somebody who's been tainted with PEDs have absolutely no right to say when one of their players is suspended, well, we really want to get PEDs out of the game because it is absolute crap. If you really cared about getting PEDs out of the game, then you would not go acquire players who have been previously busted. I just named a whole ton of examples. The Mariners acquired D. Gordon one year or two, I forget exactly how many, after he tested positive and failed a P.E.

E-D test and had been suspended 80 games. Nelson Cruz, another example just from the Mariners. The Brewers have no right to say this because of Ryan Broad. The Cardinals have no right to say this because of Johnny Peralta. The twins have no right to say this. One of their better players, Jorge Polanco, was busted at the beginning of the 2018 season, and he wound up making the All-Star team the next year. The list goes on and on and on.

No one cares about this, ladies and gentlemen. the most blatant example I can think of is a man named Henry Mejia. Who is Henry Mejia, you may ask? Well, I will educate you. He was named the Metcloser in 2014, and he failed his first PED test on April 11, 2015, testing positive for Stanozolol. Failed test number one. July 28th of that same year, he tested positive for Stanoz and Boldenone.

two performance-enhancing drugs. So that cost him the next 162 games. However, on February 16th, 2016, he tested positive for Bold Anone again. So that is his third failed PED test in the span of about 10 months. And the penalty for a third failed PED test is lifetime suspension, basically banishment from Major League Baseball. However, you are allowed to. apply for reinstatement after a year, which he obviously did because what the hell else is he going to do? And Commissioner Manfred accepted his reinstatement in July 2018. He went on to sign a

minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox and spent most of the 2019 season at AAA Pawtucket. This is the prime example, ladies and gentlemen. Major League Baseball does not give a damn about performance enhancing drugs. Anything that gets asses into the seats is okay in the eyes of Major League Baseball teams, even if it is dishonest and unethical. And it drives me up the wall. If you go to a Major League Baseball game these days, you are not getting an honest product. It's like buying something on Amazon, something expensive and name brand on Amazon, and then being delivered a cheap knockoff and not being allowed to return it. That is what Major League Baseball is these days, and it will continue to be like that

until teams actually get serious about ostracizing cheaters. If you haven't noticed, ladies and gentlemen, I have absolutely no use for anybody who cheats at anything. They're cheating at a game which in the grand scheme of things is not important. But it speaks to an underlying selfishness and disregard for

everyone else, and that I am not okay with. Remember, gang, these people are supposed to be role models. I cannot think of many more groups of people who are worse role models than professional athletes are these days. We're going to take a break at this time. We're going to talk about the impact for the Mets of this cano suspension in the second half.

And also in the second half, I'm going to do a little name them and shame them. And we're going to talk about some Major League Baseball players, some more prominent Major League Baseball players, who have been busted for performance-enhancing drugs, just as a reminder for you guys. But first, this word to completely switch gears. This word from Belkbar. And it's time to play my favorite game, Guess the Language, where we present today's advertisement

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order of the best protein bars ever to hit the face of the earth. Think I oversold that? Maybe it's a tad. If you got a question or comment, send it on over to Lockdown Meriters at gmail.com, and I will consider using it and read it on the air and reply to it in a future mailbag episode, hopefully doing one next week. Jason Hernandez was busy this weekend and last and could not record an episode. I'm still waiting for him because there's one email that I'd like him to reply to on the air. So if you want him and or me to reply to any questions or comments that do not even have to be about baseball, send them to Locked On Mariners at gmail.com.

More Locked on Mariners following the following. Now back to Locked on Mariners and your host, D.C. Lundberg. Thank you very much, Joey Martin. we are back here on Locked-on Mariners talking about Robinson Cano's latest PED suspension, which was announced Wednesday. I'm sure you've heard about that already.

It is now Saturday. It is November 21st. And we're going to talk a little bit about the impact this is going to have on the Mets, which does not affect the Mariners too much. Pardon me. And later on, a little reminder of those Major League baseball players who have tested positive

for PEDs in the past that you may not remember. Yes, gang, I am absolutely of the name them and shame them school. Once a cheater, always a cheater. And we can use a reminder of the cheaters who are still in Major League Baseball. First, let's talk about the Canoe suspension and the impact that it will have on the Mets. This is from an article on MLB.com published three days ago on November 18th by Anthony Tacomo. And he posits that this might actually improve the Mets defensively, but it does leave kind of a hole in the middle of their lineup,

but at which position it's not going to be clear. They have Jeff McNeil, who was their left field or last season, he came up through the ranks as a second baseman, so he can go back to second base, his natural position, and his bat would play way above average at second base. In 248 career games, he has a slash line of 319, 383, 501. Last year, the abbreviated season, slash line of 311, 383, 454 in 52 games played. He was an all-star in 2019.

He slashed 318, 384, 531, 231, 23 home runs, 38 doubles, 75 runs driven in. And defensively at second base, he is kind of on the average side. His range is a little below average, and his glove plays average to slightly above. So in addition to that great offense you would have from the second base position, you would really not be losing that much defensively. Brandon Nimmo had been their center fielder. He'll slide over to left field to where he's more suited. And then with a $20 or so million that they do not have to pay Canoe this season,

they can go out and get a free agent to play center field. George Springer and Jackie Bradley Jr. are the best options in the free agent pool at this time, according to this article. And I'm going to quote the next paragraph. Quote, The Mets could also use Andres Jimenez full time at second base, keeping their current outfield alignment of McNeil, Nimmo,

and Michael Conforto intact. They could acquire a free agent such as DJ LaMayhew to fill their role at second base, or they could move McNeil to second base and sign a corner outfieler such as Marcel Ozuna to fill that role. Without Cano's money on the second base, the books. The Mets can spend up to

$20 million more this winter without worrying about the luxury tax threshold. End quote. So it might not be, this is going to sound odd. This might not be the worst thing that actually happened to the Mets. It is obviously not the worst thing that's happened to Jeff McNeil. If he slides back to second base, has a monster season, and then that makes

Kano redundant, and then the Mets would try to dump him in the off season. But I would be hard-pressed to think that they would find a suitor for somebody who has failed two PED tests who was owed that much money. You know, but I've been surprised before, ladies and gentlemen, so I wouldn't be that surprised, you know, if somebody takes that on who was really desperate for a second basement. I'm going to quote the article once again, quote, no matter what the Mets choose,

Knoe's long-term future is unclear. He remains under contract through 2023. at significant money. It is unknown if the Mets will welcome back Kanoe following multiple violations of MLB's drug policy or if they will move on despite their long-term financial commitment to him. End quote. It'll certainly be interesting to see what the Mets have in mind for Kanoe going forward. And I also have to guess that any thoughts that he had of making the Hall of Fame

are now completely toast, as if they were not already gone after the first test, but there's absolutely no chance I would think now of him going into the Hall of Fame. And now, gang, a reminder of the more prominent players out there who have at one time tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. I'm going to start for the most recent and then work my way backwards. Tim Beckham, we all remember. Tested positive for Stanazolol, August 6th, 2019. While with the Meriters, he remained unsigned for the entirety of the 2020 season, but he signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox a few weeks ago, so you can add them to the list of teams who condone cheating. Frankie Montau's of the Oakland A's, one of their starting pitchers,

was suspended last season for testing positive for Osterine on June 21st. Jorge Polanco, we mentioned, tested positive for Stanazola at the beginning of the 2018 season and then made the All-Star team the next year. Another All-Star, Starling Marte, now with the Diamondbacks, tested positive for Nandrolone in 2017. April of 2017, well with the Pirates. We mentioned D. Gordon. Irvin Santana, April 3rd, 2015, tested positive for Stanazolo. Ryan Braun has two positive tests.

He had the first suspension overturned, ladies and gentlemen, and then tested positive again. Yasmani Grandal, back in his Padres days, tested positive for testosterone on November 11, 2012. Bartolo Colon tested positive for testosterone. August 22nd, 2012. Melke Cabrera tested positive for testosterone, August 15th, 2012. Just a few weeks after being named the All-Star MVP, ladies and gentlemen. Freddie Galvis has tested positive for Clostobol on June 19th, 2012. Edison Volquez has a positive test, April 20th, 2010, and the drug that he was found in

the system was not announced. and then there's Michael Paneda and Adelberto Mondesi, both of whom had extenuating circumstances and had their suspensions reduced. Paneda first, he tested positive for hydrochlorothiazide last September 7th, 2019. He claimed it was for medical reasons and that he failed to get a waiver, and he had his suspension reduced from 80 to 60 games. Ladies and gentlemen, I do buy this argument.

I take hydrochlorothiazide myself for high blood pressure, and it's not so much that he was trying to cheat. Hydrochlorothiazide is used as a masking agent to mask other performance-enhancing drugs that may be in your system, but I totally buy that this could have been for medical reasons, and then he failed to get a waiver. So it's not cheating that got him suspended. It's really, when it comes down to it, idiocy. He should have followed protocol and applied for a waiver, which he probably would have gotten.

Remember, David Sigi was taking human growth hormone, but he's, had a medical waiver for that from Major League Baseball, as it was part of his rehab program, I believe, for his elbow. At Alberto Mondesie, failed a test that was announced on May 10, 2016, for Clenbuterol. This was found to be part of a cold medication that he purchased in the Dominican Republic, and he had his suspension reduced from 80 games to 50 games. But the fact remains, you have got to know what you're putting in your body, and you have got to know that any substance you may be taking, you've got to check that against Major League Baseball's banned substance list. And if you have the even slightest idea that you may be wanting to take

something that might be on that list, consult Major League Baseball, consult with your doctors, and get a medical waiver. It's been done before, ladies and gentlemen. These two extenuating circumstances I do separate from the previous list that I went over of people who were genuinely trying to cheat. I do separate these two from the others. That's going to do it for this one, gang. We're going to be back either later on tonight or maybe tomorrow. I'm not exactly sure

at this time. Joining me on that episode, however, will be Elroy Jetson, Dr. Teeth, and a can of air freshener. Please remember to download, rate, and subscribe to this program using any podcasting yet that may happen to spring the mind. Follow us on Twitter at L.O. underscore Mariners,

and follow me on Twitter at D.C. underscore Lundberg. Thank you for listening, ladies and I hope you'll join us for the next one. This is Joey Martin speaking for Locked-on Mariners, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network.