Cano’s PED Results Suspension
On Wednesday, the Major Baseball League posed suspension on New York Mets second baseman Robinson Cano due to receiving his second positive test results for a performance-enhancing substance use or PED. According to official reports, Cano’s deferral would last for the entirety of the 2021 baseball season, adding up to the Met’s intriguing offseason scandals and damaging his Hall of Fame candidacy.
The Major Baseball League’s official statement mentioned that 38-year-old Cano got tested positive for using stanozolol, a type of steroid drug. According to MLB, it will withdraw Cano’s entire 2021 salary approximating over $24 million. The previously mentioned news of his second positive drug test results indicates that this is not his first violation. In 2018, Cano got suspended for using a prohibited diuretic, leading him to sit out from at least 80 games of that year’s season. Cano’s contract with the Mets team is valid until 2023.
In his official statement, Mets President Sandy Alderson expressed his disappointment regarding Cano’s suspension. According to him, the Mets fully understand MLB’s duty to ban the use of performance-enhancing drugs when performing baseball matches. Additionally, Alderson also pointed out that Cano’s deferment is an unfortunate event for him, the sport, his fans, and the association.
Cano’s 2018 PED Suspension
Following his first drug deferral, Cano came from the Seattle Mariners and got eventually acquired by the Mets during the 2018 blockbuster tradeoff. The exchange happened successfully due to Cano’s and former-Mets General Manager Brodie Van Wagenen’s strong relations. Additionally, Brodie acted as Cano’s agent during his first years as a baseball player before ultimately attaining the Mets’ general manager’s role. Pitcher Justin Dunn and center fielder Jarred Kelenic also got traded off to the Mariners’ ranks during the Cano deal. According to fans, the two previously mentioned baseball players are candidates for the sport’s future MVPs.
Furthermore, many people hope for Cano to remain a productive hitter in the league despite the multiple controversies he had within his baseball career. He attempts to finish his 10-year contract with the Mariners that is worth approximately $240 million. Cano signed the Mariners deal in 2013 and would expect its expiry by 2023. Despite the pandemic canceling out the rest of this year’s baseball season, Cano still managed to give his excellent efforts in the games he played as Mets’ second baseman. As a two-time Gold Glove Winner and eight-time all-star, Cano’s stats in his previous plays got ranked as one of his career-best games in a season.
However, Cano’s 2018 suspension brought a stain to his Hall of Fame nomination. He is arguably and supposedly his generation’s best second baseman due to his impressive stats of 2,624 hits, 334 homers, and a .303 career batting average by the end of 2020. Furthermore, his four top-five finishes in MVP voting and 2009 World Series ring with the New York Yankees display his worth for the candidacy. His first positive PED results caused electorates to hesitate to pick him in the official MVP poll, and his suspension would most likely get him kicked out from Cooperstown.
The Mets’ Future Plans for the Winter Games
Meanwhile, the Mets have a surprising payroll to use in the winter games, amounting to at least $20 million in total. With Steve Cohen’s, the team’s new owner, readiness to spend lots of money for them, the Mets would become one of the most anticipated baseball groups in the nearing winter games. Since the team still has 2019 all-star Jeff McNeil to play for them, they won’t need to replace Cano anytime soon. However, finding another suitable second baseman would prove difficult. With only Kolten Wong, Tommy La Stella, D.J. LeMahieu, and Jonathan Schoop as the available players, candidates for the second position is scarce.
Stanozolol’s History in the Baseball Industry
In 2005, infamous baseball player Rafael Palmeiro got suspended for the use of the Stanozolol drug. The previously mentioned fact proves that PEDs already established its long history among baseball contestants in the entirety of the sport’s industry.
