Espn reports Selig now unhappy with PED penalties. Wants to imediately increase penalties.

[Gurgi]

Just saw this on Mike and Mike. Selig wants stricter penalties and wants them now.

I am all for it. I am for a one time and lose a whole season. Twice and lifetime ban. Something has to get these guys attention.

[raveoned]

I saw the "ramping up" to this on TV over the weekend, where Selig was quoted as recognizing how he doesn't like how PEDs have been making inroads to the sport, pretty much.

While I agree that penalties have to be tougher, they should have been tougher from the beginning and Selig as a former owner was part of the problem to begin with, allowing it to go for as long as it did without being checked and/or penalized.

[CT203]

I am glad Selig is wanting to make the penalties more strict.

I hope they create a clause that allows teams to void contracts if a player is found to be using. I highly doubt the players unions would allow something like that though.

1st offense= season ban

2nd offense= lifetime ban

[Olson30]

I am glad Selig is wanting to make the penalties more strict.

I hope they create a clause that allows teams to void contracts if a player is found to be using. I highly doubt the players unions would allow something like that though.

1st offense= season ban

2nd offense= lifetime ban

I totally agree

[TGO]

The drug testing program is part of the labor contract, but I take it the penalties are not and are set separately? The labor contract doesn't end until Dec. 31, 2016, so if the penalties were set there, Selig would have no leverage to get the union to agree to anything until that point. But I saw that the MLBPA head said they would discuss penalties for the 2014 season, so maybe it's a separate issue.

[DrungoHazewood]

I don't know what the optimal punishment for PED use is. But I do know that, at some point, maybe some point we haven't gotten to yet, the punishment becomes more ridiculous than the crime. If you go so far as to, say, give people lifetime bans for first offenses you've opened the door to depriving people of their occupation they've trained their whole life for, for either an innocent mistake or a false positive. You've also removed the possibility of redemption.

Even a lifetime ban for a 2nd offense. You're telling someone that they screw up twice at the ages of 18 and 19, they can never, ever play again in a MLB-affiliated league, even if they stay clean the rest of their lives. And I'm not seeing any differentiation between "banned substances". In theory, an 18-year-old who's busted for pot, then a year later has traces of greenies in his system... he's done. Forever. For something hundreds, if not thousands, of players did in the 60s and 70s.

At the very least I think there has to be an eventual path back for all but the most egregious offenders. Sure, if you're Steve Howe and you fail 23 drug tests when they're not really even testing very hard, yea, you're done. But most kids should have a way to redeem themselves.

[weams]

I am glad Selig is wanting to make the penalties more strict.

I hope they create a clause that allows teams to void contracts if a player is found to be using. I highly doubt the players unions would allow something like that though.

1st offense= season ban

2nd offense= lifetime ban

I want the teams to be on the hook for the contract. Even on alifetime ban. Equity.

[DrungoHazewood]

I want the teams to be on the hook for the contract. Even on alifetime ban. Equity.

Somehow you have to disincentivize both use and benefitting from that use. You could terminate a contract for a failed test, but make the team pay 75%? 100%? of the remainder of the deal into a pot for common distribution among all teams that didn't have a failed PED test in the prior season.

So let's say Brandon Fahey is busted for 'riods, and is in the middle of a 5/50 deal. The O's would still be on the hook for the $25M remaining, Fahey doesn't get another dime, and the O's have to pay into the common PED pool for distribution to all of the clean teams.

[TGO]

I want the teams to be on the hook for the contract. Even on alifetime ban. Equity.

I get that this would incentivize teams to discourage PED use, but I don't think it will work. What if you have a guy who doesn't feel like playing baseball anymore but has $100 million left on his contract? He can get caught cheating, be banned for life, and still collect his money? How is that fair to the team?

[Crazysilver03]

I want the teams to be on the hook for the contract. Even on alifetime ban. Equity.

Why should the team be liable for something they can't really control?

I am fine with the way things are, or maybe reduce the pay some more for the players caught.

Most people are fans of teams. How would you feel if Adam Jones and Nick Markakis got busted for PEDs, were suspended, the Orioles had to pay all of their money, but they go from a playoff contender to last place because they can't pay players to replace Jones and Markakis. You are setting up to screw fans, especially season ticket holders depending on the situation.

[raveoned]

I get that this would incentivize teams to discourage PED use, but I don't think it will work. What if you have a guy who doesn't feel like playing baseball anymore but has $100 million left on his contract? He can get caught cheating, be banned for life, and still collect his money? How is that fair to the team?

That's the other side to this that has to be factored in, and probably would be considered: sure it can be a season or lifetime ban, but does the player still get paid?

If you combine the ban with the salary (season ban with no pay), then you're really hitting hard and then maybe players will listen.

[AZRon]

I am glad Selig is wanting to make the penalties more strict.

I hope they create a clause that allows teams to void contracts if a player is found to be using. I highly doubt the players unions would allow something like that though.

1st offense= season ban

2nd offense= lifetime ban

I want the teams to be on the hook for the contract. Even on alifetime ban. Equity.

I am with "weams" on this

I wouldn't trust the owners to behave ethically if they were not at risk should one of their contracted players be suspended or banned

Owners should not be incentivised to obtain positive drug test results on highly paid but poorly performing contracted players

[Gurgi]

That's the other side to this that has to be factored in, and probably would be considered: sure it can be a season or lifetime ban, but does the player still get paid?

If you combine the ban with the salary (season ban with no pay), then you're really hitting hard and then maybe players will listen.

Why not take any contracts that are voided and spread it out to all the players on AAA rosters?

Or give them to the clean major leaguers that are earning less than a million?

[luismatos4prez]

Why not take any contracts that are voided and spread it out to all the players on AAA rosters?

Or give them to the clean major leaguers that are earning less than a million?

Why not give it to charity?

[SeaBird]

I am glad Selig is wanting to make the penalties more strict.

I hope they create a clause that allows teams to void contracts if a player is found to be using. I highly doubt the players unions would allow something like that though.

1st offense= season ban

2nd offense= lifetime ban

Screw the union and what they will/won't allow. If I tested positive for illegal or banned substances on my job, my employer wouldn't have a second thought about terminating my employment and escorting me to the parking lot.