When the New York Mets kick off their spring workouts next week, one of the big absentees at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, Florida, will be Dominican Robinson Cannon.
The middleman, eight times All-Star 38-year-old, will be out of action all summer 2021, serving a second suspension for violating the Major League anti-doping program. And outside, it really means outside.
“Canon can’t play in Major Leagues, but neither can he play in the minor leagues or in an Asian or Mexican league or in an independent league. Basically, he can only do so in his country’s winter league,” he told ESPN Digital a source close to the Major League Players Association (MLBPA).
“In general, we allow players who are suspended under the drug program to be in the stadium for training purposes if the club and the player so desire,” added Michael Teevan, vice president of communications for the drug office. Commissioner (MLB).
“The player cannot be on the field once the doors are opened to the public. He cannot wear a uniform at the time of the game. We allow the players to continue exercising in the club facilities, training and perfecting the his game during a suspension, “the spokesman added.
On November 18, Commissioner Rob Manfred reported that Canon was suspended for the second time in his career for testing positive for stanozolol, an anabolic steroid. Cannon had already been sanctioned with an 80-game suspension in May 2018, when he played with the Seattle Mariners, after testing positive for furosemide, a diuretic that some athletes use to cover up the consumption of other substances.
A second positive result automatically takes the player off the field for 162 games, the equivalent of a full major league season. That said, Canon will not receive a single penny from the $ 24 million salary for 2021 set out in the 10-year, $ 240 million contract it signed with the Mariners in December 2013.
The Mets will still have to pay $ 48 million for the last two seasons (2022 and 2023) of the deal they inherited when they acquired Canon from Seattle in December 2018.
Canón reported to the Eastern Stars of the Dominican League of Professional Baseball (Lidom) for the final encounter of the winter season and later it accompanied, as reinforcement, to the champions Eagles Cibaeñas in the Series of the Caribbean that was played in Mazatlán, Mexico, last week.
The Eagles won their seven matches in Mexico to take the Dominican Republic to the second consecutive Caribbean title and the number 21 of all time.
Canón, who beat 20-7 and was chosen in the ideal team of the series, was among the members of the champion set invited to the national palace by President Luis Abinader.
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Dominican players recognized the work of Yadier Molina.
“Spending it as a family, dedicating myself to my kids and continuing to physically prepare for the upcoming winter league and the big leagues season,” Canon said Wednesday on the radio show Great in Sports (92.5 FM) on how he plans to wear all the time he will have available before putting on a Major League uniform again.
“I’ve been approached by a lot of people, but it’s not something I’ve taken into account. I’ll think about it later,” Canon said of the possibility of trying to play somewhere to stay fit.
The MLB and MLBPA Joint Drug Program, which was revised in 2014, states that a first violation will result in an unpaid suspension of 80 games. A player’s second infraction will result in an unpaid suspension of 162 games and the third in a permanent baseball suspension.
Any player who is suspended for violating the anti-doping program will not be eligible to participate in the postseason during the season in which his suspension begins. He is also not eligible to attend the All-Star Game.
Point 3 of the suspensions chapter of the Major League anti-doping policy reads:
“A player suspended for a violation will be allowed to participate in spring training and extended training. However, any player who is not eligible for reinstatement of his suspension within the first forty (40) games of next season (which is the case for Canon), he will be banned from participating in any major league or minor league spring training game in which tickets are sold. “
On the other hand, the MLB and the MLBPA had to negotiate an amendment to the system due to the case of the Dominican-American antecedent Alex Rodríguez, 1 former Canon teammate with the New York Yankees. Rodriguez argued (and won) in court that the Yankees had to pay him part of his 2014 salary ($ 25 million, originally), even though he was suspended for 162 games of the season.
“A-Rod” managed to collect about $ 6 million (a $ 3 million bond that was scheduled for January, three months before the opening day, and $ 2.9 million of the regular salary) due of the discrepancy between the games (162) and the days (183) comprising a season. Major league players are paid their salaries for days of the season, not for the games of their teams.
All of this was clarified and since then, a player suspended for the entire season has to give up his entire salary for the year. He must also be off the field for the set time.
And that’s what Canon will have to do, at least, until his country’s next winter season league. “That’s what I’m planning. I’ll be with the Stars early and hopefully we can win the championship,” he pointed out.