Isn't Ervin from the Dominican? What kind of regulatory system do they have down there? I get that we have the FDA here but I doubt they have as rigid of a system there. Might be easier to pick up something like that down there. Not that it is an excuse, just saying.

http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/just-a-bit-outside/story/new-york-mets-jenrry-mejia-drug-suspension-dominican-republic-culture-stanozolol-041215

 

Found this gem of an article today. Totally reflects my thoughts on what could have happened to Santana also. Especiallt given some of the comments he made about being more careful when home next year.

So instead of booing him for being a liar, boo him for being an idiot.

MLB is investigating this now too, as there's a rash of tests for Stanozol, which they note is an oldschool way of cheating and easily detectable. I'd be really curious if its gotten into a supplement that players are taking or if there's a way to get a false positive. I doubt the suspensions will go away, but if Santana truly doesn't know how he took it, cooperating with that investigation might determine where it's coming from.

 

MLB is investigating this now too, as there's a rash of tests for Stanozol, which they note is an oldschool way of cheating and easily detectable. I'd be really curious if its gotten into a supplement that players are taking or if there's a way to get a false positive. I doubt the suspensions will go away, but if Santana truly doesn't know how he took it, cooperating with that investigation might determine where it's coming from.

 

My guess is the four are linked to the same guy, who sold them stanzanol and said he altered it in a way to fool the test, a la Bosch and Conte.

Three of the four are from the Dominican....

 

Last night I happened to read this piece by David Ortiz from a few weeks ago:

 

http://www.theplayerstribune.com/david-ortiz-on-the-record/

 

It gave me a little change of perspective.  I wonder what he would write now about the latest 4.  Obviously if this was something being pushed in the DR this winter, both he and Sano avoided it (or are really  ahead of the drug testers).

 

It also raises the question of whether there were tainted supplements and if so, were all batches of the supplements tainted or was it hit and miss?

I don't want to see a single Twin in DR Winter League next year. The front office should already be figuring out how to break it to the young guys.

 

Last night I happened to read this piece by David Ortiz from a few weeks ago:

 

http://www.theplayerstribune.com/david-ortiz-on-the-record/

 

It gave me a little change of perspective.  I wonder what he would write now about the latest 4.  Obviously if this was something being pushed in the DR this winter, both he and Sano avoided it (or are really  ahead of the drug testers).

 

It also raises the question of whether there were tainted supplements and if so, were all batches of the supplements tainted or was it hit and miss?

 

 

My understanding is MLB puts together a comprehensive list of every major drug out there and determines which has a banned substance in it.

 

I think you would see guys fighting these. Ervin's reaction for example was everyone else's. I didn't knowingly take it but I will serve my sentence.

Edited April 17, 201511 yr by tobi0040

 

I don't want to see a single Twin in DR Winter League next year. The front office should already be figuring out how to break it to the young guys.

As far as I can tell, the three Dominican players who recently tested positive did not play in the DR Winter League this past year.  (Although the one American who tested positive did.)

 

Playing the DR isn't the problem.  It might be getting shots or supplements while in the DR that is the problem.  And it's probably a very stupid thing to do, especially if you already have guaranteed multimillion dollar contracts for the upcoming season like Mejia and Santana did.  Or even if you are on a 40-man roster at all, presumably the team employing you at that point is willing to invest in whatever legal shots and supplements you want, at that point.

 

If there isn't already, every MLB org should probably tell all of their players (majors and minors) to not take a shot or supplement that doesn't come from the team (and any exceptions should be cleared by the team).  Unless, of course, teams are willing to look the other way while their guys take offseason/offshore PED risks...