Much of Major League Baseball was stunned on Friday as it was announced that San Diego Padres star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. would be suspended for 80 games for violating the league’s PED policy.
Fernando Tatís Jr. released a statement regarding his 80 game suspension for violating MLB’s PED policy.
Tatís says a medication he used to treat ringworm contained the banned substance Clostebol. pic.twitter.com/ixkvFvKApX
— Sporting News MLB (@sn_mlb) August 12, 2022
The suspension comes after Tatis has missed all of 2022 due to a wrist injury suffered from riding his motorcycle.
Now, it will have been nearly two years since he has played a game.
This is disappointing for the Padres after he signed a massive contract extension last winter.
The deal was for 14 years, $340 million, inking the young shortstop through 2035.
However, his actions have led some to be wary of the contract.
Looking at it now, was the deal a mistake?
Here are three reasons it very well might be.
3. Complacency With Long Term Deal
While it was great for the Padres to lock Tatis up for so many years, there may be unintended consequences.
There is a chance it could lead to some complacency from their star.
Tatis is, without a doubt, worth that money when healthy and on the field.
Your daily @tatis_jr homer. pic.twitter.com/U3AFHfl63d
— MLB (@MLB) August 20, 2020
However, now that he has gotten his payday, there isn’t that driving factor to push him out there.
He has the money and now the sole motivator will have to be himself.
While some players are able to handle that, Tatis has so far shown that he might not be able to.
If he can turn that around, it will make the contract much better.
For now though, it looks like such a long and lucrative deal might have been for the worse.
2. Tatis And Immature Mistakes
While Tatis is just 23 years old, and it should be expected he’ll make mistakes, this past year has been really bad.
This is especially true considering he just signed such a huge extension.
First, Tatis violated team rules by riding his motorcycle this offseason.
Not only that, but he crashed it, possibly more than once.
That alone is a bad sign for his maturity levels and commitment to play on the field.
Then, pair this with his use of performance enhancing drugs.
While he says it was a mistake that he made unknowingly, many have been skeptical of his story.
“[They] thought the world would mistake Clostebol, the synthetic anabolic steroid he was caught with, for Clobetasol, an over-the-counter drug used to treat skin ailments such as eczema and psoriasis. Clostebol is never prescribed for skin defects or ringworm.” #Tatis @CBS8
— Jake Garegnani (@JakeGaregnani) August 13, 2022
Tatis claimed he used it for treating a case of ringworm, but people were quick to point out that no doctor would ever prescribe it.
As such, many think he is simply caught in a bad lie.
This would be yet another example of his immaturity catching up to him, which would make a 14-year deal very long.
1. Injury Bug Bites Tatis
When Tatis is on the field, he is undoubtedly one of MLB’s best players.
He is a blend of power, speed, and fielding.
However, the biggest question mark is his health.
In 2021, though he ended up playing 130 games, shoulder issues forced him to move into the outfield.
Fernando Tatís Jr. went to the locker room after an apparent shoulder injury
Hope he’s OK 🙏
(via @BallySportsSD)pic.twitter.com/ycWuyiHPqz
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) July 31, 2021
This may be a lingering issue that he will continue having to deal with.
Pair this with his broken wrist, and Tatis already has a concerning list of injuries.
He is still very young, and these may end up not affecting anything, but it is always concerning to see a star miss time.
Now, Tatis will have been kept off an MLB field for an extended time.
How will his body respond?
If injuries keep creeping on him, the deal could prove to be a disaster for the Padres.