Robinson Cano PED Rumors: What a Possible Suspension of Yankees Star Would Mean
September 20, 2012 · Michael Moraitis · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are no strangers to the performance-enhancing drug problems in Major League Baseball. Now, second baseman Robinson Cano could be the next player in pinstripes to be linked to the controversy.
In an interview with WBZ-FM (98.5 The Sports Hub), baseball writer and analyst Peter Gammons admitted to hearing rumors about the possibility that Cano is using PEDs. The full report on Gammons‘ comments can be found on CSNNE.com.
Per the CSNNE.com report, here is what Gammons had to say on the subject:
“I heard something . . . about three weeks ago,” the veteran baseball reporter and analyst said Thursday on ‘Felger & Mazz‘ on WBZ-FM (98.5 The Sports Hub). “And, like a lot of things, I’ve . . . never gotten any confirmation.”
Gammons then went on to compare Melky Cabrera’s results to what he is hearing about Cano:
“Now, people are very careful about letting any information out . . . [But] these things do circulate. The one that did turn out to be true — but, again, I could never get confirmation [even though] I was told by about six sources for five weeks — was Melky Cabrera (of the Giants, who was suspended for PED use last month).”
Here is what Cano and his agent Scott Boras had to say, per Michael O’Keeffe and Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News:
“Not at all,” Cano told the News. “There’s no test or anything.”
Cano’s agent, Scott Boras, also told the Daily News that the rumors were baseless. He said his office had traced the allegation to a rumor that originated in the Dominican Republic, a reporter in the U.S. and a rival agent who has been saying that a prominent Latin player has been mired in baseball’s appeals process.
If there is truth to the rumors, this would be incredibly damaging news for the Yankees and their hopes of making the playoffs and winning a World Series in 2012.
Cano could see his season ended early by a 50-game suspension if he is indeed found guilty, and that would be a huge blow to the Yankees, who are clawing their way into the playoffs as we speak.
Losing Cano would be losing the team’s best hitter.
As is the case with most high-profile players caught using, a potential positive test of Cano would damage the league as a whole, too. Cano is one of the best players in Major League Baseball and is often in the MVP conversation.
A perennial All-Star, he also won a Gold Glove back in 2010 and in 2011 became the Home Run Derby champion. All of these accomplishments would mean next to nothing if Cano tests positive.
Of course, nobody hopes this is true, even if you aren’t a Yankees fan. Fans overall want to see a clean game, and whether winning or losing, they also want the playing field to be level.
We all want to believe that the Melky Cabreras of the world can have special seasons and that a relative unknown coming up like Cano can become great in the sport. However, this pair could possibly become the two most high-profile players to test positive during the 2012 season.
Not to mention, each is either a current or former Yankee.
Cano’s current contract expires at the end of next season, and there’s no doubt extension talks were imminent between the Bombers and their second baseman. Cano was expected to get a ton of money, but one must wonder if getting caught could hurt his bottom line.
Money is the least of the worries in this whole situation, but it just goes to show how far reaching an impact one positive PED test can have.
Let’s just hope this rumor stems from a bunch of haters and not an actual test result. That is also a very likely possibility to consider.
The Yankees have no shortage of people who hate them, and what better way is there to tarnish the pinstripes than to start a rumor like this about the team’s most promising player?
Either scenario seems likely at this point. Only time will tell which is actually true.
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