It’s relevant because this whole argument is about risk/reward

I agree to use/not use PEDs is about risk/reward, except that’s not what I was talking about or what you responded to me about. I responded specifically, note the blockquote, that the reason Cabrera took them is he thought they would work.

The only people who really know whether or not PEDs have an affect are the players that do them.

I must getting trolled here. Do you really think only players know whether PEDs have an affect or not?

And there seems to be a reason they STILL do them after all these suspensions and the risk of suspension hanging over them.

Yes, because if they get away with it, they can make a fortune and be set for life. Or even if they get caught, if it’s after the fact, they are still set for life but have to deal with public scrutiny.

It’s relevant because this whole argument is about risk/reward and the first-person argument about whether PEDs work or not. There is something to be said about doing something that risks suspension. The only people who really know whether or not PEDs have an affect are the players that do them. And there seems to be a reason they STILL do them after all these suspensions and the risk of suspension hanging over them.

It’s nice to vent about punishing cheaters. But Melky Cabrera did not commit murder, for cryin’ out loud. There is principle about the punishment fitting the crime. As I explained in my response to your comments above, I think that’s the case with Melky Cabrera. He lost a lot because he cheated. If he cheats again, he will lose even more. Isn’t that enough?

As for limiting the salary of someone coming off a drug suspension. no way the MLBPA would agree to that. The market has punished Melky by reducing the size of the contract he could command. Losing 50 games, plus the chance to play in the World Series, plus millions in future salary, is enough. If Melky doesn’t learn from that, then he will lose even more, until he either changes his ways, or until no MLB team will give him a job.

Just seems to me that, in Melky’s case, the system is working.

None of those things are illegal and runs the risk of suspension.

And that’s relevant how? The line i quoted said that he obviously thought they would help which is why he took them. What does [il]legality have to do with anything?

As far as putting something in a player’s contract, after looking at the CBA and MLB Drug Policy, can’t say. But then, I’m not a lawyer, don’t play one on TV, and didn’t stay at a Holiday Inn Express(tm) last night.
CBA:http://mlbplayers.mlb.com/pa/pdf/cba_english.pdf
Drug Policy: http://mlbplayers.mlb.com/pa/pdf/jda.pdf

The Uniform Player Contract refers to the Drug Policy, which includes suspensions for getting caught. I’d imagine that, if a team tried to put something more specific in a player’s contract, even if it is legal, the MLBPA would scream bloody murder, seek arbitration, etc.

None of those things are illegal and runs the risk of suspension.

With the contract the Jays gave him all he has to do is land somewhere inbetween 2009 Melky and 2011 Melky to make the contract worthwhile. Basically that means playing league average defense in LF, a slash line of .285/.335/.440 with 12-18 homers and 15 or so steals. I think its a darn good gamble on the Jays part. If he regresses he should still be able to make the contract at least a wash.

The Jays are paying him $16 million over two years. It’s certain he would have earned more if he had not been caught using.

Now, would he have been worth even this much if he hadn’t been using? Not sure, but there’s really no way to measure that. Maybe he would not have been, and hence comes out ahead in the deal.

What other options are there, short of a longer suspension? I think your point about a limited contract isn’t bad, except the player’s union will never agree to something like that.

To those of you out there who might want to know, when Melky was in KC BOTH HE and JEFF FRANCEOUR produced AMAZING NUMBERS OUT OF THE FREAKING BLUE. The difference was that Frenchy got his big contract and Melky was shipped out to S.F.

Soooo, what happened to Frenchy and his ASTRONOMICAL NUMBERS once he signed his big contract?
Yep, you guessed it. Frenchy went from being one of the best right fielders in the MLB to immediately become THE ABSOLUTE WORST RIGHT FIELDER IN ALL OF BASEBALL!!

The roids work and they do allow baseball players to get these huge contracts worth tens of millions of dollars.

All right by me because that’s the way baseball wants it.

Absolutely agree that Melky is in his “prime” years and a good coach can help with his hitting problems, should they (re)surface. And you know, all the PEDs in the world wouldn’t make me an MLB-level hitter (though I would grow a lot more hair). But Melky (and his agent and trainer) knew he was in his prime years, etc., etc., yet they still added on the chemicals.

You better get a damn fine manager there, cur. Because I’m assuming there are players on the Jays who are NOT using, and it’s gonna be a challenge in the clubhouse. I think there are probably players on every team that use, and it’s a matter of degree. But I don’t think the system is “working.” I just don’t know what the solution is, given the amount of money involved and the desire for teams to win the WS–and believe me, I KNOW what it means for a fanbase to want to win a WS!