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Well that one shouldn’t have been unexpected.
Robinson Cano was suspended for the 2021 season yesterday when he was found to have tested positive for PEDs for a second time. While many will focus on the implications for this coming offseason, one of the bigger stories will be how it affects Chase Utley and his chase for Hall of Fame immortality. This test and suspension will remove Cano from ever reaching the Hall since his own stupidity at using the enhancers will never allow his entry with the strain of writers that are now voting and those that are still to come. So, when it comes to the best second baseman of his generation, Utley should immediately take the mantle since all of Cano’s career will now be under scrutiny.
It’s great for those in Philadelphia who were already thinking about Utley’s date with immortality. Now, it should be sealed. It probably won’t be, but it should be.
On to the links.
Phillies news:
- While the Phillies may want Theo Epstein to run their baseball operations, it’s possible that what Epstein wants may exceed what the team will offer.
- Middleton really, really can’t screw this up.
MLB news:
- Obviously Cano dominated the news yesterday. There are lots of angles to cover, from how the Mets are suddenly going to be more flush with cash in 2021, how the suspension affects Cano and the Hall, and how it now sets up a war in New York for one of the premier hitters on the free agent market. If Cano were smart, he’d negotiate a buyout of his remaining contract and just fade away into the night.
- The Padres have a new control person running the show.
- The big money, world champion Dodgers are the latest team to initiate team-wide layoffs as a result of the lack of revenue in 2020.
Rumor roundup:
- One lefthander has begun to draw some interest on the trade market.
- MLBTR has a list of names that might be hitting the nontender market, including some high quality names. It’s worth noting this isn’t who is definitely getting nontendered; rather, it’s an educated guess.