The Major League Baseball (MLB) has taken disciplinary actions against five players from four teams for individual breaches of its betting regulations.
Notably, Tucupita Marcano, an infielder and outfielder for the San Diego Padres, received the most severe punishment—a lifetime ban from professional baseball.
Jay Groome, Marcano’s teammate on the Padres and a pitcher, also faced disciplinary measures, although MLB clarified that the infractions of all five players were unrelated.
Aside from the Padres players, the Philadelphia Phillies’ infielder José Rodríguez, Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Andrew Saalfrank, and Oakland Athletics pitcher Michael Kelly were also disciplined.
MLB Commissioner of Baseball, Robert D. Manfred, Jr., emphasized the importance of upholding the integrity of the sport by enforcing strict regulations against gambling activities involving MLB games. He stated that the prohibition against betting on MLB games has been a fundamental principle for over a century and that players must adhere to certain behavioral standards to maintain the sport’s integrity.
All five players were found to have violated MLB’s Under Major League Rule 21 on betting. While Marcano received a lifetime ban for betting on Pittsburgh Pirates games while on the team’s injury list, Groome, Rodríguez, Saalfrank, and Kelly were banned for one year.
The differences in penalties stem from MLB’s distinctions between players, umpires, and club officials who bet on games in which they are involved versus those in which they are not participating.
These bans may spark debate in the US, given the extensive partnerships between professional sports leagues, including MLB, and betting operators. Since the repeal of PASPA in 2018, various clubs and leagues have sought sponsorship deals with bookmakers to capitalize on revenue opportunities.
For instance, the MLB has partnered with BetMGM, one of the largest sportsbooks in the US, as has Marcano’s former team, the Pirates. These collaborations extend beyond marketing to include player education and sports integrity protection initiatives. The MLB revealed that the discovery of the five players’ betting activities resulted from a joint investigation with a licensed betting operator.
Manfred, Jr. underscored MLB’s commitment to maintaining integrity in the wake of legalized sports betting, emphasizing ongoing investments in integrity monitoring, educational programs, and awareness campaigns to ensure compliance with the sport’s fundamental rules.
