San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano has been permanently banned from Major League Baseball (MLB) for placing bets on baseball games, including his own team, the Pittsburgh Pirates. Announced on Tuesday, the league stated that Marcano placed 387 bets across two periods in 2022 and 2023, with 231 bets involving MLB teams. However, it was his 25 bets on the Pirates that led to the lifetime ban.
MLB’s Strict Betting Policies and Rule Violations
MLB’s Rule 21 allows players to place bets legally on other sports, but betting on MLB games brings serious consequences. If a player bets on an MLB game, excluding their own team, they receive a one-year suspension. Betting on one’s own team, as Marcano did, triggers a lifetime ban.
In Marcano’s case, the total bets exceeded $150,000, with $87,319 specifically on MLB games. His betting luck was remarkably poor, winning only 4.3% of his MLB-related wagers.
The league clarified that Marcano did not place bets on any games in which he played. Most of his bets were made after he sustained an ACL injury on July 24, 2023, and has not played since. There is no evidence that Marcano’s bets impacted the integrity of any MLB games.
Additional Suspensions for Betting Violations
Four other players received one-year suspensions for betting on MLB games:
- Michael Kelly, pitcher for the Oakland A’s
- Jay Groome, minor league pitcher for the San Diego Padres
- José Rodríguez, minor league infielder for the Philadelphia Phillies
- Andrew Saalfrank, minor league pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks
Of these players, only Kelly was on a major league team when the violations occurred. The other three placed bets while in minor league organizations. Although they bet on games involving their organizations’ major league clubs, they were not on the big-league roster at the time, so their violations did not result in a lifetime ban.
Betting Amounts and Outcomes
The suspended players wagered relatively small amounts compared to Marcano’s. Rodríguez’s wagers totaled $749.09, mostly on MLB games, while Kelly risked his $750,000 salary on less than $100 in bets. Groome’s luck was similar to Marcano’s; his MLB-related bets totaled $453.74, with a net loss of $433.54 after winning only two out of 32 bets.
Conclusion: A Clear Message from MLB
MLB’s decision to ban Marcano for life underscores the league’s strict stance on gambling, especially when players bet on their own teams. For players, even small bets can result in significant consequences, as seen in the suspensions of Kelly, Groome, Rodríguez, and Saalfrank. This incident serves as a cautionary tale for players and highlights MLB’s commitment to maintaining the sport’s integrity.
