San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano has received a permanent ban from Major League Baseball (MLB) after being found in violation of the league’s gambling policy, according to an MLB announcement on Tuesday. The sanctions against Marcano come alongside one-year suspensions for four other players, namely Oakland Athletics reliever Michael Kelly, and minor-league players Jay Groome (Padres pitcher), José Rodríguez (Philadelphia Phillies infielder), and Andrew Saalfrank (Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher).
MLB has banned Tucupita Marcano permanently for betting on games involving his own team
He won just 4.3% of the 231 MLB-related bets he placed pic.twitter.com/dyhlad0gV8
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 4, 2024
MLB’s decision was based on data from a legal sports betting operator that showed gambling activities on baseball by the aforementioned players. MLB rules permit sports gambling as long as it is legal in the player’s jurisdiction and does not involve betting on baseball or softball. The players breached the latter condition by betting on baseball, which led to their suspensions.
The players involved have chosen not to appeal their suspensions. In a statement, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred emphasized the importance of these rules: “The strict enforcement of Major League Baseball’s rules and policies governing gambling conduct is a critical component of upholding our most important priority: protecting the integrity of our games for the fans.” He further highlighted the century-old principle against betting within the sport and noted MLB’s efforts to strengthen its integrity measures through partnerships with licensed sports betting operators and ongoing educational initiatives.
Tucupita Marcano vs David Fletcher in the Mexican League pic.twitter.com/Y3VONConkt
— SpOrts Expert (@VenomThugchado) June 3, 2024
In light of Marcano’s actions, the Pirates expressed their disappointment but voiced support for MLB’s decision, reiterating the commitment across the league to uphold stringent gambling policies. They confirmed that the investigation found no evidence of compromised, influenced, or manipulated games in this case, yet stressed that maintaining the integrity of the sport remains paramount.
Tucupita Marcano, 24, originally joined MLB in 2016 as an amateur free agent from Venezuela, signed by the Padres. He was traded to the Pirates in 2021 and returned to the Padres on waivers in November of the same year. Marcano’s playing career has been on hold since last July due to an ACL injury.
“This is the one non-negotiable we have in our sport.”
Here is what Derek Shelton had to say this afternoon on Tucupita Marcano receiving a lifetime ban from MLB: pic.twitter.com/tN6Gi1OK27
— Noah Hiles (@_NoahHiles) June 4, 2024
Investigations revealed that Marcano bet extensively on baseball, reportedly placing bets totaling over $150,000 on nearly 400 baseball games, including MLB and international matches. Disturbingly, he bet on games involving his own team at the time, the Pirates, though he did not participate in those games due to his injury. Marcano has denied possessing insider information that influenced his bets, and records show that he only won a small fraction of these bets.
The other suspended players — Kelly, Groome, Rodríguez, and Saalfrank — were also found to have bet on MLB games, though not on games in which they personally participated. They did place bets on games involving teams within their own organizations while they were playing in the minor leagues, albeit not as frequently as Marcano did. This situation underscores the ongoing challenges and complexities faced by MLB in regulating and monitoring betting activities among its players.
Major Points
- San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano has been permanently banned from Major League Baseball for violating the league’s gambling policy.
- Four other players received one-year suspensions: Michael Kelly, Jay Groome, José Rodríguez, and Andrew Saalfrank, for betting on baseball games.
- The MLB enforced these measures following data from a legal sports betting operator showing the players’ gambling activities.
- MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred emphasized the importance of upholding the integrity of the sport and mentioned ongoing efforts to strengthen MLB’s integrity through education and partnerships with betting operators.
- The Pirates expressed disappointment over Marcano’s actions but supported MLB’s decision, stating that the investigation found no games were compromised.
Charles William III – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News
