Well, this might put a damper on demand for his services as a FA this offseason.

Mike Cameron, the Padres' Gold Glove center fielder, was suspended for the first 25 games of next season on Wednesday after testing positive a second time for a banned stimulant.

 

Cameron, who plans to file for free agency, said he believes he took a tainted supplement.

 

"The one thing I wanted to make sure was explained is, no steroids," Cameron told AM 1090, the Padres' flagship radio station. "I never took nothing like that before in my life. That would be 50 games, and that would affect me a whole lot more."

 

Cameron issued a statement through his agent, saying doctors for the players' association helped him narrow down what triggered the positive test.

 

"After all of the analysis and testing, I can only conclude that a nutritional supplement I was taking was tainted," he said. "Unfortunately, the actual supplement is gone, and therefore cannot be tested. Without the actual supplement in hand, the rules are clear, and I must accept the suspension.

 

Players who initially test positive for a stimulant receive counseling. Suspensions begin only with a second positive test.

You know...if you test positive once, and get ordered counseling for it...you think you might be smart enough to actually have everything you're taking tested to see if anything you're taking is actually tainted.

 

Unless, of course, you know, you're lying through your teeth.

Well, this might put a damper on demand for his services as a FA this offseason.

You know...if you test positive once, and get ordered counseling for it...you think you might be smart enough to actually have everything you're taking tested to see if anything you're taking is actually tainted.

 

Unless, of course, you know, you're lying through your teeth.

You know at this point, if I were in their shoes, I wouldn't take anything other than a multi-vitamin and advil. Just too risky to do anything else.

 

Well, he just cost himself a few million in free agency.

Well, he just cost himself a few million in free agency.

 

I'd still sign him. Owens can have CF for the first month-and-a-half while we grab Cameron at a discounted price.

I'd still sign him. Owens can have CF for the first month-and-a-half while we grab Cameron at a discounted price.

Until he tests positive again, and gets a 50 day suspension.

Edited October 31, 200718 yr by Balta1701

Until he tests positive again, and gets a 50 day suspension.

 

So that's a guarantee?

So that's a guarantee?

He was dumb enough to test positive twice already. Even Bonds hasn't been that dumb.

You know at this point, if I were in their shoes, I wouldn't take anything other than a multi-vitamin and advil. Just too risky to do anything else.

 

 

Either that, or have the team test everything before it goes into your system.

Either that, or have the team test everything before it goes into your system.

Baseball was supposed to be putting out a full list of MLB approved, clean supplements when their new testing policy went into force.

 

And there's always the backup option: save 1 or 2 samples of everything you take. If you test positive for something and can Identify the company, sue their pants off. Yet for some reason, all these folks who make millions of dollars with their athletic performance can't seem to think of that one, even though it could save their reputations. It's almost as if the supplements weren't the problme.

So that's a guarantee?

Are you serious? Why risk it? How does that help the club to sign a guy whos out the first month who's over the hill and a risk to get suspended again?

Are you serious? Why risk it?

 

Because he's going to be the cheapest out of Hunter/Rowand/Jones. Because he's still a rock defensively and isn't, in fact, over the hill.

 

As far as risk, you carry the same risk in trading Chris Carter for Coco Crisp (not that you or I, for that matter, were advocating doing that).

 

A suspension like this isn't going to deter me, but I'm sure this will knock down Cameron's contract a good 10-20%. I'd try and take advantage of that.

If Cameron's not over the hill, then he's awfully close. He'll be 35 on Opening Day, and who knows how he'll perform without greenies?