Jurickson Profar became latest player to receive a suspension for violating Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program after he tested positive for chorionic gonadotropin.
The Atlanta Braves will be without their left fielder for 80 games. Profar also won’t be eligible to play in the postseason if the Braves make it.
While a lengthy suspension, in theory, should be enough motivation for a professional athlete to stay away from banned substances, former Boston Red Sox first baseman Eric Hosmer has another idea.
“I think the only way this game gets cleaned up and these guys don’t risk 80-game suspensions for another couple years on the back end is to take away guaranteed money,” Hosmer said on the “Diggin’ Deep” podcast. “If you tell me that I have $110 million on the line for these next three years and I could possibly lose that, I’m not even thinking that.”
Profar signed a three-year deal with Atlanta that includes $42 million in guaranteed money. The 32-year-old will lose $5.8 million during his suspension. He’s still owed over $36 million of his guaranteed money.
Similarly, San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. didn’t lose out on any of his guaranteed money — $340 million over 14 years — when he was suspended for 80 games in 2022.
MLB and its players’ union don’t return to the negotiating table until Dec. 1, 2026 when the current CBA expires, though it’s unclear if either side has plans to change its current policy.
