Five MLB Players Tarnish Their Careers — One Permanently Banned — Over Relatively Tiny Bets

On Tuesday, MLB permanently banned now-former San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano for betting on his team's games. Four other players, Oakland Athletics pitcher Michael Kelly, Padres pitcher Jay Groome, Philadelphia Phillies IF José Rodriguez, and Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Andrew Saalfrank, were given year-long suspensions for violating MLB gambling policies as well, albeit less egregiously. 

Per Spotrac, Marcano reportedly bet over $150,000 on 231 MLB games over his career with the Padres and Pirates before earning a lifetime ban for betting on the Pittsburgh while injured but on the team. USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale Tweeted that he won just 4.3% of his bets, which is hilarious. Theoretically, Marcano had some inside knowledge, yet donked off mad units on sides and totals in Pirates games. 

Marcano's exile was a forgone conclusion. Issuing a lifetime ban for players betting on their games has been an MLB policy for 100+ years. From the 1919 Black Sox Scandal to Pete Rose, big leaguers are ousted as soon as it's proven they bet on MLB. The other four players' situations are a little murkier. None of them bet on a team they were on. But, all bet on the organization's MLB team while playing for their minor league squad. 

Team photograph of the 1919 Chicago White Sox, the team that was involved in the "Black Sox scandal". (Bettman/Getty Images)

Furthermore, the other players wagered chump change compared to me and Marcano. According to CBS, Kelly won $28.30 from 10 MLB bets with an average of $9.92 per bet. Groome lost $433.54 on 32 bets on an average of $15.12 per MLB wager. Rodriguez's gambling profits and losses are unknown, but he made 28 major league bets at $25.86 per bet. Saalfrank put up a measly $15.86 per MLB bet and sunk $272.64. 

RELATED: Former NBA Referee Tim Donaghy Says Shohei Ohtani Was Likely Involved In Ippei Mizuhara's Gambling Habits

Besides Marcano, who was signed to an MLB contract, Kelly's gambling infraction is the dumbest of the group. Kelly lost a one-year, $740,000 deal with the Athletics by placing bets totaling less than $100. I'll never understand what this dope was thinking. The only explanation I can fathom is that Kelly was super bored and sportsbooks make it easy to bet through their apps. Otherwise, WTF dude? 

Oakland Athletics pitcher Michael Kelly was suspended for one year Tuesday after violating the MLB gambling policy. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports)

These gambling stories have been breaking across sports over the past year. And for every one of them a crowd of people on Twitter and in the media call out the leagues for mixed messaging because they have partnerships with sportsbooks. To me, that's the dumbest take. Several companies ban employees from doing legal things due to certain industry-based protocols. 

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred explained this position well in announcing the suspensions above: "We have been clear that the privilege of playing in baseball comes with a responsibility to refrain from engaging in certain types of behavior that are legal for other people". 

So, spare me from the "It doesn't make sense that a league could advertise with a sportsbook and prohibit players from sports betting" garbage. One of the first lessons we are taught is "Life ain't fair". Not being allowed to bet on your sport as a professional athlete doesn't fall under this saying. In fact, there being no consequences for stupid mistakes would be an unfair thing. 

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Follow me on X (or Twitter, whatever) @Geoffery-Clark and check out my OutKick Bets Podcast for more betting content and random rants. I'll add bets to my MLB 2024 betting record via X all season.