May 24, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; San Diego Padres hats in the dugout during the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
MLB player Tucupita Marcano faces possible lifetime ban for alleged baseball bets
Marcano facing possible lifetime ban for violating MLB’s gambling policy.
According to an initial report by Lindsey Adler and Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal, former Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Tucapita Marcano is facing a possible lifetime ban from MLB for violating the league’s gambling policy while a member of the Pirates.
Marcano was acquired in the 2021 trade deadline deal with the San Diego Padres along with OF Jack Suwinski for 2B Adam Fraizer. In July 2023 he injured his right knee on the bases and required surgery to repair his ACL ending his year. His former club, the Padres, claimed him off waivers after the conclusion of the season.
Marcano is still rehabbing from his injury and has not appeared in a game this year at any level.
He is alleged to have placed bets on games involving the Pirates while he was on the injured list. MLB has not handed out a punishment yet, but it could include penalties as harsh as a lifetime ban.
Pirates’ Senior Vice President of Communications Brian Warecki issued the following statement:
We are aware of the matter that’s under investigation and are fully cooperating. We will refrain from further comment at this time.”
The Padres also released a statement:
We are aware of an active investigation by Major League Baseball regarding a matter that occurred when the player in question was a member of another organization and not affiliated with the San Diego Padres. We will not have any further comment until the investigative process has been completed.
Under MLB’s gambling policy, players are allowed to place legal bets on sports other than baseball, but not ones involving MLB or illegal bets.
Rule 21 (d) which covers gambling by MLB employees states;
d) GAMBLING.
(1) Any player, umpire, or Club or League official or employee, who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has no duty to perform, shall be declared ineligible for one year.
(2) Any player, umpire, or Club or League official or employee, who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has a duty to perform, shall be declared permanently ineligible.
(3) Any player, umpire, or Club or League official or employee who places bets with illegal book makers, or agents for illegal book makers, shall be subject to such penalty as the Commissioner deems appropriate in light of the facts and circumstances of the conduct. Any player, umpire, or Club or League official or employee who operates or works for an illegal bookmaking business shall be subject to a minimum of a one-year suspension by the Commissioner. For purposes of this provision, an illegal bookmaker is an individual who accepts, places or handles wagers on sporting events from members of the public as part of a gaming operation that is unlawful in the jurisdiction in which the bets are accepted.
If as reported, Marcano bet on Pirates’ games while on the injured list, was he still considered to have a “duty to perform”? That could be up to interpretation. Along with Marcano, four other MiLB players are under investigation.
Since the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, a 1992 federal law prohibiting sports betting (with the notable exemption of the state of Nevada) in 2018, the U.S. sports betting industry has exploded. Becoming an integral source of sponsorship revenue for leagues and for media outlets, including this one.
In some cases, it goes even further than just a sponsorship. An ESPN deal last year with PENN Entertainment created ESPN Bet. The multi-billion-dollar deal includes $1.5 billion for the use of ESPN branding and marketing as well as the rights to purchase up to $500 million in outstanding shares of PENN over the course of the ten-year deal.
The financial benefits are apparent, but it also came with plenty of scandal and conflicts of interest for the media and for sports leagues.
MLB should come down hard on Marcano and other players who gamble on MLB games, but do they really have it in them to do that as they roll around in sponsorship money? It makes me uneasy, as it always has. I fully support sports betting being legal, but I take issue with how quickly it was embraced by leagues, and I would be a liar if I didn’t say I missed a time when parlays, spreads, and odds boosting weren’t brought up every other minute on broadcasts. But there just aren’t any perfect solutions that would satisfy skeptics, prevent future scandals, and keep the money coming.
This isn’t the first gambling-related scandal MLB has faced this season; it certainly won’t be the last we ever see. The MLB, other sports leagues, and their fans are going to have to live with that reality.
It’s really disappointing to see Marcano make such a terrible decision. If MLB’s investigation finds that he was placing bets on Pirates games, then he should be placed on the permanently ineligible list. Even if he avoids a lifetime ban because of any interpretation in “duty to preform”, it seems highly unlikely that he would avoid a lengthy suspension altogether. To date, he’s been a fringe Major League player on some pretty bad rosters. Recovery from his ACL surgery, plus a potential yearlong suspension could cost him another shot in MLB. He may not get another.
