3 Players Suspended 80 Games

With Opening Day later this week, Danny Santana, Richard Rodriguez, and Jose Rondon are currently free agents. They are hoping to find new homes for the 2022 campaign, but the chances of that happening have now decreased significantly. All three players have been suspended 80 games after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. 

Santana spent the 2021 season as a member of the Boston Red Sox. He struggled during his brief tenure with Boston, as he had five home runs, 14 RBIs, and a .181 batting average. Keep in mind, he had 28 home runs and 81 RBIs during the 2019 season with the Texas Rangers, so this was a notable decline in production. Yet, with this development, it seems unlikely that he will have a chance to rebound this season. 

It's a little surprising that Rodriguez was unable to find a new home yet. In 64 games last season between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Atlanta Braves, he had a 5-4 record, 2.94 ERA, and 14 saves. Overall, he has the ability to be a reliable reliever, but now he will have to sit out due to this suspension.

Rondon appeared in a career-high 63 games with the St. Louis Cardinals last season. In them, he had three home runs, nine RBIs, and a .263 batting average. 

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