5 takeaways from the Dee Gordon suspension

Former three-time All-Star and theScore MLB insider Vernon Wells weighs in on Dee Gordon’s 80-game suspension for PEDs. The following is from a conversation with theScore's Dan Toman.

My initial reaction to Friday's news that Dee had been suspended was one of surprise. I'm sure different PEDs do different things, but it was surprising to see a non-power player like that test positive. Yes, it's unfortunate for the game, but more than anything else, it's disheartening news for Dee. I feel bad for him and Chris Colabello (who was suspended last week).

Supportive

You don't want to see guys who work their tails off get dragged through the mud and have their reputations tarnished because of one poor decision. I understand they made this choice and put themselves in that position but I still hate to see it. They're going to live with that decision for 80 games. They have to live with the fact they've let their team down, their fan base down, everyone. That's tough to deal with no matter how much you get paid. What it does to you emotionally I can only imagine. I see no reason to attack them personally. They've made their bed and will have to lie in it and I think that's enough.

Tougher penalties inevitable

If a player wants to cheat the system, that player will. It doesn't matter how strict the penalty. There will always be guys who try to bend the rules, and that's the reality of the world we live in, regardless of what you do. I'm all for penalties, and we have to have rules in place, but at the end of the day, it's such a small number of guys in this fraternity that are making that choice. I don't think any specific number of games is going to fix this. But given how our sport's testing policy has evolved, it's inevitable there will be tougher penalties imposed.

Some players have suggested two-year bans for a first offense, but I think the natural progression is starting with one full season, and then going from there.

Teaching moment

A lot of people in the baseball community - players, fans, the media - were surprised by Dee's suspension, and everyone is going to believe what they want to believe. It's part of the world we live in. But I think first and foremost, moments like these are opportunities for parents to educate their kids on the decisions they make and the consequences those carry. It's a reminder that fans shouldn't build these guys up as heroes just because they have a uniform on or because they're on TV - they're as human as the next person. They make the same mistakes the so-called everyday person makes.

For a parent of a kid who is a fan of these players the message should be simple: You could be in this spot, God willing, 20 years from now, so understand the mistake that Dee made and the consequences he now has to deal with.

Baseball will be fine

If it isn't about the fans, it's about the sport. Whenever stuff like this happens, there's a lot of commentary about the damage this does to baseball - but it's not a game-wide issue. It's an individual issue. It's something an individual chooses to do. If they choose to go that route and take that chance, they live with that consequence. Not the game.

The game of baseball will continue to go on and be played the way it has forever - today, tomorrow, and next week - even though Dee Gordon is suspended for the next 80 games. People act like so many players are getting caught and so many guys are getting suspended for PEDs, but we're talking three "names" at the big-league level this year (Gordon, Colabello, and Jenrry Mejia). The system is working. The only damage being done is on the player. Baseball moves on pretty quick.

Union won't cave to pressure

There were reports Friday that indicated the players association might feel pressure to offer certain concessions regarding the drug policy - such as voiding contracts after a player tests positive for PEDs - when the current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires later this year. Let's make something clear: The union doesn't allow anything the union doesn't want to allow. We are the strongest union in sports for a reason: because we collectively make decisions not based off emotions, but what's best for the group as a whole. Those choices don't stem from outside pressures. We are going to protect our players and their rights.

Owners make their own decisions, and they understand a certain level of risk comes with spending the kind of money on players that they do. It's on them to do their due diligence on each player. When you sign a player to a contract like Dee Gordon's $50-million extension, for example, the team is hoping that the player is on the field every day, it's hoping that person is a staple in the community, and it's hoping that the person leads your organization. But it's all hope. Nothing is guaranteed. Just like we can go out and outperform our contract, it doesn't necessarily mean we'll get paid more money. There's risk on both sides, and as a membership, we need to keep the big picture in mind.