Chad Moriyama Dodgers, Sabermetrics, Scouting
Assuming that he actually does show up at Spring Training and that he manages to stay out of trouble between now and then, reliever Ronald Belisario will be hit with a 25 game suspension to start 2012.
Reliever Ronald Belisario has received a visa valid for the next five years and is expected to be in Arizona for the start of spring training, but he won’t be on the Dodgers’ opening-day roster.
Belisario must serve a 25-game suspension for violating baseball’s drug policy, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke under the condition of anonymity.
Of course.
[UPDATED, 7:14 a.m. Wednesday: The suspension falls under the "drug of abuse" standard rather than a "stimulant" standard, according to a person familiar with the matter.]
MSTI argues that it gives the Dodgers time to evaluate what they have, but I can’t see myself twisting this into a positive when a guy who has always been plagued with off-the-field issues starts the season with a suspension related to an off-the-field issue.
Not to worry, it will all be moot when he winds up doing something over that 25 game suspension that will make him unavailable for the entire season. If you can rely on one thing with Belisario, it’s his knack for finding a way not to play. I don’t get how someone could be offered good money to play a game like baseball and not want to make the most of the chance.
I basically expect him to get in trouble already.
I don’t honestly see why the Dodgers are willing to deal with this headache.
Bullpen arms aren’t anything rare, especially in the Dodgers system, so why even bother? Not like he a truly elite arm.