Tucupita Marcano Officially Banned for Betting Against Own Team, Pirates Manager Saddened by the News

This week saw MLB player Tucupita Marcano of the San Diego Padres be suspended for life after it was discovered that he had partaken in MLB betting, much to the shock of fans and former teammates alike.

His punishment was the result of 387 baseball bets placed between 2022 and 2023, many of which concerned games his then-team, the Pittsburgh Pirates, participated in. Out of the nearly 390 wagers, 25 bets were against the Pirates.

The New York Times reached out to several Pirates members as well as the team’s manager. Jack Suwinski, outfielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates who used to spend a lot of time with Marcano, told the New York Times he needed to learn more about the situation before he could come up with a judgement. “Obviously, you don’t want people to bet against their own team,” he added, saying that he believes that to be common sense.

The Pirates’ manager, Derek Shelton, also spoke with the New York Times regarding the matter. According to Shelton, Marcano was a “good kid,” and the coach expressed how sad he had felt to hear about Marcano’s situation. Shelton stressed that MLB’s rule regarding betting is “the one non-negotiable” in baseball, pointing out that the said rule is read to players each time spring training commences and how it is also posted in the Pirates’ clubhouse.

Andrew McCutchen, MLB veteran and current Pirates outfielder, likened Marcano’s breaching of MLB betting rules to steroids. “You don’t do it,” he said, and although some players do ignore this crucial rule, they hopefully get caught. He described Marcano as quiet and deemed the situation unfortunate. Finally, McCutchen told the New York Times that what someone does “in the dark will come to light” and that, essentially, Marcano is dealing with the consequences of his actions.

Marcano Spent $150,000 on Bets, Investigators Found

According to MLB regulations, particularly Major League Rule 21, players who choose to wager “any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has a duty to perform” will be declared no longer eligible to play for MLB teams. This punishment is permanent. For those who make the mistake of wagering on games they cannot influence, the penalty is temporary and lasts one year.

Speculation that Marcano might have broken the above rule was first revealed earlier this week by the Wall Street Journal. It was later disclosed that MLB had been investigating the player since March after the league was alerted of suspicious MLB betting activity by a sportsbook. Namely, the alert concerned bets made by individuals playing for the Major or Minor League. As established, the subsequent investigation revealed that Marcano had made 387 bets on MLB games, with 25 being for the Pirates to lose. The data also showed that Marcano’s wagers amounted to a staggering $150,000, and more than half that sum was wagered on MLB matches.

It should be noted that he himself had not been playing during the Pittsburgh Pirates matches in question, nor was MLB able to find evidence of him having compromised or manipulated the outcomes of the matches. Nonetheless, the fact that he wagered against his own team, as well as the substantial amount of money involved, warranted the harsh penalty. It should be noted that four other MLB players were also suspended, but their bans will last for one year, as their transgressions were not as severe.