Was Fernando Tatis Jr.’s Contract A Mistake?

Abraham Smith

Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres hits a solo home run in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants at Petco Park on September 22, 2021 in San Diego, California.
(Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)

Much of Major League Baseball was stunned Friday when it was announced that San Diego Padres star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. would be suspended for 80 games for violating the league’s PED policy.

The suspension comes after Tatis missed all of 2022 after sustaining a wrist injury while riding a motorbike.

It has now been almost two years since he played a game.

That’s disappointing for the Padres after he signed a massive contract extension last winter.

The deal had a term of 14 years, $340 million and lasted until 2035 for the young shortstop.

However, his actions have caused some to be suspicious of the contract.

Looking at it now, was the deal a mistake?

Here are three reasons why it could very well be.

3. Complacency with long-term deals

While imprisoning Tatis for so many years was great for the Padres, there may be unintended consequences.

There’s a chance this could lead to some complacency from her star.

Tatis is without a doubt worth his money when he is healthy and on the field.

But now that he’s gotten his payday, there’s no longer that driving factor pushing him out.

He has the money and now he has to be the only motivator himself.

While some players can handle it, Tatis has shown so far that he might not be able to.

If he can turn that around it will make the contract much better.

For now, however, it looks like such a long and lucrative deal has gone for the worse.

2. Tatis and immature mistakes

Although Tatis is only 23 years old and should be expected to make mistakes, the past year has been really bad.

This is especially true considering he just signed such a big extension.

First, Tatis broke team rules by riding his bike this off-season.

Not only that, he also crashed, possibly more than once.

That alone is a bad sign of his maturity and commitment on the pitch.

Then combine this with his use of performance-enhancing drugs.

While he says it was a mistake he made unknowingly, many have been skeptical of his story.

Tatis claimed he used it to treat a case of tinea, but people were quick to point out that no doctor would ever prescribe it.

Therefore, many think that he was simply caught in a bad lie.

This would be another example of his immaturity catching up with him, which would make a 14-year contract very long.

1. Violation Bug Bites Tatis

When Tatis is on the field, he’s undoubtedly one of the best players in MLB.

He is a mix of power, speed and fielding.

The biggest question mark, however, is his health.

In 2021, despite playing 130 games, shoulder problems forced him to move to outfield.

This can be an ongoing problem that he must continue to deal with.

Combine that with his broken wrist and Tatis already has a worrying list of injuries.

He’s still very young and these can’t affect anything in the end, but it’s always worrying to see a star miss time.

Now Tatis will have been kept away from an MLB field for an extended period of time.

How will his body react?

If injuries keep creeping up on him, the deal could prove a disaster for the Padres.

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