There is a lot of commotion going around the baseball world right now. Some are mad, others are sad, but why?

Unlike the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLS, the MLB doesn’t have a salary cap. So, the Dodgers, who have won back-to-back World Series, spend money on the best players in the league and win so much to the point that fans are starting to take notice that there should be a salary cap. 

A weird but exciting time in the baseball world is when the World Baseball Classic starts March 4 and a lot of stars won’t be competing this year. One of the main teams that has changed their roster the most is  Puerto Rico with about eight players that have been removed from the roster. Most of the players removed from the roster were done so due to offseason injuries or denied insurance by the National Financial Partners. 

One of the saddest removals of this entire thing has been the denial of Javier Baez. Baez has been denied to play in the WBC because he tested positive for marijuana use in a screening for the WBC in 2023. The WBC doesn’t prohibit marijuana use. Baez also played in the 2023 WBC even though he tested positive. 

Lots of people in the baseball world are emotional about his suspension. While the WBC might not have strict rules when it comes to marijuana use, the World Baseball Softball Confederation looks over the WBC with more strict drug and alcohol policies. Since the WBC and WBCS jointly own the WBC tournament, WBSC is the one really behind the decision to suspend Baez. He  was suspended until April 26 because the WBSC has stricter rules when it comes to drug use then the WBC. Baez claims he never used marijuana to enhance his performance.

I think Baez should play in the WBC. I know it’s a partnership with the WBSC but Baez failed the test three years ago and he didn’t even use it to enhance his performance. I don’t see a reason to be suspended now.