The court of public opinion has delivered its verdict and the angry majority opinion in the case of Major League Baseball against Roberto Osuna is that the 75-game suspension handed down to the Blue Jays’ closer for an alleged domestic assault on May 8 in Toronto was not severe enough.

There are two sides to this debate. First is those who with indignant finger-pointing legitimately ask how it is that a drug cheater can receive 80 games while someone like Osuna who allegedly assaulted a woman gets just 75.

On the other side of the argument is the reality that Osuna’s punishment was a negotiated process. Some will argue that the 75-game suspension (without pay and service time) followed up by treatment and counselling will hopefully push the pitcher towards becoming an improved human, who’d get a second chance to be a solid, contributing member of society.

Any argument against belief in the possibility of an improved Osuna, post-punishment, stems from cynicism that rehabilitation of any kind from domestic assault is a pipedream. God help us. Yes, there should be sympathy for the alleged victim, but that should not preclude hope for the future of Osuna.

Over the years, as salaries in pro sports have exploded, fans have tended to become angrier towards their heroes whenever they slip off the rails. Yes, Osuna’s alleged behaviour of violence against women is inexcusable, but is the proper reaction, then, to toss him aside and turn a collective back as he perhaps slides back into a recurring pattern of domestic abuse? Or is it to discipline him within a policy negotiated with the union, trying to improve him as a human?

Make no mistake, this will cost Osuna millions as well as his 75 games on the sidelines. He loses about $2.8 million in salary for 2018. In addition, his arbitration cases the next three winters have been considerably weakened. He will also find it very difficult no matter his future success to find lucrative endorsements. The lost service days mean free agency will arrive following the 2021 season and not 2020. On the upside, there’s the counselling and education. It may be argued that some of the problem was a cultural gap for Osuna, but now he will know what is expected.

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MLB DOMESTIC ABUSE INVESTIGATIONS

PLAYER TEAM GAMES YEAR

Jose Torres Padres 100 2018

Hector Olivares Braves 82 2016

Roberto Osuna Blue Jays 75 2018

Jose Reyes Rockies 51 2016

Aroldis Chapman Yankees 30 2016

Jeurys Familia Mets 15 2016

Steven Wright Red Sox 15 2018

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Yasiel Puig Dodgers 0 2016

Miguel Sano Twins 0 2018

*Derek Norris FA Sept. 2017

*Norris was released by the Tampa Bay Rays in late June, then in September, was suspended by MLB for the rest of the season.

TIME TO CHANGE “DISABLED LIST” LABEL

It’s time for a change in the baseball term “disabled list.” With the reduction of the MLB injury list to a more manageable 10 days, it has become more of a convenience in many cases, clearing the deck for another player, while not really affecting the flow of a season or a roster.

When the Blue Jays on the weekend placed two starting pitchers, Aaron Sanchez and Jaime Garcia, on the 10-day DL, fans gnashed their teeth and cast shade on the medical staff, asking why does this always happen to the Jays and are the high-performance people incompetent? Two more “disabled” players! Yikes!

The fact of the matter is the Jays front office had been trying hard to figure out how to return Marcus Stroman to the active roster for his Saturday start and to get Sam Gaviglio back from the paternity list with the least disruption. Then Sanchez bruised his right index finger and Jaime Garcia … well, he’s Jaime Garcia.

A 10-day shoulder injury basically means Garcia can miss just one start surrounding an off-day. These things used to happen in the past but without being able to utilize the DL, when the minimum was 15 days. It’s become easier. If the Jays like the rotation as it is, then they can leave Garcia on the DL for a longer stint. The bottom line is the veteran lefty has a guaranteed $10-million contract and cannot be sent to the minors for the same 10-day period. Same result minus any risk.

As for Sanchez, his bruised index finger would have meant missing at least one start anyway, so now instead of making a decision on an existing reliever, having to send someone back to the minors, they can take the Sanchez roster spot for one start and if his finger is healed he returns on July 2 vs. the Tigers.

In addition, the Jays manage to get an important look at highly regarded lefthander Ryan Borucki as he makes Tuesday’s start vs. the Astros. If he performs well, they can then move forward in exploring the market for J.A. Happ.

As for the term “disabled”, there are segments of society that see it as improper or even offensive. So a fatigued shoulder or bruised finger as disabling? No. How about DL standing for “Deactivated List”? That is more precise and would surely cause less panic among hand-wringing fans but not more wins.

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