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Diamondbacks react to Andrew Saalfrank’s suspension

Theo

PHOENIX – Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo heard Monday night that one of his players would be penalized, and he said everyone from the locker room to the training room was talking about it Tuesday.

Reliever Andrew Saalfrank, who last pitched for Triple-A Reno, was suspended for one year for betting on baseball in 2021 and 2022. At the time, he was recovering from Tommy John surgery at Low-A Visalia.

Saalfrank did not bet on his assigned team, but made 28 MLB bets.

On Tuesday, Lovullo and several Diamondbacks players expressed their disappointment over Saalfrank’s decision and suspension, but also expressed sympathy for a teammate.

“He is obviously heartbroken,” said pitcher Ryan Thompson Arizona Sports after speaking with Saalfrank. “It’s probably hard for people to understand, but he’s had a rough time in his life this year, and I think we can relate to that. You go through things and you don’t always make the best decisions. I’ve seen that a lot in my life, so I have a lot of sympathy for Andrew. He just feels really bad about not being available for the team this year. He cares so much about our team.”

“This is a disappointing day for Andrew, for his teammates and for the organization,” said closer Paul Sewald Burns & Gambo by Arizona Sports. “That’s not who (Saalfrank) is. That kind of surprised me when I found out. It’s just disappointing. We’re personally frustrated that we won’t have him this year. But when you think about it, from his perspective, he made a mistake and he’s owned up to his mistake. … He’ll bounce back from this.”

“I’m just thinking about him and hoping he’s doing well mentally,” first baseman Christian Walker said in a media interview.

Saalfrank played a key role for the D-backs last season and in October after his initial call-up. He has spent most of this season in Triple-A.

MLB players warn about gambling rules

Players are prohibited from betting on baseball or face a one-year ban. Players who bet on games involving their own teams are banned permanently. For this reason, the league suspended San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano on Tuesday.

Lovullo said the gambling rules are clearly laid out at each spring training meeting. Thompson described the talks as educational about the rules, which would normally be brought up alongside other topics in a meeting. He said the rules may surprise some minor league players.

“I remember hearing that message for the first time in the minor leagues, maybe Single-A, and thinking, ‘What?'” Thompson said. “We all know the thing about Pete Rose, the Black Sox. You never lose a game, you never bet on the game you’re playing, and when you’re in the major leagues, you can’t bet on a game. Then you hear it for the first time and think, ‘Wait a minute, even though I’m not even in the major leagues and I have nothing to do with the game?'”

Lovullo said he had not spoken to Saalfrank as of Tuesday afternoon, but general manager Mike Hazen had.

“We have to protect the integrity of this game. Andrew knew that, he understood that and he made a really bad decision,” Lovullo said.

“What I do know is what it looks like for the human being. I know Andrew feels remorse. … He is being suspended from his baseball team for a full year. This is painful for him and painful for us. All we can do is continue to encourage him to do the right thing and learn from this. We will see him again.”

MLB gambling headlines

Gambling in baseball was more in the spotlight this year. Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, pleaded guilty to fraud for stealing money from the game’s biggest star to pay off gambling debts – no evidence was presented that Ohtani had placed any bets.

David Fletcher, Ohtani’s teammate on the Angels, is also under investigation. The MLB announced one-year suspensions for four players on Tuesday.

“It needs to be monitored… the system worked,” Lovullo said.

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