After more than a year on the job, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is gearing up to make his first significant disciplinary rulings.
Speaking with reporters in Bonita Springs, Fla., the commissioner made it known that he will soon be ruling on two of the three major domestic dispute cases currently being investigated by MLB. These rulings will set a precedent for how future cases will be handled, per John Perrotto of The Sports Xchange.
Manfred would not say which of the two he’ll be ruling on.
Of the three, only Colorado Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes has actually been charged for allegedly hitting his wife in Hawaii on Nov. 1 last year. New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman and Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig are also being investigated by the league, even though they were never charged.
By his own words, however, Manfeld said that discipline could still be handed down to players who were never charged with any crime:
“I think we all know that there are times when things occur even if charges aren’t filed,” Manfred said. “Oftentimes, charges aren’t filed because of a lack of cooperation from witnesses.”
This is something that has been seen often when it comes to high-profile athletes. NFL athlete Greg Hardy famously had his domestic violence case thrown out when Nicole Holder made herself “completely unavailable” for the trial.
The commissioner would not make any further comments about when discipline would come, but given what he did say it seems safe to assume he will hand down his rulings as soon as is possible.
He made it clear that his preference would be to have these matters resolved already, per Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, but that he is at the mercy of “law enforcement and the activities surrounding the three incidents.”
Based on Manfed’s comment about discipline not being directly tied to prosecution, it seems like he’s going to be tough on players who cross the line when it comes to domestic disputes and domestic violence. If that’s the case, then he should be lauded.
We’ll find out soon how tough this new commissioner will be. It’s safe to say his rulings in this arena will in large part define how his tenure is viewed in historical terms.