A Cloudy Future
Now he’s on the sidelines again because of a second positive test, reportedly for marijuana use. It doesn’t matter to baseball executives that marijuana is legal for recreational use in seven states, including the states in which he lived and worked last season (Washington and California).
This suspension comes at a time when it’s easy to argue that laws prohibiting marijuana are outdated and the majority of people in this country believe it should be legalized. Many believe it should never have been classified as a Schedule 1 drug in the first place. Schedule 1 drugs are considered to have no medical benefit and a high probability of abuse and addiction. Other Schedule 1 drugs include heroin and LSD. Marijuana just doesn’t seem to belong in that neighborhood.
Ultimately, though, a rule is a rule, and Filia broke it. Now he’ll pay the price. Despite his success, he was still only on the fringes of prospect-dom, ranking 21st in the Mariners organization according to MLB Pipeline. If the Seattle Mariners thought he was one of their better prospects, they would have found a spot for him on their 40-man roster. Had they done so, he wouldn’t be facing this suspension because players on the 40-man roster aren’t subjected to marijuana testing.
Plenty of Seattle Mariner fans are down on Filia after this second positive test. Some didn’t believe in him as a prospect before this suspension and others think he’s blown his chance now. One person tweeted: “The correct response would be: ‘Today, the Mariners announced they have released OF Eric Filia.’”
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I think that’s going too far. Let Eric Filia serve his suspension and get back on the field. If he continues to hit the way he has throughout his baseball career, he can be an asset. Using marijuana shouldn’t derail a player’s career. When he gets back on the field, my niece and I will still be rooting for him.