New York Mets: Octavio Dotel, Luis Castillo linked to drug ring

Turns out that the late 1980s New York Mets rosters did not have a monopoly on drug use after all.

Typically, when one thinks about the New York Mets and drugs, one thinks of the teams from the late 1980s. With the likes of Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden on the roster, the Mets talent was only matched by their drug usage.

While the third base line may not have been safe in those days, the late 1980s Mets do not have a monopoly on drugs when it comes to the history of the franchise. Former Mets players Octavio Dotel and Luis Castillo were implicated in drug ring on Tuesday, with both players allegedly part of the cocaine and heroin empire created by drug lord César Emilio Peralta, also known as César the Abuser.

According to the New York Post, Castillo and Dotel were a part of the money laundering aspect of the network, helping to hide the origins of his assets. Castillo and Dotel are also not the only current and/or former athletes involved according to the allegations.

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While both Castillo and Dotel were one time members of the Mets, their paths never crossed with the franchise. Dotel spent his rookie year with the Mets, posting an 8-3 record, but with a 5.38 ERA and a 1.383 WHiP over his 85.1 innings. He was used primarily as a starter that season, and was then traded to the Astros as part of the package for Mike Hampton.

Castillo had a longer tenure in New York, spending three and a half years with the Mets. In that time, he produced a .274/.366/.324 batting line, hitting 31 doubles and stealing 55 bases. Those would be the final years of his career, as injuries took his speed and, eventually, his place in the majors.

Those days are far behind both players now. Dotel was arrested on Tuesday, while Castillo has been named as an alleged member of the network. Castillo’s attorneys, meanwhile, denied his involvement, questioning whether or not the police were even referring to the correct Luis Castillo, as it is a common name in the Dominican Republic.

Former New York Mets players Octavio Dotel and Luis Castillo have been implicated in a drug ring, with Dotel being arrested. This story will be fascinating to watch unfold.