Suspended A's Pitcher Michael Kelly Will Lose Out On $740k Salary After Betting A Total Of $99 On MLB Games

As the MLB announced this week, Padres infielder, Tucupita Marcano was banned for life after being found to have bet on his own team. Then four other players were handed one-year suspensions, and among those was Oakland A's relief pitcher Michael Kelly.

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When looking at the culprits, Marcano placed 387 baseball bets to total more than $150,000, and he was the first active MLB player to be banned since New York Giants player Jimmy O'Connell (1923-24). Pete Rose, who is the all-time MLB hits leader (4,256), also agreed to a lifetime ban after his playing career was already over in 1989.

(1923) Jimmy O'Connell

On the other hand, Kelly was a lot more frugal with his gambling, as he reportedly had bet on nine MLB games (October 5-17, 2021) for a total of $99.22 (net winnings of $28.30). Considering this, Kelly didn't seem to get his full money's worth, as now he has to give up his yearly salary of $740,000 since being suspended.

Kelly at the time of placing the bets was a Minor League player for the Houston Astros Triple-A affiliate, Sugar Land Space Cowboys. That is to say, three of the nine games he bet on included the Astros. In view of the specifics of his rinky-dink wagers, they consisted of betting on who won or lost, over/under on runs scored, and pitcher strikeout totals.

Kelly will have to wait another year before taking the mound again. In 28 game appearances this season, the 31-year-old had a 3-2 record with a 2.59 ERA and 1.18 WHIP.

Commissioner Rob Manfred gave a statement about the suspension for violating the sport's betting rules, Rule 21 (d)(1).
"The strict enforcement of Major League Baseball's rules and policies governing gambling conduct is a critical component of upholding our most important priority: protecting the integrity of our games for the fans. The longstanding prohibition against betting on Major League Baseball games by those in the sport has been a bedrock principle for over a century. We have been clear that the privilege of playing in baseball comes with a responsibility to refrain from engaging in certain types of behavior that are legal for other people."

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