Padres’ Tatis seeing marketability return two years after positive PED test
Padres RF Fernando Tatis Jr. remains “one of the more marketable players in baseball” two years after being suspended for a positive PED test, according to Brittany Ghiroli of THE ATHLETIC. Tatis has added several “new partnerships this year, appearing in an Opening Day ad for Corona and securing a deal with Champs.” He also has deals with a “handful of other potential companies being discussed.” Tatis once was seen as a “future face of baseball” — sales of his No. 23 jersey were “among the league’s top three” and he appeared on the cover of “MLB The Show” in 2021. He also had high-profile deals with Adidas, Gatorade and Dairy Queen, though those were quickly scuttled after his positive test. Tatis this season is wearing a variety of cleats that are “flashy and fun,” but the “fact that he is a star without a shoe sponsorship deal is also a reminder of what else he is known for now.” Despite the setbacks, Tatis indicated that he “does want to be the face of baseball again, or to at least be in that conversation” (THE ATHLETIC, 5/30).
