MLB

It didn't take long to catch the first violators of the season.

Just days away from the opening of the 2015 season, the performance-enhancing drug monster that Major League Baseball cannot escape from has snatched up its first wave of offenders.

While the weather certainly doesn't feel like it, the Cubs are set to open their season against the Cardinals on Sunday night in the first MLB game of the year. With the new season getting underway, a new era of Cubs baseball will be ushered in.

The bacon-doughnut hot dog?

The chicken-and-waffle cone?

Major League Baseball has suspended Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Ervin Santana 80 games for violating its anti-performance-enhancing drug policy. 

According to the MLB public relations staff on Twitter, Santana tested positive for the anabolic steroid Stanozolol:

After an MLB investigation into the gambling habits of Miami Marlins pitcher Jarred Cosart, the 24-year-old hurler was cleared of betting on baseball.

According to a statement released by MLB Communications on Twitter, Cosart will be fined for betting on other sports with the use of illegal bookmakers:

For a while there, it was possible that Josh Hamilton would not be seen on a Major League Baseball diamond in 2015.

Now we know he'll be playing ball as soon as he can, and that has ramifications for the Los Angeles Angels and, eventually, for MLB and the MLB Players Association.

Winning three World Series titles in five years tends to provide plenty of job security.

The San Francisco Giants were quick to lock up manager Bruce Bochy and general manager Brian Sabean for the long term. The team confirmed it agreed to extensions through 2019 with each.

The Giants also announced a string of organizational changes:

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Josh Hamilton will not be suspended for his substance abuse missteps in the offseason, according to a statement from Major League Baseball:

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported the Angels' statement on MLB's decision:

The Detroit Tigers begin the 2015 MLB season in less than one week.

The Cincinnati Reds are getting no love.

In the most recent season outlook, Grantland writer Ben Lindbergh's NLC Preview uses a lot of data and makes mathematical projections, and not even the numbers are improving this team's outlook. In case you haven't got around to it, here's an excerpt on why we can expect the Reds to suck in 2015: