By now we have all heard the news on Fernando Tatis Jr. Ringworm, Steroids, Banned Substances, who knows, but what we do know is that his card stock will take a major hit from all of this.
When Tatis is on the field he may be the best overall player in the game of baseball and people have paid dearly for Tatis items (Including me) and I don't blame them. When he is healthy Tatis is must watch TV, but the big question now, what is this going to do to the value of Tatis cards, memorabilia, etc.?
The simple answer is, they will never be the same. He will always have this over his head. Just look at the Astros, the banging trash cans, people haven't forgot about that, and it shows in card values. Altuve cards should be sky high for the player that he is, but they are down almost 50% of what they once were all because of the trash can scandal. A-Rod, one of the best players to ever play the game, after his steroid incident, value of his cards are down 40% and that's in the current market where cards are nearing their highest values ever. Barry Bonds, I'll let that name speak for itself, all-time homerun leader, possibly they greatest player ever. Remember when an 87 Fleer Bonds RC was worth $40? Now maybe $5?
In the long run, the better Tatis does, the more it will open up the banned substance talk in the media, opening up the memory of our displeasure of steroids and banned substances in baseball, it will never leave him. Maybe there is a chance where he is only 23 years old and did this early in his carrier that the memory may start to fade, but for everyone that has invested in Tatis, we lost.