Another Huge Contract For An Accused Steroid User Shows Baseball's Drug Program Is Not Working

Free agent Jhonny Peralta has signed a 4-year, $52 million contract with the St. Louis Cardinals according to Jim Bowden of ESPN.

Peralta's new contract shows there is little deterrent to cheating in baseball as he becomes the latest baseball player to cash-in with a huge contract after being suspended for using performance-enhancing drugs. Peralta was suspended 50 games last season as part of Major League Baseball's investigation into the Biogenesis clinic.

Peralta was in the final year of a 3-year, $17.3 million contract that was scheduled to pay him $6 million in 2013 before he was suspended.

The suspension cost Peralta approximately $1.8 million. Peralta will now make an average of $13 million per year over the next four years.

This contract comes one year after Melky Cabrera signed a 2-year, $16 million contract with the Blue Jays after being suspended for 50 games during the 2012 season.

The good news is that other players are not happy which could lead to changes in the drug program and stiffer penalties:

Apparently getting suspended for PED's means you get a raise. What's stopping anyone from doing it? #weneedtomakeachange

- David Aardsma (@TheDA53) November 24, 2013