RealGM

The drug police were out in force Wednesday morning within the Toronto Blue Jays clubhouse on the day of the first official workout for pitchers and catchers at spring training.

Stern looking gentlemen outfitted in red shirts were strategically positioned within the locker room, making sure members of the press didn’t wander too close so as to somehow compromise the legitimacy of the process.

As if.

At the other end of the clubhouse, away from all officials toting clipboards and a table loaded with plastic containers where the players are required to do their business, stood Blue Jays pitcher and union representation Carlos Villaneuva.

Villaneuva was involved in negotiations that led to the new collective bargaining agreement in which the players agreed, for the first time, to be tested for human growth hormone.

That involves a blood test here at spring training. After that, Villaneuva said the logistics of HGH testing over the course of the season still have to be worked out.

“You never know how guys are going to react,” he said. “It can be more of a mental thing, maybe. You never know. Guys react differently.”

As for baseball’s overall drug testing policy, Villaneuva said he and the players, for the most part, are supportive.

It is supposed to be random - one during spring training and at least two more times during the course of the regular season.

But when a player like Toronto’s Jose Bautista, who has led the Major League in home runs the last two years, comes out and says he has been tested something like 16 times over the last two years, Villaneuva agreed that appears more like targeted testing than anything.

“If it’s 16 times then I don’t think it’s random at all,” Villaneuva said. I know, I heard there’s some dispute about, somebody said it’s impossible he got tested (that many times). It’s him that got tested, I can’t really tell you how many times he got tested.