We baseball fans have become a suspicious sort.

For example, I was recently directed toward this picture of David Ortiz posing with J.D. Drew's freshly-caught fish down in Florida. I suppose the redirector's intent was to get a chuckle out of Big Papi holding a delicious bass, yet I couldn't help myself from initially having the following reaction: "Wow, Ortiz looks a little trimmed down for spring training. I wonder what he's doing — or not doing."

Did I have a right to allow such a thought?

I'd say no, because Ortiz has never been linked to a steroid investigation and his recent stance of a one-year suspension for PED users has been the toughest issued by a player this spring.

On the other hand, Ortiz used to work out with A-Rod's banned trainer (though he says Angel Presinal never suggested he take them) and he once denied steroid use while employing the ever convenient out clause of never knowingly taking them.

But whether or not Ortiz ever took steroids isn't close to what I'm trying to argue or debate here. Rather, I'm wondering if my reaction to that photo officially means that we're at a point where players can't even get into shape the right way without raising eyebrows?

New York Times columnist George Vecsey has the same thought in today's editions, taking note of baseball's numerous weight-loss success stories with extreme caution.  

From the NYT: 

"You have to be a little skeptical, given the context of watching bodies change," Dr. Gary Wadler, an internist and member of the World Anti-Doping Agency, said Thursday. "The explanation then was that they were eating more and working out more. Now if you hear players say, ‘We changed our ways,' all you can do is be suspicious."

Of course, there are many benefits to losing weight and reshaping your body, especially as players advance in age. Marlon Anderson, 35, tells Vecsey that losing weight takes a lot of stress off his valuable hips and knees.

Meanwhile, Vecsey interviews a few doctors and health experts who suggest that baseball's newer drug penalties may have sparked a reverse competition of sorts. While baseball players might have once been motivated to gain the most muscle mass in the clubhouse, now they're racing to see who can do the most with a lighter, slimmer and fitter body. As Vecsey points out, there have been plenty of players — he namechecks Ron Guidry — who have done much more with much less.

Still, I think we'll continue to view baseball's Biggest Loser stories with a healthy dose of skepticism. After a decade and a half of watching players inflate their numbers with artificial means, it'll take a while for us fully believe they're deflating their bodies through natural means like the Nintendo Wii. We remain a scarred people.

What do you think when a slimmed-down player reports to camp?