This past offseason, Miami Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon signed a five-year, $50 million extension. After only a month into the 2016 season, he was suspended 80 games for the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

It is impossible to quantify just how much PEDs helped Gordon earn the contract, but it is clear that doping helped him improve as a player.

Prior to his breakout 2014 season with the Dodgers, he amassed just a .614 on-base plus slugging percentage in parts of three seasons to begin his career. In 2014, he stole a league-leading 64 bases and logged a .289 batting average — a significant improvement. In 2015, he led the National League in batting average at .333 and in stolen bases with 58.

Then came the suspension.

Gordon lost out on roughly $3 million in salary, a number that is fairly insignificant when looking at the $47 million he stands to earn from the contract.

So was it worth it for him to use PEDs? Probably. Gordon might still be milling around in the minors or sitting on a team’s bench making the league-minimum salary of $500,000. Instead, he only had to sit out half of the season while still making more money over the course of his contract than most baseball players will see in their entire career.

Even just making it to major leagues for one day nets players lifetime healthcare. If they manage to stay on the roster for a combined 43 days over the course of their careers, they earn a $34,000 annual pension in retirement.

There are major benefits to playing at the highest level in other sports too.

In the National Hockey League, playing in 160 games means an annual pension of $45,000. NBA players need three years of service to earn $57,000 per year beginning at the age of 62.

Once players reach the highest levels, their financial futures become considerably more stable. Considering Minor League Baseball players make roughly $1,000 per month, well below minimum wage considering the time requirement to play professional baseball, it may almost make sense for players to try to get ahead by using PEDs.

Only about 17 percent of players who sign out of the MLB draft will make the majors. The number of minor leaguers that eventually make the majors is even lower when considering the amount of international players and undrafted free agents who play in Minor League Baseball. After the first handful of rounds of the draft, signing bonuses for players decrease significantly. Most players make next to nothing while playing in the minors.

If you’re a minor league player, it might be worth it to use PEDs to stand out to your organization. After all, drug testing in baseball is random. You may or may not be tested and could conceivably slip through the cracks. With the prospects of better pay and a more secure retirement at the next level, many minor leaguers and even some major leaguers choose to take this route.

But for every minor leaguer that rises through the ranks on the basis of PEDs, there are countless others that don’t make it. There have been hundreds of minor leaguers suspended for PEDs in recent years. Regardless of whether their drug use was intentional or not, they got caught and have faced the consequences. Some get released, some get demoted and others may still make their way to the majors, but a positive drug test and suspension in any sport will set an athlete’s career back considerably and may tarnish their reputation.

The risks of using PEDs may be worth it to some athletes. Some may earn larger contracts than they would have without doping, while others may get caught and never reach the top of their sport. Either way, it can definitely be beneficial for some to risk it all by using PEDs to further their careers.