NY Post: More Biogenesis suspensions coming this week

July 28, 2013 by Mike Axisa 25 Comments

Via Joel Sherman & Ken Davidoff: There are strong indications MLB will announce the rest of the Biogenesis related suspensions sometime this coming week. The idea is that the first time offenders, if they decline to appeal, could serve their 50-game suspensions this season and start next year with a clean slate.

The NY Post duo says MLB is going to demand that Alex Rodriguez‘s punish far exceeds Ryan Braun’s, and it’s possible Bud Selig could push for a lifetime ban. That would surely be met with a legal battle, however. The league won’t end a player’s career without a fight. They could also seek to suspend A-Rod for the rest of this season and all of next year. Alex’s camp has met with MLB recently just to get an idea of what’s coming, but it is “unequivocally untrue” they are working on a settlement. Either way, sounds like we’ll hear something before he returns from his quad injury.

ND Mike

What quad injury? His doctor says he’s fine *wink,wink*
Carlos Danger

All without failed tests, on the words of a shady “doctor”. Steroids are bad, yes, but unless they release the evidence this pisses me off.
- steve (different one)
  
  I have defended A-Rod as much as anyone on this site over the last 5 years, but doesn’t common sense tell us that Ryan Braun’s “deal” means that MLB has the goods on these guys?? I was also refusing to believe MLB could do this without failed tests, but then they showed Braun what they have, and he accepted a 65 game suspension. It’s real.
  
  A-Rod is going down, the only question will be for how long.
  
  The only reason A-Rod will fight his suspension is because he has nothing to lose at this point. If MLB’s opening salvo, as rumored, is the rest of this season and all of 2014, that effectively almost ends his career. He’d be almost 40 years old and coming back after 2 entire seasons off.
  
  The BEST CASE scenario, IMO, is 100 games.
  - 28 this year
    
    Best case scenario for the Yankees is either lifetime ban or enough of a ban that A-Rod may just retire or something. If he’s out for a significant amount of time and tries to comeback, he will be beyond useless as then he will be old guy coming off of multiple hip surgeries with years away from the game.
    - Laz
      
      And if he was that useless why would he retire. If he was so useless he could probably get the Yankees to buy out his contract.
  - RetroRob
    
    The information can certainly be challenged, yet most players knowing they are guilty probably have no desire to go that route. A-Rod, however, may if they want to ban him forever, or even a full season.
    
    He could very well win, and then he could probably sue MLB for damages.
- radnom
  
  They have evidence. They are not going to make it public, until the matter is settled.
  
  Brauns deal should tell you that it is legit. A “shady doctor’s” words, plus paper trail were enough to send people to jail through the U.S. court system in the Balco case.
  
  The best possible outcome for the Yankees is lifetime ban. No question. The only reason to not want this outcome is if you think its unfair to Arod, which is laughable.
  - steve (different one)
    
    I should have said “the best case for ARod”.
    
    I would agree that a lifetime ban is the best case scenario for the Yankees.
  - Carlos Danger
    
    I too find jest in it all, but for different reasons. Balco? That circus, that waste of tax dollars? I doubt MLB wants another Balco on their hands, your point stands as far as “paper trail” portion but without congressional hearings there’s no perjury charges forthcoming, and if Bonds didn’t get suspended, what precedence has been set outside of Braun accepting a plea deal?
    
    If A-Rod doesn’t play ball with MLB (like Braun), he very well could win an appeal (like Braun did with the same attorney with an actual failed test) depending on the verbage in the contract. If they plan on taking 30MM+ from a player, they should be prepared for said player, regardless who they are to fight back. My point way at the top of this was unless they reveal the actual evidence and force a suspension with no actual failed drug test, yes, it would anger me.
RetroRob

I suspect much (actually all) of A-Rod’s recent odd actions on challenging the Yankees, having his lawyer on the call, Twitter, phoning sports talk shows, etc. have been driven by trying to build a case that MLB and the Yankees are treating him unfairly compared to other players. He probably knows they’re going for something extraordinary, perhaps a lifetime ban, which is why he’s been so over-the-top.

My guess is if they announce a lifetime ban, they’ll eventually settle on something lesser (which would be anything).
- Kosmo
  
  my guess is the rest of this year and all or most of 2014 which would affectively end his career.
  - Bronx Bombers23
    
    That would be the best case scenario. Just go away A-Rod. Go away.
  - jim p
    
    Not sure he wouldn’t come back to sit on the bench and do pinch-hitting for the $40+ million on the rest of his contract. But at least the Yanks could make a more affordable buy-out offer.
CP

The idea is that the first time offenders, if they decline to appeal, could serve their 50-game suspensions this season and start next year with a clean slate.

You mean people like ARod?
- steve (different one)
  
  And Braun?
  
  Should be apparent the commissioner has some discretion here.
Dan

If Alex gets banned for all of next year, I predict he plays in Japan and they tries to come back. Remember this is a horrible contract–this is the worst contract in baseball history. He’d still have 3 (!) years left making $20 million plus a year even if he misses all of next year. There’s no way he just hangs up the glove and says I’m done when that money’s on the table.
- steve (different one)
  
  I don’t think he could play in Japan while under contract with the Yankees. He’s welcome to retire and go play in Japan.
jim p

Adding together the story that MLB will hand out suspensions this week, and the earlier stories (or rumors) that suspensions were coming soon and that A-Rod was angling for an “unable to play” ruling, so he could get his money…

It would make the recent drama and his eagerness to get back on the field pretty logical. He plays five games, complains about the pain, and there he has a way to get a big chunk of his money before he’s suspended. Not saying that’s what the “I want to play” thing is entirely about, but it is plausible.
Laz

I’m sick of this.
All this speculation.
All this negotiating a deal, etc.

Just do weekly drug testing on everyone.
It is essentially 20,000 tests for everyone on the 25 man roster. Look at all the money that mlb is bringing in and tell me that, that is too expensive. Also, how much money is all this “investigation” taking with all the lawyers, and buying the evidence.

My work doesn’t care if I go buy alcohol, or pot, only that if it is in my system when I show up for work.
- Carlos Danger
  
  All of this. If I went to work with glassy eyes and my corporate office took here-say as gospel and acted upon it, I’d have a lawsuit on my hands if I was suspended or terminated for use of drugs, with no failed drug test. However if I was given, and failed a drug test, I’d have no such recourse. How someone can be suspected then suspended with no failed test is beyond me.
trr

Let the come!
- trr
  
  *them
toad

Is it possible that MLB is trying to get something like:

1. Suspension through the end of 2014
2. An agreement from the Yankees to pay $40 million as a buyout of 2015-7, which A-Rod agrees to take.
3. A-Rod agrees to “retire” from MLB and not seek to return in any capacity after the suspension is over.

Plusses:

For MLB: He’s effectively out of the game for good with no lawsuits, etc. The authority of the Commissioner to hand out a 1.5 year ban for PED use is established.

For A-Rod: Officially, no lifetime ban, and he gets 2/3 of the money remaining on his contract. Possibly retains HOF eligibility.

For the Yankees: $20 million saved, and whatever is done with respect to luxury tax on the payoff. Monkey off the back.
- Laz
  
  You don’t think he wants to try for the 67 hr he needs to catch up to Ruth?
  - toad
    
    He may want to try, but I bet it’s not a high priority for him at this point. In any case, I doubt he has much chance under any sort of remotely reasonable scenario.
    
    Even if he’s out only for the rest of this season – a very improbable 50-game suspension – he’d have to average 17 HR/yr over the next four years. Considering age and injuries I’d say that’s clearly worse than a 50-50 proposition.