MLB Targeting A-Rod for Possible 100 Game Ban, Now What?

Alex Rodriguez already knew his 2013 season is in serious doubt as he recovers from hip surgery. While there is an outside chance that Rodriguez could return to the field by mid-to-late August, the lingering ramifications from his dabbling in steroids from the Biogenesis lab was never going to leave him.

Rodriguez, an already admitted steroid user during his time with the Texas Rangers, was supposed to be clean since coming to New York. That was until a story in February revealed that Rodriguez was one of the top clients for Tony Bosch, who ran a chemical/steroid lab in Miami, Florida.

Now Major League Baseball is trying to work out a deal with Bosch to provide further information on Rodriguez, Milwaukee slugger Ryan Braun and 20 other players before doling out 100-game suspensions.

If there is enough evidence provided by the former steroid supplier, it would give Commissioner Bud Selig tremendous power in handing out suspension. While first time offenders typically receive 50-games suspensions, this case would count as two suspensions. The first offense would count from a previous suspension or denial of using performance enhancing drugs, which A-Rod has already done, although he never served a suspension.

The second offense comes from obtaining drugs from Bosch. In short A-Rod is screwed two ways to Sunday.

There are manifold reasons as to why Bosch is willing to come out now:

"According to a source familiar with the negotiations, Bosch is close to cooperating for two primary reasons: he fears the cost to his family, friends and associates of litigating the lawsuit MLB filed against him this spring for tortuous interference with player contracts, as well as possibly facing obstruction of justice charges if federal authorities prosecute him."(NY Daily News). 

Many players have come out in denial of any connection to Bosch, including Melky Cabrera who has already been suspended, and Ryan Braun who avoided suspension after MLB botched a urine sample that would have gotten him suspended as well.

However it is Rodriguez who is most interesting. He has never faced a suspension, even though he's admitted to using steroids in the past.

He came out Thursday and basically pleaded the Fifth, saying he wouldn't comment on the Bosch/Biogenesis scandal until further information is revealed.

The Yankees owe Rodriguez $114 million over the next five years in an initial 10-year contract he signed back in 2007. Coming off that 2007 season, Rodriguez threatened to opt out of his contract, during the World Series, and become a free agent. He was coming off a monster offensive season in which he hit over 50 homers, and the Yankees felt pressured to bring him back.

Why? The Yankees at the time were becoming an irrelevancy in the AL East; Boston had just won two World Series titles in four years, and the Yankees were still stinging for the indignation of blowing a 3-0 series lead to Boston in the '04 ALCS.

Plus Rodriguez was on pace to reach many home run and offensive milestones, and they knew that if Rodriguez reached them it would put the YES network on the map.

Now Rodriguez is an albatross that the Yankees can't get rid of fast enough. They have been playing good baseball this year without him, as Robinson Cano, Vernon Wells, Lyle Overbay, Mark Teixeira, and Travis Hafner have played very well so far this year. The Yankees also seem settled at third base with the play of youngster David Adams and veteran Kevin Youklis.

If Rodriguez were to return from hip surgery in August, it could ruin the dichotomy of this baseball team. In short A-Rod is to the Yankees what Bobby Bollnia was to the Mets years ago. He's to the Yankees what Mark Sanchez is to the Jets, and what Stephan Marberry was to the Knicks. An overpaid pain in the ass.

Still getting rid of A-Rod is easier said than done. Cutting him would result in a monster cap hit. Trading him now, with his value at an all-time low is not going to happen.

Earlier this week, Yankee GM Brian Cashman told ESPN of the one-time superstar who still has five years and $114 million on his 10-year, $275 million contract: “(It’s) complicated. It’s kind of like the Clint Eastwood movie, ‘The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.’ . . . (His contract) is something I think even Alex would tell you, he couldn’t live up to that (contract). It’s an enormous contract and I think that, I would say probably, he couldn’t live up to it. But he’s doing everything he can to try to do so” (NY Daily News). 

All the Yankees can hope for is that Rodriguez misses the rest of this season with his hip injury, and then he misses 3/4 of the 2014 season due to suspension. Only then, maybe Rodriguez, who would essentially be two years removed from his last game, would concede and retire.