Report: A-Rod banned through 2014?

Rovin Romine

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Harry Hooper said:


 
re the bolded, on what basis? The established penalty for a first-time PED infraction is 50 games. The MLB penalty (if any applies) for all the other things Rodriguez may have been involved in seems to be much more murky.
 
Edit: There is also the Melky Cabrera precedent of only getting 50 games despite coverup/interference behavior.
 
Hawks beat me to it.  When MLB announced the ban, they specifically said it was for interfering with the investigation.  Granted, it's just a press release, but whatever formal notice they send A-Rod of the ban should outline what the ban is for, at least in broad strokes. 
 
 
Rodriguez's discipline under the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program is based on his use and possession of numerous forms of prohibited performance-enhancing substances, including Testosterone and human Growth Hormone, over the course of multiple years," Major League Baseball said in a statement. "Rodriguez's discipline under the Basic Agreement is for attempting to cover up his violations of the Program by engaging in a course of conduct intended to obstruct and frustrate the Office of the Commissioner's investigation."
 
I'm not sure if they're privately assessing a fixed number of days per theory of discipline.  Technically, I suppose that they could argue it's not a first offense, but a "multiple years" long offense. So it could be all days but one for the JDPTP or all days but one under the BA. 
 
Hence my thinking the year ban is reasonable.  I mean you should at least get banned for greater number of days than you used the drugs for, right?  You should get more than 50 days if you attempted to help 12 players escape their 50 day suspensions (sum total 600 days). 
 
A-Rod's getting less time on his ban than either.
 

Murderer's Crow

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jon abbey said:
 
Shit, I hang out with you guys, I have no idea. :)
 
But the few Yankee fans I know have never liked him and have no hope for this season, so presumably. 
 
If I'm being perfectly honest. I just want him to hit the damn ball and shutup now. If he's going to get suspended either way, it's better that the Yankees get 50 games from him at 38 than at 40 years old. 
 
I won't listen to any Yankee fan who tells me that if it's the bottom of the 9th and he's up, they're rooting for him to strike out.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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Harry Hooper said:
 
Why couldn't MLB have tacked on more games to Cabrera's suspension, regardless of when the evidence emerged, assuming that the Commissioner in fact does have the power to go beyond the JDPTP provisions? MLB seemingly chose not to pursue it.
 
 
I think you hit the nail on the head.  MLB is assuredly going to argue that they didn't have to use the "Just cause" clause on Melky since he accepted his suspension without an appeal.

Since ARod did not, they have grounds to use "Just Cause" to lengthen the suspension.

Also, there is a bit of difference between creating a fake website that didn't really offer any defense and trying to buy off/intimidate witnesses.
 

jon abbey

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Snodgrass'Muff said:
 
Jon: That ball is hit deep.  IT IS DEEP... IT IS FAR... IT IS... a home run.  So ARod goes deep in his first game back and, you know, Suzyn, it strikes me how utterly different that home run was from the one Derek Jeter hit in his first at bat back with the club, on the first pitch... capturing that moment in a way that only a man such as he could do.  Isn't Derek Jeter great?
Suzyn: ...
Jon: Suzyn?
Suzyn: Just a minute!
Jon: Uh, Suzyn? What are you...?
Suzyn: DEREK... JEEEETEEEEEER!
Jon: So Robbie Cano steps in and...
 
On behalf of all people actually named 'Jon', please never connect us to John Sterling again. Thank you. :)
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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Harry Hooper said:
 
Why couldn't MLB have tacked on more games to Cabrera's suspension, regardless of when the evidence emerged, assuming that the Commissioner in fact does have the power to go beyond the JDPTP provisions? MLB seemingly chose not to pursue it.
 
 
 
Cabrera case: MLB has evidence of use (positive test result) = 50-game suspension under under JDPTP provisions. No additional discipline applied under non-JDPTP  provisions despite evidence of other shenanigans.  .
 
Biogenesis cases: MLB has evidence of use (documentation & testimony) = 50-game suspension under JDPTP provisions.  Additional discipline applied under non-JDPTP provisions to Rodriguez based on evidence of other shenanigans.
 
I think the crux of Cabrera's deal was that the cover-up occurred during the appeal process.  The cover-up occurred after the positive test and the initial suspension.  I think we need to keep in mind that under the JDA, MLB announces suspensions only after the appeals process is over.  So Cabrera's timeline went like this...1) positive test, 2) suspension handed out, 3) appeal made, 4) cover-up discovered, 5) original suspension upheld and announced.
 
With A-Rod, we are just entering the appeal process (step 3).  So the discovery of not only A-Rod's connections to Biogenesis but also his attempts to cover-up all fall into step 1 on the Cabrera timeline.
 
MLB isn't and hasn't been in the habit of increasing suspensions after or due to a failed appeal.  It's the original punishment, a reduced punishment, or no punishment following appeal, thus Cabrera got 50 games and that was the end of the story despite uncovering the cover-up.
 

jon abbey

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People have said it above, but making a fake web site for yourself after you've already tested positive is a lot different from trying to impede an ongoing investigation of a couple of dozen players, including yourself.
 
Also four boxes of evidence did actually disappear from someone's car, it's possible they can link A-Rod to that, we don't really know.
 

nocode51

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The other players who got busted must be thrilled about this A-Rod circus and how it has distracted from what they did. I mean this thread is even named for A-Rod with no mention of the rest of them even though 3 of them were all-stars this season and several played vital roles on playoff teams. Obviously A-Rod is the biggest name by far on the list but I wouldn't say he is close to being the player who has most impacted the current season. I get that their is time needed to investigate etc, but these players were basically known about in spring training and they still got to play 2/3rds of the season and have a large impact on the post-season and now thanks to A-Rod it's barely being discussed. 
 

soxhop411

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A-rod will be having a  press conference this hour (it should be on MLBN (and im guessing ESPN) 
 

jon abbey

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Has anyone talked about why Braun agreed to 65 games even though getting 50 like everyone else would have meant another $800K or so in his pocket? Is it because of his previous positive that was thrown out?
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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jon abbey said:
Has anyone talked about why Braun agreed to 65 games even though getting 50 like everyone else would have meant another $800K or so in his pocket? Is it because of his previous positive that was thrown out?
 
I think it is.  He was probably facing 100 games as a repeat offender and rather than have anything carry over to next season, he negotiated his sentence down to run out with the end of this season.
 

soxfan121

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Jonah Keri says that when the suspension goes into effect, the Yankees will NOT count Arod's salary toward the luxury tax
 
 
On the other hand, a suspension lasting as long as has been proposed would save the Yankees about $34 million. More than just saved salary, that money wouldn't count against the team's luxury tax threshold. That could open the door for the Yankees to aggressively pursue a variety of high-priced players, ranging from re-signing Robinson Cano and Hiroki Kuroda to courting free agents like Shin Soo-Choo, Jacoby Ellsbury, Matt Garza, Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann, Hunter Pence, and others. They could also look into trades for high-priced players the way the Dodgers did last summer (or more likely, something not quite that ambitious). As things stand, the Yankees have only seven players under contract for next season, including Rodriguez, with a total committed payroll of about $89 million — not counting multiple other players under team control who'll be eligible for arbitration or renewals. Ditch A-Rod's salary and you could, say, pay full freight to outbid L.A. and other potential suitors on Cano, bring back all or most of your team-controlled players not under long-term deals, and still fill out the rest with quality talent … all the while ducking under next year's $189 million luxury tax, thus saving tens of millions of dollars, now and in the future.
 
 

Doc Zero

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crow216 said:
 
I won't listen to any Yankee fan who tells me that if it's the bottom of the 9th and he's up, they're rooting for him to strike out.
 
What if they're behind 19-6?
 

AbbyNoho

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Sweet. Now there is absolutely no incentive for teams to be against steroids. They'll get the benefit of the player before they are caught and not be held financially responsible for anything while they're suspended. MLB needs to get the teams interested in stopping PEDs as well. If they actually want to get rid of it they need to all be against it, you can't essentially reward teams like Oakland for using Bartolo Colon. It's all bullshit. 
 

Fratboy

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"The last 7 months have been a nightmare, the worst time in my life, tough surgery, rehab program, and being 38"
 
HAHAHAHA
 

Doc Zero

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Bob Montgomery's Helmet Hat said:
There is no way that ARod will say anything meaningful
 
You're already wrong, he just said he's excited to play the game of baseball.
 

scottyno

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YouLookAdopted said:
They can't make any long term financial commitments based in the salary relief they are getting for one year. Once the suspension is over, they will have his salary back on the books.
but just getting under the luxury tax for 1 year is huge even if they go back to paying it the year after
 

glennhoffmania

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He won't even deny he used.  What could he possibly say that would mean anything?
 

Snodgrass'Muff

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I'd like to take a moment to say that I am here, in Chicago today and that, um... yeah, I'm here.  Right now.  At this very moment.  Sitting in front of you all.  Having a press conference.
 

Fratboy

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Of course he's going to deny it. He's in the middle of an appeals process. He's not going to say anything about that.
 
At least he acknowledges he sucked in the playoffs last year.
 

jon abbey

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glennhoffmania said:
He looks like he may cry.
 
Just wait until he is constantly booed, home and away. This is a guy who has always massively cared what others thought of him, that part is going to be hilarious.
 

Fratboy

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THAT'S FRIDAY NIGHT, TODAY IS ANOTHER DAY.
 
I want to thank all of the fans and *some* of the media people, and all of the Dominicans and hispanics around the world.