A-Rod and others in new PED report

[Guest d'Kong76]

Glad he was first to go ... garbage.

[Edgy MD]

Strange to see BioGenesis-related disciplinary action roll out piecemeal, though, isn't it?

[Guest d'Kong76]

Maybe he's the only big name (or one of a few) that won't
be seeking union help because the evidence is so strong.

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: Strange to see BioGenesis-related disciplinary action roll out piecemeal, though, isn't it?

not really. This way they can roll out weekly reminders that they're "cleaning up the game" while systematically trying to scare guys on the list into admitted more (and naming names)

[Frayed Knot]

Also, MLB was meeting with the 'List' guys one by one, Braun may have been one of the first.
There also might be negotiations going on (what MLB wants, what each player is willing to accept without a fight) that this may just have been the first one to be settled.

The one thing MLB does NOT want to do in these cases is shoot too high and risk seeing one or more of these guys getting off on a technicality. The negotiations may be key to that.

[Gwreck]

I would imagine that despite the lengthier suspension, Braun gets classified as a first-time offender rather than a second-time offender.

[Edgy MD]

Puello doesn't have a union to fight for him.

[Frayed Knot]

Gwreck wrote: I would imagine that despite the lengthier suspension, Braun gets classified as a first-time offender rather than a second-time offender.

Maybe, but the fact that Braun, and by extension the union, accepted the 70+ games without a fight when the rules call for just 50 indicates to me that he's essentially admitting that he has "priors" on this subject.

I guess we'll find out if the dope gets caught again.

[MFS62]

Edgy MD wrote: Puello doesn't have a union to fight for him.

Because he is on the 40 man roster, he will have MLBPA lawyers representing him.

Later

[metirish]

TransMonk wrote: He's a cheater and a liar. F him. If I was Matt Kemp, I'd be livid right now.

and the collector that he waged a smear campaign against should be livid , probably feeling vindicated too though. Braun is a piece of shit, but he'll be back next ST ....that sucks.

[ashie62]

In effect....Braun took a plea bargain..

Arod...banned for life maybe?

Edited July 23, 2013 by Guest

[MFS62]

Now that Braun has the rest of the Summer off, he can vacation at CLUB PED.

Later

[Frayed Knot]

If nothing else, this whole topic has given ESPN a reason to actually talk about baseball.
As long as they don't have to sully themselves discussing the season, the games, or the players, they're OK with it.

[Frayed Knot]

So now it seems that Alex 'I'm never going to negotiate' Rodriguez and MLB are ... in the process of negotiations.

The remainder of the players and teams have been informed of their upcoming suspensions which will apparently be announced on Friday.

[MFS62]

Puello has been reported (Daily News) to be one of the players to be suspended. If he is suspended for 50 games, can the Mets add him to the 25 man roster and THEN suspend him? That way, he would serve out the 50 major league games (about the rest of the major league schedule) this year and start spring training on time next year.
If they can't, then he would sit out the roughly 30 games of the minor league schedule this year, and would be banned next year until he serves out the remaining games of his suspension. This would also prohibit his attending spring training, further retarding his development.

Later

[stevejrogers]

Frayed Knot wrote: If nothing else, this whole topic has given ESPN a reason to actually talk about baseball. As long as they don't have to sully themselves discussing the season, the games, or the players, they're OK with it.

Or complain that baseball this ONE HOT guy and no one is talking about him because its all about the steroids again.

[metsmarathon]

Frayed Knot wrote: So now it seems that Alex 'I'm never going to negotiate' Rodriguez and MLB are ... in the process of negotiations. The remainder of the players and teams have been informed of their upcoming suspensions which will apparently be announced on Friday.

it just occurred to me... if arod is only suspended and not banned for life, even though he's not getting paid, his salary should still count against the mfy payroll, shouldn't it? or is that calculated based on dollars paid not dollars contractually obligated?

[Edgy MD]

Frayed Knot wrote: If nothing else, this whole topic has given ESPN a reason to actually talk about baseball. As long as they don't have to sully themselves discussing the season, the games, or the players, they're OK with it.

Baseball: America's answer to cycling.

[Frayed Knot]

So now it seems that Alex 'I'm never going to negotiate' Rodriguez and MLB are ... in the process of negotiations. The remainder of the players and teams have been informed of their upcoming suspensions which will apparently be announced on Friday. it just occurred to me... if arod is only suspended and not banned for life, even though he's not getting paid, his salary should still count against the mfy payroll, shouldn't it? or is that calculated based on dollars paid not dollars contractually obligated?

I have no idea how this affects the whole salary-cap/lux-tax issue.
The fun part about all this is going to be that, even if this suspension is (as anticipated in many quarters) for the rest of this season plus all of 2014, his deal with the Yanx would still be in effect for three seasons after that and the only thing better than them seeing that anchor on their roster in 2015-2017 at ages 40, 41, and 42, is seeing that anchor on their roster for 2015-2017 after what amounts to (via injuries and banishment) a nearly three year layoff!!

What I suspect at that point is that his remaining salary would be small enough to where the Yanx would find some way to buy him out. Even they weren't going to swallow his $100+ million he was still owed going into this season, but at "only" $61 mil for those years (the Yanx actually got somewhat smart and partially front-loaded his deal this time) I'm sure they'd go to him and say something on the order of: "look, how's about taking [insert figure here] to just go away? ... Yeah, you could refuse and then we'd have to pay you the full amount but: a) we hate you; we have no intention of playing you; c) we don't even want you at our facilities or interacting with our players; and d) did I mention that we hate you? Also, since there's no way anyone else is going to pay your creaky, old, two-hip surgery, PED-deformed ass anywhere near the [buyout] figure we're offering you, if you want to EVER play again and boost your already tainted numbers up a few notches so you can tell your grandkids (assuming that they aren't going to hate you also) that you hit more HRs than Willie Mays, then you'll take this sum and be free to strike your own deal somewhere else"


IOW, I've finally come around to the realization that AR has already played his last game in a MFY uniform.

[Edgy MD]

MFS62 wrote: Puello has been reported (Daily News) to be one of the players to be suspended. If he is suspended for 50 games, can the Mets add him to the 25 man roster and THEN suspend him? That way, he would serve out the 50 major league games (about the rest of the major league schedule) this year and start spring training on time next year. If they can't, then he would sit out the roughly 30 games of the minor league schedule this year, and would be banned next year until he serves out the remaining games of his suspension. This would also prohibit his attending spring training, further retarding his development. Later

Sounds like a reckless plan to me, plus it further motivates players to juice up when they're in the minors, ride out any suspensions they may incur if they're accidentally caught (even though Cesar somehow beat the testing regimen), and then restart their careers from the elevated professional position the roids gave them.

The Mets already paid a big price (a two year contract, plus possibly the 2007 division and any potential subsequent crowns) believing Guillermo Mota to be, after his suspension, some the player he was before. The Mets would do well to let Puello serve his time honorably, and treat him next season like the same borderline prospect he was before this season.

With respect to his career trajectory, this season should be treated like it never happened.

That said, he's already on the 40, so September may already count against his suspension.

[MFS62]

Edgy MD wrote: That said, he's already on the 40, so September may already count against his suspension.

That's what I'm waiting to find out.
Later

[Ceetar]

MFS62 wrote: Edgy MD wrote: That said, he's already on the 40, so September may already count against his suspension. That's what I'm waiting to find out. Later

and I believe they can put him on the suspended list and not lose a roster spot right?

he can still go to minor league spring training regardless though I think, just not be used in the major league games or anything.

But let's see if that's actually what happens first.

[Zvon]

[Frayed Knot]

Alex Rodriguez and the others are reported to have a 6PM Sunday deadline to reach an agreement with MLB on punishment in the BioGenesis case or have one handed to them on Monday.

ARod, who played in Trenton Friday night, is coincidentally (or not) on track to re-join the Yanquis on Monday following another game today and then an evaluation on Sunday. He even held a press conference following his game in which he talked about there being "more than one party that benefits from me not ever stepping back on the field. That�s not my teammates and it�s not the Yankee fans.�.
Hmmmm, so if it's not Yankee teammates and it's not Yankee fans, then that must leave the Yankee [rhymes with shmanagement].
When asked who the parties were, Rodriguez said: �I can�t tell you that right now ... And I hope I never have to.�

Oh this is going to get good!

[Ceetar]

Frayed Knot wrote: Alex Rodriguez and the others are reported to have a 6PM Sunday deadline to reach an agreement with MLB on punishment in the BioGenesis case or have one handed to them on Monday. ARod, who played in Trenton Friday night, is coincidentally (or not) on track to re-join the Yanquis on Monday following another game today and then an evaluation on Sunday. He even held a press conference following his game in which he talked about there being "more than one party that benefits from me not ever stepping back on the field. That�s not my teammates and it�s not the Yankee fans.�. Hmmmm, so if it's not Yankee teammates and it's not Yankee fans, then that must leave the Yankee [rhymes with shmanagement]. When asked who the parties were, Rodriguez said: �I can�t tell you that right now ... And I hope I never have to.� Oh this is going to get good!

Yup, if they suspect him he's going to air every single dirty piece of laundry on the Yankees. I hate this biogenesis stuff, but I almost want him to get suspended just for that.

[Frayed Knot]

The latest reports say that MLB is so pissed at ARod for (among other things) the (not-so) veiled references in his Friday night press conference about those who "had an interest" in him being run out of the game that they've cut off any future negotiations with his representatives as to how long the suspension will be and are now just prepared to announce their version of his suspension on Monday. The terms are said to be for the rest of 2013 and all of 2014, or about 210 games.

Alex, of course, is still saying that, having finished up his rehab in Trenton, he plans to be in Chicago on Monday for the Yanx game against the White Sox.

[dgwphotography]

With their history of PED-assisted players, I find it hard to believe that the Yankees didn't know about this. Cashman would do anything to get out of this contract, and I wouldn't be surprised if they were helping MLB with their investigation with this goal in mind.

It stinks to high Hell, and I don't think any team who has a player suspended due to PED use should get salary relief. Said salary should still count against luxury cap, and these dollars should be deposited into the MLB general fund, earmarked for a suitable charity.

[Ceetar]

dgwphotography wrote: With their history of PED-assisted players, I find it hard to believe that the Yankees didn't know about this. Cashman would do anything to get out of this contract, and I wouldn't be surprised if they were helping MLB with their investigation with this goal in mind. It stinks to high Hell, and I don't think any team who has a player suspended due to PED use should get salary relief. Said salary should still count against luxury cap, and these dollars should be deposited into the MLB general fund, earmarked for a suitable charity.

Hell, Alex might've been buying for the whole team.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Alex Rodriguez, just turned 38, is about to fade away. He never had that stern voice in his ear that said, �Alex � don�t!�

Nice column here.

[dgwphotography]

Oh please - more of that "Real Yankee" tripe. The A-Rods and the Clemenses - the overpaid mercenaries - are the Real Yankees...

Of course, this column left out the fact that his father has tried to negotiate some kind of relationship with him over the years, but ARod has rebuffed it. That would be just an inconvenient truth for the column, I guess.