DEVELOPING: MLB May Suspend A-Rod, Braun- As Many As 20 Players For Biogenesis Relationships

((HT: Outside The Lines/ESPN))

This could be big...

The whole Biogenesis/Tony Bosch saga may come down to how much Bosch cooperates with Major League Baseball. And, according to Pedro Gomez, Mike Fish, and TJ Quinn, there could be a 100-game suspension in it for Alex Rodriguez and the other twenty players.

The connection to Bosch is one strike, and any contradictions about PED's the athletes under investigation would be a double-dip. Bosch is expected to name names within a week, and the suspensions could come shortly thereafter.

In exchange...

From ESPN:

Major League Baseball will drop the lawsuit it filed against Bosch in March; indemnify him for any liability arising from his cooperation; provide personal security for him and even put in a good word with any law enforcement agency that may bring charges against him. Sources said negotiations over the agreement, which lasted several weeks, stalled over the last point, as Bosch wanted the strongest assurances he could get that MLB would help mitigate any prosecution.

The list of possible players, from paperwork that "Outside The Lines" has could reach any combination of:

A-Rod, Ryan Braun, Melky Cabrera, Bartolo Colon, Yasmani Grandal, Nelson Cruz, Francisco Cervelli, Jesus Montero, Jhonny Peralta, Cesar Puello, Fernando Martinez, Everth Cabrera, Fautini de los Santos, Jordan Norberto, and others who are identified by code names. All are currently on major-league rosters but Puello, a top outfield prospect for the New York Mets- playing in Class AA Binghamton.

Here's the first time that Pedro Gomez caught up with Bosch back in April...


MLB athletes have an appeals process with the MLBPA, evidenced by Braun's foray into the process when he went with the "FedEx guy and the tester poisoned my sample" defense. Puello does not since he's in the minors.

Here's the original piece from Fish and Quinn

So... Did A-Rod Or Didn't A-Rod Take Recent PED's...???

((HT: Miami New Times/Elfrink))

According to Tim Elfrink's Miami New Times article, a three-month investigation into the Biogenesis clinic near the University of Miami campus has yielded some big names in its net- including Alex Rodriguez who has stated publicly that he's been off the PED train for almost ten years...

Remember the Peter Gammons interview...???
((HT: ESPN/youtube))


Anthony Bosch ran Biogenesis and has somewhat disappeared when a list of names that's fairly well known in baseball circled as part of an alleged client list given to the New Times- Melky Cabrera, Oakland A's hurler Bartolo Colón, Washington Nationals pitcher Gio Gonzalez and Texas Rangers slugger Nelson Cruz.

From Elfrink:

The notebooks and client lists aren't the only evidence linking Rodriguez to Bosch. Former employees say Bosch would openly brag about selling drugs to Rodriguez.

"He was always talking about A-Rod," says one former employee who asked not to be named. "We never saw any athletes in the office, so we didn't know if he was just talking bullshit or not. But he would brag about how tight they were."

The two connections to all of the athletes and Biogenesis seem to be that they all had a hook with the UM program and they possibly caught once before by Major League Baseball on an investigation of some degree.

But whether or not Biogenesis has actually helped Rodriguez is another matter as his body seems to be breaking down more consistently these days. The HQ rubs its chin and wonders aloud why that is...

He has not played a full season with the Yankees since 2007 and had his second lowest batting average in his career last season. He played in only 122 games before going on the DL. He also hasn't hit more than 30 HR in a season since 2008.

The Yankees owe Rodriguez $114 million over the five years left on his current contract. When it expires, Rodriguez will be 41-years-old. He will, at that point, be one very expensive designated hitter...

Bay Area Blues: First Melky, Now Colon Busted For PED

((HT: KGO-TV))

First it was the Melky Cabrera saga over on the Bay... which is still ongoing... and now inland, it's Bartolo Colon and his suspension for 50 games for testing positive for testosterone levels above the norm.

"I apologize to the fans, to my teammates and to the Oakland A's," Colon said in a statement released by the MLBPA. "I accept responsibility for my actions and I will serve my suspension as required by the joint drug program."

Here's what the fans think...


The suspension is for the last 40 games of the regular season and the next 10 games- wherever they are (post-season or next season)...

Colon is out almost $470,000, but he would have earned another $250,000 if he started in his turn in the A's rotation Thursday.