Alex Rodriguez to be Suspended Through 2014

Aug 2, 2013; Trenton, NJ, USA; Trenton Thunder third baseman Alex Rodriguez answers questions after facing the Reading Fighting Phils at Arm

According to multiple sources, Major League Baseball plans to suspend Alex Rodriguez for the rest of the 2013 season and the entire 2014 season. The 214-game suspension would be the longest in MLB history.

MLB will justify the suspension by using both the collective-bargaining agreement, which would banish Rodriguez immediately and keep him off the field before his planned return from injury that day, as well as the joint drug agreement, sources said.

In 2009, Rodriguez admitted to using steroids when he played with Texas earlier in the decade. He urged fans to judge him from that day forward. A-Rod didn’t serve a suspension after his admission, but he’s in deep trouble now. Ironically, MLB believes that Rodriguez took steroids every year since 2009.

MLB is expected to announce A-Rod’s suspension (along with several other suspensions) on Monday, which would coincide with his expected return to the Yankees from a minor league rehab assignment. If the suspension comes down, Rodriguez would not get a chance to play in a major league game this year.

Rumors of a lifetime ban began to spread last week. Whether it was an option or not, Rodriguez and his legal team were in negotiations with the league to try to reduce his sentence. Apparently, A-Rod’s camp insisted that he was a first-time steroid user, and should be banned for only 50 games, as per the collective bargaining agreement. But the MLB has been getting information from Tony Bosch, owner of the Biogenesis clinic that has been linked to Rodriguez and other players, suggesting that the Yankees’ third baseman has been using all along.

They didn’t get the 50-game suspension, but they avoided the lifetime ban. If the 214-game suspension hits on Monday, Rodriguez won’t be eligible to return to the field until 2015 as a 40 year-old. By then, it will be interesting to see whether he still wants to play and if the Yankees or any other team will take a chance on him.

Downfall of a Once Great Player

This could be the end of a career that seemed so promising. In the late 90s and early 2000s, A-Rod was one of the top 2-3 players in baseball, if not the best. And he was perceived to be one of the clean players during the steroid era. He never showed any of the physical signs of a steroid user. He was always long and lean, not big and muscle-bound like Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, and Sammy Sosa. In 2009, a little bloom came off the rose. Now, A-Rod’s image, career, and reputation are ruined forever.

Rodriguez has a lifetime .300/.384/.560 slash with 647 home runs. What those numbers would have looked like had he been clean is something no one will ever know.

Meanwhile, the Yankees are still saddled by A-Rod’s 10-year, $275 million dollar contract, which still has 4 years remaining on it. They may try to get out of it by cashing in on the insurance policy they have against it. But it’s undeniably a major headache for the organization.

Other Players linked to Biogenesis

Other players facing possible suspension on Monday include  Mariners catcher Jesus Montero; Tigers shortstop Jhonny Peralta; Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz; Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli; Padres shortstop Everth Cabrera; minor leaguers Jordan Norberto, Fernando Martinez, Fautino de los Santos and Cesar Puello. Cruz may consider an appeal to try to stay active during the Rangers’ pennant race.

According to Jon Heyman of CBS, Blue Jays outfielder Melky Cabrera, Padres catcher Yasmani Grandal and A’s pitcher Bartolo Colon will not be re-suspended as they served 50-game bans last year after failing tests.Nationals pitcher Gio Gonzalez is not involved in this case after early suggestions he might be.

Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun has already been suspended for the remainder of the year.