X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Fall From Grace: The Alex Rodriguez Saga, PED Timeline & MLB Suspension

alex-rodriguez-ped-ban-suspension-mlb-news-analysis

 

The Alex Rodriguez PED Saga

You know the name, you’ve heard the stories. Alex Rodriguez’s meteoric rise to fame and excessive fortune is outmatched only by his catastrophic fall from grace, the latest chapter of which is developing before our eyes.

 

The Rise

Most baseball fans can remember the glory years of Alex Rodriguez, exploding into the major leagues in 1996 with a Silver Slugger-caliber season for the Mariners, finishing behind only Juan Gonzalez in MVP voting. His play in Seattle led to a record-breaking 10-year, $252 million deal with the Rangers, where Rodriguez would gather three more Silver Sluggers, two Gold Gloves and his first MVP award. In his first season in Texas he set a new personal record for homers with 52, a large jump from his 37 in Seattle, which many would argue was one of the first indicators of his PED use. Unfortunately the Rangers couldn’t find ways to win even with Rodriguez’s help, and he was ultimately traded to the Yankees, one of the only teams that could afford to take on his outrageous contract. During his first few seasons with the Yankees A-Rod continued to shine, earning MVP awards in 2005 and 2007.

 

The Beginning of the End

Then came the Mitchell Report. While Rodriguez was not named, hundreds of other players were, tarnishing reputations and finally bringing to light the rampant use of PEDs in Major League Baseball. With this report, MLB and the rest of the public became aware of how large a problem PEDs had become, bringing the dawn of the investigation era to baseball. Rodriguez famously denied using any performance-enhancing substances in an interview with Katie Couric, and maintained his innocence despite accusations from Jose Canseco as well. With his name absent from the Mitchell Report, suspicions were not raised too high.

 

First Proof

alex-rodriguez-ped-ban-suspension-mlb-news-analysis

In 2009, the first real allegations against A-Rod came in the form of a report by David Epstein and Selena Roberts of Sports Illustrated which accused the superstar of using testosterone and Primobolan (a mild anabolic steroid). Rodriguez would soon tearfully admit to using these substances from 2001-2003, citing the pressure on him to perform as his reasoning. He denied using anything since then, but the damage to his reputation had already been done. Roberts later wrote a book alleging that A-Rod had been using PEDs since high school, and again during his time with the Yankees. Shortly after, in February 2010, A-Rod was linked to Anthony Galea, who eventually pleaded guilty to distributing PEDs. His plea came before an investigation could be launched into which players he had provided to, thus leaving A-Rod’s connection to him murky and mostly speculative.

 

Biogenesis

In January 2013, the Miami New Times reported on a health clinic in South Florida called Biogenesis. Their report revealed that the clinic had distributed PEDs to a number of famous athletes, Rodriguez among them. He was hit with a 211-game suspension, which he immediately appealed, allowing him to play for the Yankees in the meantime. On November 20th, Rodriguez left his arbitration hearing, claiming to be the victim of “an abusive process”, and went on Mike Francesa’s WFAN studio in New York to deny all allegations of his connection to Biogenesis and founder, Anthony Bosch. Just a couple days ago on January 12th, Bosch appeared on  “60 Minutes” and gave a “tell-all” interview, where he exposed almost every aspect of Rodriguez’s involvement with Biogenesis. Prior to Bosch’s interview, on January 11th, Rodriguez finally received the arbitrator’s decision, a 162-game ban—the entire 2014 season (including any postseason games). He will pursue a suit in a federal court to get the suspension reduced or dropped, but his chances are slim to none.

 

The Death Penalty

Many, myself included, speculate that this could be the end of A-Rod’s career, as it is unlikely the 38-year-old will be able to resurrect his abilities following a year off. His suspension will save the Yankees around $25 million this year, and it would certainly not surprise me if they simply cut him a check for the rest of the money that he is owed ($61 million). They can afford to do so, and eliminating the controversy and media circus that accompanies the man would be well worth the price. If the Yankees do seek a fresh, A-Rod-free start, I believe that it will spell the end of his tumultuous career. No other team will want to sign him just to have their fans boo him and have reporters crawling all over their stadium. This suspension is, in my opinion, a death penalty, and I believe we’ve seen the last of Alex Rodriguez on a professional baseball field.

 

Agree? Disagree? I wanna hear it. Tweet me @Roto_Dubs and let me know what you think!

 

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Corey Seager45 mins ago

Removed From Game After Being Hit By Pitch
Naz Reid47 mins ago

Named Sixth Man Of The Year
Mitchell Robinson1 hour ago

Questionable For Game 3
Joel Embiid1 hour ago

Questionable For Game 3
DJ LeMahieu1 hour ago

To Be Shut Down For A Week
Zack Gelof1 hour ago

Likely Heading To Injured List
Alec Marsh1 hour ago

Leaves Game After Being Hit By Comebacker
Bam Adebayo2 hours ago

Looks Good In Win Over Boston
Ozzie Albies2 hours ago

Runs The Bases Wednesday
Kristaps Porzingis2 hours ago

Struggles Offensively In Game 2
Jayson Tatum2 hours ago

Has A Decent Showing On Wednesday
J.P. Crawford2 hours ago

Dealing With Oblique Soreness
Jaylen Brown2 hours ago

Leads The Way In Game 2
A.J. Puk2 hours ago

Rejoining Bullpen When Healthy
Zack Gelof2 hours ago

Nursing Abdominal Soreness
Tyler Herro2 hours ago

Gets It Done On Wednesday Night
Thairo Estrada2 hours ago

Experiencing Hamstring Tightness
Manny Machado2 hours ago

Expected To Return Friday
Sean Murphy3 hours ago

Hasn't Resumed Swinging
Cristian Javier3 hours ago

Plays Catch Wednesday
Christian Yelich3 hours ago

Still Not Swinging
Dallas Cowboys4 hours ago

Cowboys Pick Up Micah Parsons' Fifth-Year Option
Ezekiel Elliott4 hours ago

Cowboys Meeting With Ezekiel Elliott
Cincinnati Bengals4 hours ago

Trey Hendrickson Requests A Trade From Bengals
Carlos Correa5 hours ago

Could Return Soon
Kevin Kiermaier5 hours ago

Placed On 10-Day Injured List
Framber Valdez5 hours ago

Expected To Start This Weekend
Nic Claxton5 hours ago

Nicolas Claxton The "No. 1 Priority" For Nets In Offseason
Cal Raleigh5 hours ago

To Miss Wednesday's Game
Grayson Allen5 hours ago

Not Ruled Out For Game 3
Nikola Jovic5 hours ago

Available For Game 2
Ryan Lomberg6 hours ago

Could Be Back For Game 3
Cam Talbot6 hours ago

Starts Game 2 For Kings
Logan Thompson6 hours ago

Heads Out For Another Win Wednesday
Jake Oettinger6 hours ago

Tries To Bounce Back Wednesday
Nolan Jones6 hours ago

Not Playing Wednesday
Jani Hakanpaa7 hours ago

Remains Out On Wednesday
Tyler Myers7 hours ago

Battling The Flu
Michael Toglia7 hours ago

Rockies Recall Hunter Goodman, Option Michael Toglia
Lane Thomas7 hours ago

Dealing With Grade 2 Knee Sprain
Addison Barger7 hours ago

Being Called Up By Blue Jays
Michael Penix Jr.7 hours ago

Could Be Among Top-Four Quarterbacks Selected
Jared Goff8 hours ago

No New Deal “Imminent” For Jared Goff
J.J. McCarthy9 hours ago

Broncos Interested In J.J. McCarthy
Detroit Lions9 hours ago

Penei Sewell Becomes Highest-Paid Offensive Lineman
Justin Fields10 hours ago

Steelers Not Expected To Pick Up Justin Fields' Fifth-Year Option
Rashod Bateman10 hours ago

Ravens Sign Rashod Bateman To Contract Extension
Ja'Marr Chase10 hours ago

Bengals Exercise Ja'Marr Chase's Fifth-Year Option
Amon-Ra St. Brown10 hours ago

Lions Agree To Four-Year Extension With Amon-Ra St. Brown
Nicolas Hague10 hours ago

Out For Vegas On Wednesday
James van Riemsdyk10 hours ago

To Make Series Debut Wednesday
Sam Bennett10 hours ago

To Miss Significant Time
William Nylander10 hours ago

Looking Unlikely For Game 3
Brett Pesce10 hours ago

Likely Out For Remainder Of First Round
Thatcher Demko11 hours ago

Listed As Week-To-Week
Ilya Sorokin11 hours ago

To Start Game 3
Cale Makar13 hours ago

Registers Two Assists In Game 2
Tom Wilson13 hours ago

Notches Two Points In Tuesday's Loss
Alexis Lafrenière14 hours ago

Alexis Lafreniere Collects Two Assists In Game 2 Victory
Filip Forsberg14 hours ago

Leads The Charge As Nashville Ties Series
Victor Hedman14 hours ago

Posts Two Assists In Game 2
Carter Verhaeghe14 hours ago

Hits Overtime Winner In Game 2
Sam Bennett14 hours ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury In Game 2
James Harden14 hours ago

Settles For 22 Points In Game 2
Luka Doncic15 hours ago

Leads All Scorers With 32 Points In Game 2
Damian Lillard15 hours ago

Scores 34 Points In Losing Effort
Tyrese Haliburton15 hours ago

Collects A Double-Double In Game 2 Win
Pascal Siakam15 hours ago

In Fantastic Form Once Again Versus Milwaukee
Devin Booker15 hours ago

Leads Suns With 20 Points In Game 2
Anthony Edwards15 hours ago

Struggles In Game 2
Daniel Gafford1 day ago

Returns To Game 2
Karl-Anthony Towns1 day ago

Has A Rough Night On Tuesday
Jaden McDaniels1 day ago

Erupts In Game 2
Andrew Peeke1 day ago

Considered Week-To-Week
Brandon Aiyuk1 day ago

Trade Remains "Very Much In Play"
Denver Broncos1 day ago

Broncos Pick Up Fifth-Year Option On Patrick Surtain II
New England Patriots1 day ago

Patriots Haven't Received "Serious" Offers For No. 3 Pick
Kadarius Toney1 day ago

Still In Chiefs' Plans
Jake Browning1 day ago

Bengals Re-Sign Jake Browning
Brandon Aiyuk2 days ago

49ers Have Received Calls Regarding Brandon Aiyuk
Dak Prescott2 days ago

Not Trying To Be Highest-Paid Player
Zach Wilson2 days ago

Broncos Acquiring Zach Wilson From Jets
Matt Ryan2 days ago

Officially Retires From NFL
Cincinnati Bengals2 days ago

Sam Hubbard Recovering From Ankle Surgery
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Survives At Talladega For First Win Of 2024
Brad Keselowski3 days ago

Finishes Second At Talladega After Last-Lap Wreck
Anthony Alfredo3 days ago

Gets Best Finish For Beard Motorsports Since 2022
Todd Gilliland3 days ago

One Of The Strongest At Talladega
NASCAR3 days ago

Bubba Wallace Finishes 36th At Talladega Superspeedway
Kyle Larson3 days ago

Fails To Deliver Value In DFS At Talladega
NASCAR3 days ago

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Finishes Fourth At Talladega
Noah Gragson3 days ago

Surprisingly The Most Consistent Driver At Talladega
Shane Van Gisbergen3 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Acquits Himself Nicely In Drafting Debut
Michael McDowell3 days ago

Ends Talladega Wrecked From The Lead
Alex Bowman3 days ago

Quietly Captures Top-Five Finish At Talladega
Daniel Hemric3 days ago

Surges To Ninth-Place Result At Talladega
Harrison Burton3 days ago

Squeezes Into Top 10 At Talladega
NASCAR3 days ago

Bubba Wallace Will Start 14th For the GEICO 500
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Avoid Rostering Tyler Reddick At Talladega?
John Hunter Nemechek3 days ago

Should DFS Players Roster John Hunter Nemechek At Talladega?
Joey Logano4 days ago

Expect Joey Logano To Compete For The Win At Talladega
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Is Denny Hamlin Recommended For Talladega?
Justin Haley4 days ago

Is A Top DFS Value At Talladega
William Byron4 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win Talladega
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Is Best Suited As A Tournament Play At Talladega
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF