A report in the Miami Times says A-Rod purchased PEDs from 2001-2012
The new report says that A-Rod purchased drugs from a now closed 'wellness clinic' in Coral Gables, Florida operated by 45-year-old Tony Bosch. The new allegations would implicate Rodriguez in violating MLB drug policy and adding another superstar to the shame of baseball's 'Steroid Era'.
A-Rod had previously only admitted to using steroids during his tenure with the Texas Rangers from 2001-2003 after recovering from hip surgery. For the 38-year-old All-Star, this could be the death blow to his arguably Hall of Fame career and thus forcing him into retirement.
"If these charges are true, does Rodriguez even believe he can play in the majors without a drug boost?" said NY Post columnist, Joel Sherman.
For the New York Yankees, however, this comes as a kind of good fortune for the club. Allowing them to achieve something as equally as important as winning their 28th World Series title; releasing Alex Rodriguez from the Yankees and thus saving substantial portions of the $114M owed to the slugger over the next five years.
According to the MLBPA Collective Bargaining Agreement, only Commisoner Bud Selig can suspend a player for violating the MLB Drug Policy, so the club will have to likely wait a few months to consider what actions they wish to take with Rodriguez.
The most likely scenario is for A-Rod, who is currently set to miss half of the 2013 season, to voluntarily retire or agree to a buyout of his contract. If the league suspends him, The Yankees might also have grounds to take legal action against Rodriguez for fraudulently claiming that he was clean while playing with the club, following his 2008 hip surgery and subsequent contract extension.
Several other players have also been implicated in the report including 2012 All-Star game MVP Melky Cabrera, A's pitcher Bartolo Colon, and Washington Nationals ace Gio Gonzalez.
Cabrera and Colon each served 50-game suspensions last season for violating the MLB drug policy, provided no comments as of yet. 2012 Cy Young contender, Gio Gonzalez completely denies ever having been to Biogenesis, or having any interaction with its owner Tony Bosch.
As for The New York Yankees, they claim to have never known about any use of PEDs while A-Rod was with the club, and are cooperating with the MLB issuing the following statement: "We fully support the Commissioner's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program"
There's no doubt that Major League Baseball has still not yet recovered from the black eye brought on by the Steroid Era. With these new allegations of drug use, especially by older athletes, maybe we have seen the end of massive 10-year deals that have arguably ruined the game.
The fact that the game of baseball has just become too competitive and much more difficult for the superstars of yesterday to play still looms large. And the promise of higher salaries for better performance becomes the challenge that aging ball- players become faced with everyday, even if it means risking everything.
Rodriguez' Publicist Issued This Statement To The Media
The news report about a purported relationship between Alex Rodriguez and Anthony Bosch [is] not true. He was not Mr. Bosch's patient, he was never treated by him and he was never advised by him. The purported documents referenced in the story -- at least as they relate to Alex Rodriguez -- are not legitimate.
The Yankees Issued The Following Statement: "This matter is now in the hands of the Commissioner's Office. We will have no further comment until that investigation has concluded."
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