Will the Yankees Void Alex Rodriguez’s Contract Over Alleged PED Use?
A report late Tuesday said the New York Yankees were investigating ways to potentially void the contract of third baseman Alex Rodriguez if he were to be suspended by Major League Baseball for his alleged involvement with a Miami clinic that dispensed performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs).A-Rod still has five years and $114 million left on his deal with the Yankees. After off-season surgery to repair a torn hip labrum, Rodriguez was expected to be out of the Yankees lineup until after the All-Star break.
Baseball could suspend Rodriguez for 50 games without a positive test result for banned substances, provided it can convince an arbitrator that A-Rod used PEDs. It was not clear if the Yankees could act to void the contract based on confirmed PED use alone. The team must wait until the allegations are verified and MLB rules on the incident.
The Miami New Times reported Tuesday that Rodriguez, Gio Gonzalez of the Washington Nationals, Melky Cabrera of the San Francisco Giants, Nelson Cruz of the Texas Rangers and others allegedly sought out human growth hormone (HGH) and other substances banned by MLB at Biogenesis of America, an anti-aging clinic in Miami.
According to the story, nutritionist Anthony Bosch kept exhaustive records of the players' visits to Biogenesis, during which they had PEDs administered to them. The New Times article obtained the written records, which implicate Rodriguez and the other players. Bosch and his father, Dr. Pedro Publio Bosch, were linked with former Red Sox outfielder Manny Ramirez when he was suspended for violating the MLB drug policy in 2009.
In a statement released by his publicist on Tuesday afternoon, Rodriguez denied any relationship with Bosch. In 2009, Rodriguez admitted to using PEDs from 2001 to 2003, when he was with the Texas Rangers.