The fallout from the Biogenesis scandal just keeps on coming. ESPN’s Outside the Lines reported today that Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig is planning to suspend Brewers slugger Ryan Braun, Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, and up to 20 other Major League players based on evidence it has uncovered in the investigation into the Biogenesis clinic run by Tony Bosch.
Earlier this spring, Biogenesis’ head and founder Tony Bosch agreed to work with Major League Baseball and its investigation into the supply of performance enhancing drugs to baseball players through his clinic. Based on the evidence that Bosch has provided, along with other evidence uncovered in the investigation, the commissioner seems poised to act. The suspension of players will be unprecedented as it is not based on any confirmed drug tests. According to the report the suspensions would come down after the MLB All-Star break which is the beginning of next week. This will be a tricky issue as it is likely that many of the suspended players will appeal.
The suspensions for Braun and Rodriguez could be 100 games. This is the penalty for a two-time offender and it should be noted that while A-Rod has admitted using PEDs during his time with Texas, and Braun once tested positive for PEDs (a test that was later overturned), neither player has ever faced the 1st time punishment of 50 games. MLB is reportedly considering treating their cases as if they have lied about their PED use and trying to go for second time offender status that way. This will certainly be challenged on appeal.
Another tricky situation is the handling of players like Melky Cabrera and Bartolo Colon who appear on the Biogenesis lists. Both players were suspended for PED use as late as 2012. Will these two players attempt to appeal their suspensions on the grounds that they were already suspended for the use of PEDs and their previous positive tests were merely the result of the products received from Biogenesis. Such a double jeopardy defence may also be something that these players would appeal.
No matter how it turns out, it will appear that the off the field news could dominate the second half of the MLB season, and that is really unfortunate as it seemed we could have had a year with some exciting races, plenty of contenders, and some great story lines, but it seems that 2013 may end up being remembered as the year of Biogenesis.
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