# WTF is up with A-Rod? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 26, 2013, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-a-rod/664544 "2013-07-26T01:22:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-a-rod/664544/61 "2013-08-06T02:29:28Z")
What a disgrace. ---
**Author:** ![NotDeadYet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NotDeadYet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotDeadYet)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-a-rod/664544/62 "2013-08-06T03:24:01Z")
**Supposedly** there is overwhelming evidence against Arod. Shame on the Yankee organization for letting him back on the field. Eat that portion of the salary he’d get for the time his case is under appeal. Then pay off whatever is left after he sits out for 150/200 or however many games he gets. Arod should never take he field again. Lets say he hits under 200 and pays like crap on the field, then what? Send him to the minors? Use a roster spot to keep him around? I’m no Yankee fan but I would have a lot more respect for them if they just cut him loose. ---
**Author:** ![Chicagojeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@Chicagojeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicagojeff)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-a-rod/664544/63 "2013-08-06T08:32:22Z")
The Yankees essentially have no choice but to let him back on the roster… and if he’s on the roster you might as well play him… he’s better than anyone else you have to play third base. The Yankees are at fault for ignoring their general manager Brian Cashman and negoitiating a stupid deal with a guy who no one else was negoitiating with. Scott Boras once again won the day…that’s his job… and man he did it. Arod is a shell of himself. his hips are bad and he’s unable to turn on 95 mph plus inside hard stuff. The suspension will be fought at the end of the year… at that point facing a two year ban Arod and the Yanks will agree to some sort of a buyout. He’s not long for the game… but he wants his money… its guaranteed and he’s not going to walk away from it… ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-a-rod/664544/64 "2013-08-06T14:12:00Z")
One weird thing about this is that baseball pretty much forced AR to fight them on this. From reports of the case, it seems that they were bluffing about a lifetime ban, and after he called their bluff they only went for the 211 game ban. But the 211 ban was what they wanted him to voluntarily accept. I can’t see any upside for him in accepting that ban. It’s widely expected that he will unable to return to the game after a 211 game ban. So every game that he plays while the ban is under appeal is one game that he would never have played otherwise. Plus there’s always the possibility that the arbitrator will shorten the suspension. In sum, there seems to have been an upside in appealing and no downside. Weird. > [@RaftPeople](#): > > Sure, but the documents showing him purchasing PED, HGH, SUB-Q, etc. for thousands of dollars per week are the arguments in favor of him being guilty. True. If such documents come out then there won’t be much left to discuss in this regard. > [@Marley23](#): > > I’m not convinced that it makes no sense. Guys do share tricks of the trade sometimes - Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte did that - and he’s done all manner of stupid things. I think this is much stupider than a lot of other stupid things that he’s done. There are a lot of stupid things that have an upside but are stupid in that they’re just too shortsighted. I don’t see the real upside here at all. > [@](#): > > You know as well as I do (if not moreso) that there are reasons prosecutors don’t have to provide a motive. But I also know - and you probably do as well - that there’s a reason that prosecutors like to do it anyway, and will generally do it if they can. Because having a motive argues for guilt, and lack of a motive argues against. This may all be academic anyway. I’ve not seen this claim that he recruited other players anywhere besides your post. So if it’s true, it does not seem to be a big part of the issue. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-a-rod/664544/65 "2013-08-06T14:23:55Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > One weird thing about this is that baseball pretty much forced AR to fight them on this. As soon as they decided he deserved more than a 50-game suspension, he was guaranteed to fight it. Because of his age and his contract, he really never had any motivation to accept any suspension. > [@](#): > > This may all be academic anyway. I’ve not seen this claim that he recruited other players anywhere besides your post. So if it’s true, it does not seem to be a big part of the issue. There are a lot of allegations against him, and that’s only one of them. You can find that particular allegation on a lot of websites. Quoting from ESPN here: > [@](#): > > The Yankees have said they expected Rodriguez to be accused of recruiting other athletes for the clinic, attempting to obstruct MLB’s investigation and not being truthful with MLB in the past when he discussed his relationship with Dr. Anthony Galea, who pleaded guilty two years ago to a federal charge of bringing unapproved drugs into the United States from Canada. MLB’s announcement, on the other hand, doesn’t mention it. > [@](#): > > Rodriguez’s discipline under the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program is based on his use and possession of numerous forms of prohibited performance-enhancing substances, including Testosterone and human Growth Hormone, over the course of multiple years. Rodriguez’s discipline under the Basic Agreement is for attempting to cover-up his violations of the Program by engaging in a course of conduct intended to obstruct and frustrate the Office of the Commissioner’s investigation. The suspension, which will become effective on Thursday, August 8th, will cover 211 Championship Season games and any 2013 Postseason games in which Rodriguez otherwise would have been eligible to play. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-a-rod/664544/66 "2013-08-06T14:37:30Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > As soon as they decided he deserved more than a 50-game suspension, he was guaranteed to fight it. Because of his age and his contract, he really never had any motivation to accept any suspension. To the contrary, because of his contract he had a lot of reason to want to avoid a lifetime suspension. Because if he can’t come back at age 40 he still gets paid. If he is banned for life he does not. It’s about a $60M difference, IIRC (perhaps more). In general, you want someone to go along with you, you have to be making some sort of offer. “Go along with X or we’ll do 2X”. In this case MLB basically said “go along with X or else we’ll do X”. Nothing in it. OTOH, maybe they don’t mind fighting about it. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-a-rod/664544/67 "2013-08-06T14:44:31Z")
Short version: You don’t get paid if you’re suspended, or if you retire. You do get paid if you aren’t suspended, or you get released. So Rodriguez has every incentive to minimize and delay his suspension, and to put up the appearance that he still can and wants to play (and it may not be just an appearance). ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-a-rod/664544/68 "2013-08-06T14:52:48Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > To the contrary, because of his contract he had a lot of reason to want to avoid a lifetime suspension. Because if he can’t come back at age 40 he still gets paid. If he is banned for life he does not. It’s about a $60M difference, IIRC (perhaps more). The bargaining seems to have gone like this: MLB suggested they would push for a lifetime ban unless he accepted the 200-game suspension; his side said they would sue. The players’ union was probably not happy with the concept since baseball was talking about suspending him under a vague interpretation of the rules and keeping him off the field while he appeals. MLB apparently decided they didn’t want to fight all that and went for the 211-game suspension, which he’s still appealing because he has nothing to lose. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-a-rod/664544/69 "2013-08-06T15:13:32Z")
And as soon as the lawyers are done chewing on that, hopefully in the next few weeks, the Yankees get to work on finding a way to interpret a behavior or fraud or something clause in the contract against him, so they have some sort of leverage to buy out the rest of it at a discount. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-a-rod/664544/70 "2013-08-06T15:35:18Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > And as soon as the lawyers are done chewing on that, hopefully in the next few weeks, the Yankees get to work on finding a way to interpret a behavior or fraud or something clause in the contract against him, so they have some sort of leverage to buy out the rest of it at a discount. The appeals process will probably take a few months, and there’s just about zero chance they can find an out in his contract. It probably makes more sense to try to buy him out in 2015, when he’s 40 and looking at a comeback after a year away to a team and a public that don’t want him. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-a-rod/664544/71 "2013-08-06T15:50:19Z")
If there’s just about zero chance that they can find an out in his contract, why would he agree to any sort of buyout? IANAL, and I’m also not familiar with his contract, but if I had to speculate I would think one possible chance for an out in his contract is that he ruined his body by taking steroids, and would be in better shape at 40 had he not done so. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-a-rod/664544/72 "2013-08-06T15:55:10Z")
That’s it - A-Hole has \*all \*the leverage contractually. The Yankees have none, but have a strong motive to find something somehow, and they’d have Selig’s support too. **F-P** ’s approach might be something, another might be that he signed under false pretenses (that he wasn’t in violation of the law or MLB rules about PED’s). ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-a-rod/664544/73 "2013-08-06T16:09:48Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > If there’s just about zero chance that they can find an out in his contract, why would he agree to any sort of buyout? It’s possible he’d rather have, say, $45 million at once and be a free agent (or just go and do whatever he wants) instead of getting $60 million over three years and subjecting himself to the kind of reaction he’ll get as a 40-year-old multiple cheat with diminishing skills. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-a-rod/664544/74 "2013-08-06T16:41:02Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > another might be that he signed under false pretenses (that he wasn’t in violation of the law or MLB rules about PED’s). They would have to prove that he was in violation at the time he signed the contract. ---
**Author:** ![kevja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@kevja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevja)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-a-rod/664544/75 "2013-08-07T01:35:08Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > They would have to prove that he was in violation at the time he signed the contract. It will snow in hell before that happens. He admitted to trying something that was not against MLB rules in 2003. He has never tested positive for PEDs. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-a-rod/664544/76 "2013-08-07T01:42:38Z")
> [@kevja](#): > > He admitted to trying something that was not against MLB rules in 2003. It was against the rules at the time, not that it matters given the way the rules were being ignored. And he didn’t admit it so much as get caught when his positive test was disclosed. Anyway I don’t think there is any provision of any major league contract that allows the team to claim PED use is “false pretenses” and void the deal. And if the Yankees tried it I think he’s just claim they were aware of what he was doing or should have been, since he continued to hang around with Yuri Sucart (the cousin who helped him do steroids) and also got involved with Anthony Galea, yet another crooked doctor who was busted for bringing non-approved drugs into the U.S. a couple of years ago. ---
**Author:** ![kevja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@kevja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevja)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-a-rod/664544/77 "2013-08-07T01:58:17Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > It was against the rules at the time, not that it matters given the way the rules were being ignored. And he didn’t admit it so much as get caught when his positive test was disclosed. Anyway I don’t think there is any provision of any major league contract that allows the team to claim PED use is “false pretenses” and void the deal. And if the Yankees tried it I think he’s just claim they were aware of what he was doing or should have been, since he continued to hang around with Yuri Sucart (the cousin who helped him do steroids) and also got involved with Anthony Galea, yet another crooked doctor who was busted for bringing non-approved drugs into the U.S. a couple of years ago. Spare me. If I took a drug in 2003 that was legal, then it was illegal the next year and I never tested positive for any drug, I’m supposed to stand trial for something that was legal in 2003? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-a-rod/664544/78 "2013-08-07T02:06:01Z")
> [@kevja](#): > > Spare me. If I took a drug in 2003 that was legal, then it was illegal the next year and I never tested positive for any drug, I’m supposed to stand trial for something that was legal in 2003? It wasn’t legal in 2003 and he did test positive. And he’s not on trial. ---
**Author:** ![kevja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@kevja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevja)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-a-rod/664544/79 "2013-08-07T02:17:08Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > It wasn’t legal in 2003 and he did test positive. And he’s not on trial. I stand corrected. When did he fail a test? Why didn’t they suspend him in 2003? Because MLB didn’t care and they do now. The PR is better in 2013 then it was in 2003. Like Barry Bonds. League MVP 2001-2004. But now the same writers won’t vote him into the HoF. The self righteous hypocrisy is amazing. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-a-rod/664544/80 "2013-08-07T02:24:03Z")
> [@kevja](#): > > I stand corrected. When did he fail a test? He tested positive in 2003. > [@](#): > > Why didn’t they suspend him in 2003? Because MLB didn’t care and they do now. No, it’s because there was no means for them to test the players and punish people who were using PEDs. In 2003 MLB and the players union agreed there would be one round of anonymous “survey” testing to establish that steroid use was a real concern. If more than 5 percent of players tested positive, testing would become mandatory and players who tested positive would be suspended. (And that’s what happened.) As a concession, MLB agreed that the 2003 survey test would be anonymous and that the players who tested positive would not be punished. Years later some of the names were leaked, and he was one of them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-a-rod/664544.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-up-with-a-rod/664544.md?page=5)