#ARod gets the boot for a year — larger thoughts for him, #Yankees, #roiding

Everybody who's a big baseball fan has seen the news — arbitrator Frederic Horowitz has basically upheld verbatim Bud Selig's original ban on Alex Rodriguez, keeping this year's full suspension, with last year's games that would have contributed to the 2011 now water under the bridge.

(Any blog or newspaper that talks about A-Rod's suspension being "reduced" is technically correct but in reality is guilty of muddied thinking, at best, in my opinion.)

A few broader thoughts.

1. This certainly isn't good news for the Hall of Fame candidacies of Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and people down the road like Manny Ramirez, Pudge Rodriguez and others. And, no expansion of the HOF's ballot to more than 10 players is going to change that. Only a successful push by the Jay Jaffes of the world to reduce the hurdle below 75 percent of votes is going to change that. And that will bring a whole raft of other problems.

2. This does get to the HOF's "morals clause." Unfortunately, in its recent election of three managers, one of whom managed A-Rod for a number of years, it's arguable that the Veterans Committee ignored that. I've commented before on my thoughts on the election of Tony LaRussa and Joe Torre in particular.

Some of this ugliness is peculiar to A-Rod, though. His statement that this is part of an MLB plot to get rid of guaranteed contracts in the next collective bargaining agreement is just the latest installment of a narcissism that's massive even by modern, Internet-driven public figure standards.

It's not just A-Rod, though. Look at what Bud Selig did to get the goods on him.

Look at how this unscrupulousness pervades the Caribbean world.

Look at how Bernie Miklasz played cover-up of sorts for Mark McGwire in 1998, and other writers surely did the same. I discuss that in passing here, and am working on a post that's going to look more directly at writers and roiders.

3. But, dirtiness and all, baseball is better than other top sports.

The NFL's a laugh on steroids, comparatively.  That's when it's not being morally disgusting, by commissioner Roger Goodell trying to claim they contribute to CTE.

The NBA? Sure, you can get suspended for a doobie, or other illicit drugs, but when did an NBA player last get suspended for PEDing.

4. Meanwhile, for A-Rod himself?

First, this almost guarantees he won't hit any of the remaining career milestone numbers in his contract that would trigger bonus money from the Yankees.

Second, it could tempt the Steinbrenners to try to void the contract, though I don't think that's likely. The players union would fight that like hell, and Bud knows that, too. He doesn't want another players' strike to be one final black mark on his legacy; after all, it was one players' strike that led to this whole pile of crap we keep stepping into right now.

5. The Yankees? With Omar Infante going to Kansas City, there ain't no free agent 3B, or quasi-3B available, period. Their only desperate hope is to sign Stephen Drew and try to teach him a new position. Or the even more yucky Michael Young. Playing Eduardo Nunez there a full season won't come close to cutting it. Even with the signings of Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran, that team could still be worse, worse indeed, than this year's. If CC Sabathia continues to decline, I guarantee that. And, on lux tax issues, because of details of the suspension, the Yankees still take a $3.2M salary hit, reportedly.

And, one related thought? Defensively, that infield was already looking ugly before this. Given that the splitter is a ground ball pitch when it's not inducing strikeouts, Masahiro Tanaka should definitely prioritize other teams in his free agent search.

#Biogenesis bye-byes for A-Fraud and the Hebrew Hammer?

ESPN has a new piece up saying that Alex Rodriguez, aka A-Roid and worse, per the header, and Lyin Braun, also known as Ryan Braun and Juices Maccabee, are both going to be facing suspensions sometime after the All-Star Break over the Biogenesis issue.

No wonder A-Rod is so eager to get back to the big club. He probably thinks it helps his legal and other standing. And that is a point to note as this unfolds.

Both he and Braun are on the injured list right now. Well, correct that; Braun came back today.

As for big impacts? Bartolo Colon and Nelson Cruz would be the two heaviest fallouts, especially assuming Colon gets a 100-game vacation as a repeat offender. The whole AL West race would get a new look. And, one has to assume the Angels would become buyers not sellers at the trade deadline.

And, speaking of, I'm sure that a lot of people in management would like for suspensions to be done before the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline.

This will all play out further.

Personally, I hope the Hammer gets a 100-game hammer. And, given that he got off on a technicality last time, I'm not sure the players' union will totally rush to support him. They'll draw the legal lines as needed, but not extend them a lot further.

Meanwhile, in addition to the two top-tier named names, who else is on the list of "oops"?

And, what, Manny Ramirez, will get a rushed call-up from AA to replace Cruz? Wouldn't that be the irony of ironies? A previously suspended user, believed to have a laundry-list length PED rap sheet, getting called up.

But, we may be getting ahead of the gun. If Fox's Ken Rosenthal is right, by the time the appeals process is done, at least for some players, we may be into 2014.

The players' union is confirming that.

Teams with potentially affected players have to love this, especially Rangers, A's and Tigers.

But, at the same time, the union has indicated that any fight over individual suspensions will not be a death match. In fact, union chief Michael Weiner says players should start making deals with MLB.

And the #Biogenesis beat goes on - #ARod in more hot water

Turns out Anthony Bosch was allegedly getting all that medical-chemical help for Biogenesis, his south Florida apparent doping lab ... wait for it ... via forged scrips.

Gee, shock me.

ESPN says that's part of what new docs in this case have uncovered.

Other revelations? Alex Rodriguez specifically linked by name to human growth hormone. No wonder, according to former employees from Biogenesis who have told Major League Baseball that A-Fraud tried to buy documents from the lab that would implicate him.

First, does this surprise you? In any of several ways?

A-Rod thinks that he can throw enough money at the situation to take care of it. Also, unlike Barry Bonds, apparently, either there or elsewhere, he doesn't have anybody who will go to the mat for him.

That said, it's not just about A-Rod this time:

The two people said that the investigators were told by the ex-employees and others that documents said to be from the clinic had been put up for sale by various people and that Rodriguez had arranged for an intermediary to purchase at least some of them. 

That, in turn, led Major League Baseball to conclude that other players linked to the clinic would also attempt to buy documents to conceal incriminating evidence and accelerated baseball’s efforts to purchase as many documents as it could.

That said, why talk to MLB? Because it has no legal powers, unlike the feds, MLB can't get one lab employee to "roll" to save his or her hide, either.

Right now, it appears A-Fraud is the only "name" player ... named! Others listed by name are all small fry.

Surely disappointing to former Milwaukee Brewers owner, now commissioner, Bud "Bud" Selig,
there's nothing new on Lyin Braun, also known as Ryan Braun, also called the Hebrew Hammer, aka Juices Maccabee. Earlier, the trail on him was getting thicker but there's been no recent "movement."

The Hebrew Hammer will get hammered. Juices Maccabeus will strike out. Lyin Braun will be tripped up.

But, Bud's going to have to get stronger evidence; Lyin Braun's attorneys will surely rip into paid testimony.

#ARod — busted at #Biogenesis? What about Lyin Ryan Braun?

That's what  lab employees from the alleged doping center are saying about Alex Rodriguez, according to sources. Supposedly employees from Biogenesis have told Major League Baseball that A-Fraud tried to buy documents from the lab that would implicate him.

First, does this surprise you? In any of several ways?

A-Rod thinks that he can throw enough money at the situation to take care of it. Also, unlike Barry Bonds, apparently, either there or elsewhere, he doesn't have anybody who will go to the mat for him.

That said, it's not just about A-Rod this time:

The two people said that the investigators were told by the ex-employees and others that documents said to be from the clinic had been put up for sale by various people and that Rodriguez had arranged for an intermediary to purchase at least some of them. 

That, in turn, led Major League Baseball to conclude that other players linked to the clinic would also attempt to buy documents to conceal incriminating evidence and accelerated baseball’s efforts to purchase as many documents as it could. 

Sounds like Biogenesis is the proverbial sinking ship with rats fleeing.

That said, why talk to MLB? Because it has no legal powers, unlike the feds, MLB can't get one lab employee to "roll" to save his or her hide, either.

But, Bud's got dinero:

Those ex-employees were paid for the time they spent talking with baseball’s investigators, the two people said, with the payments not believed to have exceeded several thousand dollars. Whether their statements alone are strong enough for baseball officials to proceed with disciplinary action against various players remains to be seen. 

That explains a lot.

But, back to the idea that A-Rod wasn't alone. Melky Cabrera? Bartolo Colon? Relatively small potatoes.

But, either because former Milwaukee Brewers owner, now commissioner, Bud "Bud" Selig wants to prove he's impartial, or else he's just pissed about that chain-of-evidence loophole, if there's even a hint that Ryan Braun tried to do the same with documents, his ass is grass.

The Hebrew Hammer will get hammered. Juices Maccabeus will strike out. Lyin Braun will be tripped up.

But, Bud's going to have to get stronger evidence; Lyin Braun's attorneys will surely rip into paid testimony.

#Yankee desperation hits new lows in Chipper Jones bid

Why else would Brian Cashman ask Braves lifer Chipper Jones to come out of retirement other than he knows Kevin Youkilis isn't a full-season answer at 3B and that A-Fraud ain't coming back this year?

Is this desperation?

I say yes. If Cashman had asked a month ago, different story. But Chipper can't be in game condition until May 1 at earliest, so now it's desperation.

That said, with an admittedly small sample, the reason for the desperation is obvious. The Greek God not only isn't hitting a buck-fifty, he's not even hitting a buck. (Update: With more of a spring-training sample, that's improved.)

And apparently Scott Rolen, not technically retired, but without a job, not even a minor-league invite-to-spring-training contract, has caught Cashman's eye now, too. (Note to Cashman: There's a reason a 38-year-old third sacker who hasn't had 350 plate appearances either of the past two years, and 500-plus only once in the last five, doesn't have a contract!)

Other current options at 3B (other than my previously-suggested trade of David Freese and pitching parts for C.C. Sabathia) are basically crap. If you don't believe me, here's Yahoo's list of MLB third basemen. (Would the Giants make Pablo Sandoval an option? Would Pablo make himself an option by eating too damned much one too many times?)

Add in Mark Teixeira's injury possibly being worse, even much worse, than currently stated, and him not coming back until, say, the All-Star game. The Yankees are now talking to Derrek Lee, out of baseball since the end of 2011, and with good reason, and didn't play more than 150 games a year since 2008. That shows right there that they're worried about Tex. After all, Lee is a 1B, not a 3B. And a 1B who's been subpar defensively for years.

(Update, March 15: It gets worse. Whatever the Yankees were offering, it wasn't enough for Lee! And, Cashman was/is reportedly looking at Rolen here, not 3B; he must really be worried about Tex.

Update March 17: And, it looks like Tex's injury is worse than first realized or admitted. He has a partially torn tendon sheath, like the Blue Jays' Bautista did last year. Says he's hoping to avoid surgery and still be back by the start of June. Yeah, good luck with that.)

Then, what if the Cap'n himself, Derek Jeter, shows himself to be post-broken ankle mortal? Say .270 and a .370 slugging percentage, exactly what he had in 2010. And, that, already by the All-Star break, he's a -1 on dWAR.

(And now, March 19, Jeter's ankle is "cranky" and "stiff." Joe Girardi says he may DH to open the regular season.)

Is it possible the Yankees hit the Al East cellar? You bet your butt it is.

(Update, March 21: In fact, ESPN's David Schoenfield says he foresees something of that nature.)

So, let's say something like that happens.

What do the Yankees then do with their 2014 potential free agents, Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson, Ichiro, Hideki Kuroda, Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes et al? (I'm assuming Andy Pettitte has the brains to retire for good after this year.)

My take?

Granderson had a career year last year. He shouldn't get much more than $15M/year in the future, and not for more than three years.  But he'll probably be close enough to that this year that he will.

If the Yankees get the 2011 Seattle version of Ichiro this year, they'll offer another one-year deal, and should. Ichiro, if he is at that level, will accept, still hoping for 3K hits here in the US.

Hughes? The Yankees may be dumb enough to pay more than $10M a year for him, vs. his current $7.5. They shouldn't.

Chamberlain? I'd give him Hughes' current money, no more, on a 2-year deal laden with health/performance incentives.

Kuroda? Especially if they're smart enough to let Hughes walk, I'd do another one-year deal with him, plus an option year if needed.

Cano? ESPN's Schoenfield wonders whether, if the Pinstripes start out badly enough, especially if they then find out Tex needs season-ending surgery, the team doesn't entertain trade offers.

And, where does Cashman get the money to pursue other free agents? (Who could the Yankees trade for right now? Right.) Does he tell Hank Steinbrenner, in essence, "Hey, the A-Rod extension was YOUR decision. You have to mentally write that off"?

And if Hank says "no dice," Cashman is hopefully smart enough to already have been working on Plan B for his post-Yankees employment.

Maybe A-Roid won’t pass Bonds anyway

Gerry Fraley, looking at folks such as Adrian Beltre and Bo Jackson wonder just how well, or not, Alex Rodriguez will bounce back from his hip surgery.

He says Brian Cashman was right in wanting to dump A-Roid when he opted out of his contract in 2007.

A-Roid to have hip examined

Why? Is the doc going to see if one of Yuri Sucrat’s steroid needles gave him tetanus? Or did he sprain his ass on his Scott Boras-monogrammed wallet? Insert other joke at the site of A-Roid’s injury, a cyst on his hip.

Lemme see. Did those “boli” needles hit the hipbone too often?