Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees is allegedly looking into a plea deal to avoid suspension after speaking with the officials, sources close the Major League Baseball (MLB) performance-enhancing drug (PED) scandal told the New York Daily News.
Rodriguez, who is currently healing from hip surgery, is likely to see a 150-game suspension. Rodriguez angered the Yankees on Saturday when he failed to show up at the stadium for Friday night's game following a 4 ½ hour meeting with MLB officials who outlined their case against him, according to the Daily News.
The status of Rodriguez return to Yankees is currently unknown, but the Daily News reports team officials sent him a notification Saturday stating "he is obligated to inform them in advance of any absence."
According to another Daily News source, Rodriguez left the meeting with MLB investigators at 4 p.m., and was visibly upset during when he met with MLB Players Association reps for an hour and a half to discuss what the officials outlined in their meeting.
A spokesperson from Rodriguez's camp released the following statement, the Daily News reports, regarding alleged plea deal:
Nobody from Alex's team has made any such comments, and as we have said before, we are respecting the process and following the procedures as outlined in the joint agreement.
MLB officials allegedly have "extensive evidence" against Rodriguez, including Bosch's testimony, that shows he has committed multiple violations of the joint drug agreement, including the use of PEDs for many years.
Bosch has been cooperating with MLB's investigation for several weeks in exchange for being dropped from baseball's lawsuit against him, "for tortious interference with its player contracts, indemnifying him for legal expenses and putting in a good word for him with law enforcement, and he is believed to have provided proof of his dealings with Rodriguez," the Daily News reports.
"I can see a scenario where if they've got multiple offenses (against A-Rod) that rather than going for his career with an arbitrator, baseball might settle on something like 150 games," a source close to the investigation told the Daily News.
The Yankees will not have to pay Rodriguez if he is suspended on the disabled list.
