A-Rod Decision Looms As New Year's Day Comes And Goes
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- New Year's Day has come and gone, and there's still no resolution to the Alex Rodriguez saga.
Will the Yankees' third baseman play a third of a season in 2014? Will he play at all? That's what we're all waiting to find out.
A-Rod was suspended by Major League Baseball for 211 games on August 5, 2013, for alleged ties to the now-defunct Biogenesis of America clinic and performance-enhancing drugs. He subsequently appealed the suspension, and arbitrator Fredric Horowitz is expected to announce his ruling at some point this month.
On November 21, 2013, the 14-time All-Star walked out of his grievance hearing after Horowitz deemed it unnecessary for MLB Commissioner Bud Selig to testify.
It's conceivable that Horowitz could uphold the suspension, meaning that the 38-year-old wouldn't return to the field until 2015. The suspension could be overturned completely, or it could potentially be reduced to 150 games, 100 games or 50 games.
The slugger is still owed $89 million from the massive 10-year, $275-million contract that he inked with New York in December of 2007. If he plays in 2014, Rodriguez will cost the Yankees $26 million.
New York has already spent $316 million this offseason on Carlos Beltran, Jacoby Ellsbury, Kelly Johnson, Hiroki Kuroda, Brian McCann, Brian Roberts, Brendan Ryan and Matt Thornton. But ownership and general manager Brian Cashman would like to know Rodriguez's fate sooner rather than later so they know how much flexibility they have as they pursue free-agent pitcher Masahiro Tanaka.
The Bombers aren't expected to add any more significant bats this offseason, but they could use a top-tier starting pitcher. As it stands, CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova and Kuroda are the only sure things in New York's starting rotation.
The three-time American League MVP made his 2013 debut on the same day that his suspension was handed down. In 44 games he batted .244 with seven home runs and 19 RBIs.
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