A report in the Miami New Times rocked the baseball world on Tuesday, as the paper linked Yankees star third baseman Alex Rodriguez to performance-enhancing drugs for the second time in his career. Unlike the first time Rodriguez was caught, there were details of when he used, what he used, even how much he paid to one Anthony Bosch for the treatments. He is mentioned in the Bosch files sixteen different times, with his name listed in several varieties, including “Alex R.” to “Alex Rod.” An example of this was noted in the Times news article:
Yet there was his name, over and over again, logged as either “Alex Rodriguez,” “Alex Rod,” or his nickname at the clinic, “Cacique,” a pre-Columbian Caribbean chief. Rodriguez’s name appears 16 times throughout the records New Times reviewed.
Take, for instance, one patient list from Bosch’s 2009 personal notebook. It charts more than 50 clients and notes whether they received their drugs by delivery or in the office, how much they paid, and what they were taking.
There, at number seven on the list, is Alex Rodriguez. He paid $3,500, Bosch notes. Below that, he writes, “1.5/1.5 HGH (sports perf.) creams test., glut., MIC, supplement, sports perf. Diet.” HGH, of course, is banned in baseball, as are testosterone creams.
Rodriguez was not the only one named. Several prominent athletes, including Washington Nationals pitcher Gio Gonzalez and pro tennis player Wayne Odesnik, were also listed in the files of Bosch, who ran a clinic that is facing investigation from the Drug Enforcement Agency and Major League Baseball. However, Rodriguez will also face the biggest backlash of any athlete who may have been associated with Bosch not only because of his name, but also because of his previous denials of PED use during any time other than the three years he spent with the Texas Rangers from 2001 to 2003.
Despite the thought that Rodriguez had ceased performance-enhancing drug use in 2003, Bosch’s records indicate usage that is much more recent by the All-Star third baseman:
The mentions of Rodriguez begin in 2009 and continue all the way through last season. Take a page in another notebook, which is labeled “2012″ and looks to have been written last spring. Under the heading “A-Rod/Cacique,” Bosch writes, “He is paid through April 30th. He will owe May 1 $4,000… I need to see him between April 13-19, deliver troches, pink cream, and… May meds. Has three weeks of Sub-Q (as of April).”
Sub-Q was defined by the New York Times as a “mixture of HGH, IGF-1, and other drugs.”
A swift denial
Rodriguez was quick to attempt damage control, enlisting the help of attorney Roy Black. A statement was also released shortly after the article hit from the third baseman’s publicist:
"The news report about a purported relationship between Alex Rodriguez and Anthony Bosch are not true. Alex Rodriguez was not Mr. Bosch’s patient, he was never treated by him and he was never advised by him. The purported documents referenced in the story -- at least as they relate to Alex Rodriguez -- are not legitimate."
The Yankees also issued a statement, noting that it is an ongoing matter:
“We fully support the Commissioner’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. This matter is now in the hands of the Commissioner’s Office. We will have no further comment until that investigation has concluded.”
Yankees exploring their options
Though there may not be an official comment, ESPN New York’s Wallace Matthews reports that the Yankees are “exploring all of their options,” and attempting to determine whether one of them may involve voiding the remaining five years and $114 million on Rodriguez’s contract. Per Matthews:
According to an industry source, the Yankees "are looking at about 20 different things," including whether Rodriguez breached the contract by taking medical treatment from an outside doctor without the team's authorization, and the possibility that he may have broken the law by purchasing controlled substances from a Miami "wellness clinic" run by nutritionist Anthony Bosch.
Matthews’ source also notes that the Yankees cannot do anything regarding potentially voiding the contract until Major League Baseball completes their investigation. However, it is believed that Rodriguez is not is in danger of seeing his contract voided, even if Major League Baseball finds just cause to discipline him.
One of the things that the Yankees are exploring is whether Rodriguez breached his contract by taking medical treatment from a doctor who was not approved by the team. The team is also reportedly exploring whether Rodriguez’s alleged purchase of these substances may have broken the law.
Even if the Yankees cannot void Rodriguez’s contract, it shows just how much he has fallen out of favor with the organizational brass.
Follow Dan on Twitter at @danpfeiffer74.
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