While Alex Rodriguez is still considered the biggest lightning rod for negative attention in Major League Baseball, and one of the central pieces in MLB's Biogenesis performance-enhancing drug controversy, he is not the most relevant name involved.
Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers outfielder and 2011 National League MVP, failed drug tests before his MVP campaign but escaped punishment due to the mishandling of his sample. When his name cropped up again, this time in connection with Tony Bosch's Biogenesis company, MLB set out to drop the hammer on him, and everyone else involved.
Justice could be served to many players on Bosch's list, who have all been accused of using performance-enhancing drugs, but who are the biggest losers in this mess?
While many might jump to the New York Yankees as the biggest losers, with A-Rod and catcher Francisco Cervelli among the sullied names involved, those people would be wrong. Rodriguez' career is declining, and the Yankees are in playoff contention without him taking one swing this season.
Meanwhile, Cervelli got off to a hot start before injuring himself and the Yankees have trucked along without him as well.
The biggest loser in this scandal will be Major League Baseball itself; if the league office gets its way, one of its premier stars, Braun, will be suspended for 100 games which is essentially the remainder of the season. They will also be suspending Nelson Cruz, Melky Cabrera, Jhonny Peralta, Everth Cabrera, Bartolo Colon and Jesus Montero, among others.
Braun, Cruz, Peralta and Colon are all playing major roles for teams expected to compete for playoff spots. Removing them from their respective rosters could lessen the quality of play for those teams, while the organizations below them don't improve either, decreasing the level of play league-wide.
Everth Cabrera is currently leading all of baseball in stolen bases, and Montero is one of the game's premier prospects, despite struggling this season and being demoted to the minors.
The teams most affected would be the Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers, two teams leading competitive divisions. Nelson Cruz has remained healthy in 2013 and replaced much of the power that left with Josh Hamilton, while Peralta has provided length to the Tigers order.
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