Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun has quickly become one of the most controversial players in Major League Baseball following the decision in the summer by commissioner Bud Selig and the MLB to suspend the embattled slugger 65 games for his link to the Biogenesis clinic and performance enhancing drugs.
Now that he's ready to come back for 2014 could a trade be looming?
WSAU reports that Brewers owner Mark Attanasio shut down rumors of possibly trading away Braun now that his suspension has been served and he's able to come back to action starting with spring training in 2014, despite the fact that Braun's repeated lies about not using PEDs gave the organization a public relations black eye.
Braun and a dozen other players were suspended and missed time during the 2013 regular season, but Braun received a 65-game ban while the rest of the players were sent packing for 50 games. Alex Rodriguez is the only player to receive a harsher punishment than Braun, as the MLB issued him an unprecedented 211-game ban that he is currently fighting them over in front of arbitrator Frederic Horowitz.
Since Rodriguez appealed, he was able to play until his grievance could be heard, while Braun and the 12 others accepted their punishments in mid-summer and are all eligible to return next season. With Braun's reputation and the fact that the Brewers look to give some of their younger players some playing time in the outfield, speculation of a possible trade of the 2011 National League Most Valuable Player has risen, but Attanasio said Braun will be integral in the Brewers lineup next season.
According to the CBS affiliate in Milwaukee, Attanasio laughed off the prospect of trading Braun while also saying what he did was bad but not bad enough for the team to get rid of him.
"We don't want to overreact to how bad it was. It was bad. I'm not kidding myself," Attanasio told the news affiliate while saying he won't part ways with his outfielder.
Braun has taken steps to make up for what he's done by issuing a public apology and calling up Brewers season ticket holders to apologize to them as well.
Due to the team's young crop of outfielders, there has been speculation of Braun moving to right field from left or even possibly shifting to third base, but nothing has been confirmed yet.
Braun hit .298 with nine homers and 38 RBIs before the ban came down on him in July.
Braun has the blessing from ownership that he'll be given a clean slate and won't be parted with come the 2014 season, but will he get the same blessing from the fans around baseball--and perhaps more importantly--at Miller Park?
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