Alex Rodriguez is banned from the 2014 baseball season, but it could have been worse for the slugger as reports indicate that several angered players wanted A-Rod kicked out of the Player's Union last week after he sued the MLBPA. The players were told by staff lawyers that the expulsion of Rodriguez wouldn't be allowed.
According to ESPN, the players spoke on Jan. 13 at a Major League Baseball Players Association conference call after Rodriguez sued the union and the MLB to try and overturn arbitrator Fredric Horowitz's decision to limit the MLB's 211-game ban handed down to Rodriguez last summer to all 162 games of the 2014 season including the playoffs. The conference call was made to discuss ousting Rodriguez from the union.
ESPN reports that all players in the MLB are members of the union and pay $65 daily in dues or $11,895 if the player is in the majors over the course of a full season. Baseball's labor contract specifies that the union is "the sole and exclusive bargaining agent for all major league players." A-Rod sued the union and said that it "breached its duty of fair representation to Mr. Rodriguez," according to ESPN.
Rodriguez. a three-time Most Valuable Player, was suspended by the MLB and Bud Selig for 211 games back on Aug. 5 but was able to play the duration of the season upon returning from injuries that kept him sidelined until August until his appeals process was heard by Horowitz in the fall. The decision came down last week that Horowitz opted to limit the number of games that Rodriguez will sit out to a full season.
Rodriguez was suspended along with 13 other players due to his connection to the now-defunct Florida-based Biogenesis clinic that was accused of providing players with performance enhancing drugs.
After a thorough investigation by the MLB, A-Rod received the harshest punishments out of all 14 players that were suspended for their connection to the clinic leading to a saga of lawsuits and appeals. Horowitz eventually ruled that Rodriguez violated baseball's drug agreement each year from 2010-12 and interfered twice with baseball's investigation in his violation of the sports labor contract.
Rodriguez signed a 10-year $275 million contract with the Yankees in 2007, but Horowitz's decision will cost him $22.13 million of the $25 million he's owed in 2014. A-Rod is owed $61 million by the Yankees between 2015-17.
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