The long-awaited meeting between the New York Yankees and Alex Rodriguez happened Tuesday, with the disgraced slugger apologizing for his “actions over the past several years.”
“Today we held a meeting at Yankee Stadium between Hal Steinbrenner, Randy Levine, Brian Cashman, Jean Afterman, Alex Rodriguez and Jim Sharp,” read a statement jointly released by the Yankees and Rodriguez. “Alex initiated the meeting and apologized to the organization for his actions over the past several years.
“There was an honest and frank discussion on all of the issues. As far as the Yankees are concerned, the next step is to play baseball in spring training.”
Next up is another clearing-the-air meeting for Rodriguez, according to Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York:
Rodriguez, 39, was suspended for the entire 2014 season due to his involvement with performance-enhancing drug supplier Tony Bosch and his health clinic Biogenesis. The three-time AL MVP, who categorically denied PED use at first, later admitted to receiving drugs from Bosch in a meeting with the DEA, per a report by Jay Weaver of the Miami Herald:
Yes, he bought performance-enhancing drugs from Biogenesis of America, paying roughly $12,000 a month over about two years to fake doctor Anthony Bosch. Yes, the Biogenesis owner gave him pre-filled syringes for hormone injections into his stomach, and even drew blood from him in the men’s room of a South Beach nightclub. And yes, Rodriguez’s cousin, Yuri Sucart, was his steroid go-fer.
Rodriguez is scheduled to join the Yankees for spring training later this month. Tuesday’s meeting was designed to clear the air between the two parties, whose relationship has become increasingly strained in recent years.
In 2013, Rodriguez’s attorney accused Yankees team doctor Chris Ahmad of “sabotaging” the third baseman’s treatment for a degenerative hip condition. Rodriguez claimed Yankees president Randy Levine said “I don’t ever want to see him on the field again” to the surgeon handling Rodriguez’s case, per a New York Daily News report from Bill Madden and Teri Thompson.
Later that year, Rodriguez filed a lawsuit against Dr. Ahmad and the hospital where his surgery was performed. The suit was later dropped.
The Yankees owe Rodriguez a minimum of $64 million over the next three seasons, the final years of a 10-year, $275 million deal signed in 2007.
Sitting at 654 career home runs, Rodriguez can also earn milestone escalators in his contract for moving up the all-time home runs list. Beginning with Willie Mays, who has 660 career homers, Rodriguez will receive an extra $6 million for every player passed on that list. Marchand reports that was an issue both sides discussed in the meeting.
Madden and Thompson reported the Yankees are prepared to file a grievance to avoid paying those bonuses, citing Rodriguez’s use of PEDs.
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