In recently obtained documents, it has been revealed that former New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez provided federal agents with information about other players involved in the Biogenesis scandal in 2014. According to Rodriguez, he was informed by Biogenesis founder Anthony Bosch that Manny Ramirez, Ryan Braun, and another unnamed All-Star player were also clients of the performance-enhancing drug clinic. It is important to note that the third All-Star player has never tested positive for PEDs and was not named in the report.
Rodriguez disclosed this information during a meeting with two assistant U.S. Department of Justice attorneys and seven Drug Enforcement Administration agents in January 2014. This meeting took place after Rodriguez had received a 211-game suspension for violating MLB's PED policy, resulting in a ban for the entire 2014 season. He had been granted "Queen for a Day" status, allowing him to share details without fear of legal prosecution.
Manny Ramirez, who played for the Dodgers at the time, served a 50-game suspension in 2009 for violating the league's PED policy. In 2011, while with the Rays, he was hit with a 100-game suspension, but he opted to retire instead of serving the ban. Ryan Braun, a former NL MVP, received his suspension in 2013.
During the meeting, Rodriguez also admitted for the first time that he used PEDs purchased from Bosch, which contradicted his previous public denials. He revealed that he paid approximately $12,000 per month for "doping protocols" that included testosterone creams and lozenges containing testosterone and human growth hormone. He paid Bosch in cash and sometimes used petty cash obtained from the Yankees traveling team secretary, who was not involved in the scheme.
Rodriguez also implicated his cousin, Yusi Sucart Sr., as the supplier of performance-enhancing drugs for at least a decade. He claimed that his cousin later attempted to blackmail him with a $5 million threat. The report also stated that Rodriguez admitted to lying to Yankees president Randy Levine in 2012 about his relationship with Bosch.
Rodriguez declined to comment on the story to ESPN, which is one of his current employers. He joined the network in 2018 and co-hosts the "KayRod Cast," the alternate feed of ESPN's "Sunday Night Baseball" game.
It is important to remember that these allegations are based on documents obtained by ESPN and have not been independently verified. The involvement of other players in the Biogenesis scandal raises questions about the extent of performance-enhancing drug use in baseball and the effectiveness of MLB's testing and punishment policies.