Alex Rodriguez Banned for Life/Baseball

Описание: A lawyer for New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez and Major League Baseball officials are reportedly negotiating a settlement deal that would result in a lengthy suspension for three-time MVP instead of a permanent ban.

According to ESPN, a source familiar with the talks said the talks are ongoing, though MLB officials have told Rodriguez's attorneys that they are willing to kick A-Rod out of the game for life for his role in the sport's latest drug scandal.

Sources told ESPN's "Outside the Lines" that some MLB officials have pushed for a lifetime ban, which could force Rodriguez to defend his alleged involvement in the scandal than agree to a suspension that allows him continue playing while he appeals.

Whether Commissioner Bud Selig would actually issue a lifetime suspension was unclear and a permanent ban could be shortened by arbitrator Fredric Horowitz to about 200 games, a person familiar with the discussions told The Associated Press.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on Wednesday on condition of anonymity because no statements were authorized.

The number of players likely to be disciplined stood at 14 Wednesday.

Front and center is Rodriguez, baseball's highest-paid player and the most prominent one linked in media reports over the past seven months to Biogenesis of America, a closed Florida anti-aging clinic that allegedly distributed banned performance-enhancing drugs.

The Yankees expected Rodriguez to be accused of recruiting other athletes for the clinic, attempting to obstruct MLB's investigation, and not being truthful with MLB in the past. Baseball has considered suspending him for violations of its labor contract and drug agreement.