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Alex Rodriguez was suspended a record 162 games on Saturday, and MLB would not have been able to levy such a harsh penalty without help from Anthony Bosch. The former Biogenesis chief provided the league with phone records and corroborated evidence over the summer.
Following the announcement of the suspension, Bosch's camp released this statement:
"Tony Bosch doesn't take joy in seeing Alex Rodriguez suspended from baseball but he believes the arbitrator's decision was appropriate. He is glad to have the arbitration behind him and believes he can play a valuable role in the future by educating athletes about the dangers of performance enhancing drugs."
In exchange for his cooperation, MLB dropped Bosch from a lawsuit, paid his legal fees and provided a personal security detail. He reportedly tried to extort a six-figure sum from A-Rod before getting in bed with MLB, which is pretty shady. Rodriguez's camp attacked Bosch's credibility during the appeal hearing.
A-Rod intents to report to spring training next month despite the ban. Suspended players are allowed to participate in camp and even play exhibition games according to the Joint Drug Agreement.
