Report: A-Rod Associates Ratted Out Braun, Others in PED Scandal

Report: A-Rod Associates Ratted Out Braun, Others in PED Scandal

Associates of Alex Rodriguez reportedly leaked information about Milwaukee Brewers superstar Ryan Braun after a Miami New Times article implicated Rodriguez in a performance-enhancing drugs scandal in January. Rodriguez’s team reportedly purchased unredacted documents about Braun and subsequently leaked the information to Yahoo! Sports.

60 Minutes reported on Friday that “members of New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez’s inner circle in February obtained and leaked documents that implicated Milwaukee Brewers slugger Ryan Braun as well as his own Yankees teammate, catcher Francisco Cervelli.” The outlet reported that the “leak came just days after the weekly newspaper Miami New Times published documents in January detailing Rodriguez’s pervasive use of performance enhancing drugs.”

Braun was not mentioned in the original report, but was later implicated in subsequent reports. 

As CBS notes, “Braun and Cervelli’s names were redacted in the Miami New Times documents. Members of Rodriguez’s camp at the time obtained unredacted versions and leaked them to Yahoo! Sports, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter. The unredacted documents also implicated Baltimore Oriole Danny Valencia, who MLB later investigated and cleared.”

Rodriguez lawyer David Cornwell told 60 Minutes, “The allegations are untrue and are another attempt to harm Alex — this time by driving a wedge between Alex and other players in the game. While Alex focuses on baseball and repeatedly states that he is going to respect the appeal process, the drumbeat of false allegations continues.”

Braun was suspended for the remainder of the season without pay and accepted the punishment while acknowledging his guilt. Twelve other players, including Texas’ Nelson Cruz, received and are serving 50-game suspensions. Rodriguez received a 211-game suspension and is playing baseball for the Yankees while appealing his punishment. 

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