A-Rod may be banned before appeal is heard

Is Alex Rodriguez staring at a lifetime ban from baseball? There’s word he could be kicked out of the game for his use of performance-enhancing drugs, and the commissioner is looking at a unique way of doing it.

If A-Rod is punished under Major League Baseball’s drug policy, he would still be able to play and collect his massive paycheck while appealing any suspension or ban.

But Commissioner Bud Selig does not want A-Rod cashing any checks. So he’s reportedly looking at punishing him under baseball’s collective bargaining agreement for conduct detrimental to the sport.

If he does that, A-Rod would have to take any punishment the commissioner deals out while the appeal is being held. So he’d have to sit, without pay, while the case is argued. He would be out tens of millions of dollars. He still has about $100 million left on his current contract.

A-Rod’s attorney David Cornwell tells ESPN New York they believe they have strong defenses that they intend to present when the time comes.

A-Rod has admitted to taking performance-enhancing drugs while playing for the Rangers, right after his trade from Seattle, but he has never been disciplined for a drug offense under baseball’s drug policy.

But his name is right in the middle of the Biogenesis investigation. It’s looking at the now closed anti-aging clinic in Florida that is believed to have provided a bunch of major-leaguers with PEDs.

The New York Daily News reports that A-Rod is expected to be punished not only for taking the drugs but for steering other players to the clinic, intimidating witnesses and lying to baseball about his involvement.

Greg Doyel of CBSSports.com says those last potential charges are the worst.

“He is the worst cheater, if he has been trying to confiscate evidence — and I believe he has been — then he is the worst kind of cheater we’ve ever seen.”

Commissioner Selig has reportedly been dangling this lifetime ban idea in front of A-Rod and his attorneys to force him to take some kind of deal.

The deal that many say is on the table is for A-Rod to accept a suspension for the rest of this year and all of next season. That would allow him to collect a paycheck for the final three years of his contract if he returns to baseball.

The Yankees also might try to void his contract if he accepts a suspension.

But we’re hearing that A-Rod has no desire to make a deal.