New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - As Alex Rodriguez and Major League Baseball continue their hearing concerning the slugger's 211-game suspension for violations of the drug policy, the Yankees third baseman has filed a lawsuit against the sport's governing body.
The suit, according to the New York Times, alleges that Major League Baseball is trying to interfere with Rodriguez's existing contracts and future business relationships. It said MLB paid for the cooperation of Anthony Bosch, the head of the now-defunct Biogenesis anti-aging clinic that was accused of supplying players performance-enhancing substances, in its investigation of Rodriguez.
Major League Baseball issued a statement regarding the impending litigation and called it a "desperate attempt to circumvent the Collective Bargaining Agreement."
According to the Times, Rodriguez's lawyers said MLB paid Bosch $150,000 for records related to the Biogenesis scandal.
"While we vehemently deny the allegations in the complaint, none of those allegations is relevant to the real issue: whether Mr. Rodriguez violated the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program by using and possessing numerous forms of prohibited performance-enhancing substances, including testosterone and human growth hormone, over the course of multiple years and whether he violated the basic agreement by attempting to cover-up his violations of the program by engaging in a course of conduct intended to obstruct and frustrate the Office of the Commissioner's investigation," MLB's statement read.
Rodriguez was hit with a 211-game penalty in August, while 12 other players were suspended 50 games for their alleged ties to Biogenesis.
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