Alex Rodriguez: How Major League Baseball Should Punish Him

Baseball's steroid problem is back. The Miami New Times reported that several baseball players, including Alex Rodriguez, were linked to performance-enhancing drugs between 2009 and 2012. 

Rodriguez had previously admitted that he used performance-enhancing drugs from 2001-03 with the Texas Rangers. While he stated that he sorry about the usage, he also proclaimed that he never used drugs as a member of the New York Yankees.

If this new evidence—which looks to be concrete—turns out to be true, Rodriguez's reputation and credibility will hit rock bottom.

Alex Rodriguez is not only a cheater, he's a liar. Major League Baseball needs to punish A-Rod severely because of it.

Under the current rules, if guilty, Rodriguez would be suspended for 50 games. He's considered a first-time offender because baseball did not punish PED users during the time period that Rodriguez admitted to taking them.

However, Rodriguez would serve his suspension while on the disabled list, so his punishment is fruitless. Both Philadelphia Phillies infielder Freddy Galvis and San Diego Padres pitcher Edison Volquez did the same thing last season. 

A-Rod should not be able to escape his PED usage that easily. Commissioner Bud Selig needs to send a message around baseball by giving Rodriguez a harsh punishment.

First, Rodriguez's 50-game ban should be served when he's healthy. Rehabilitating his injury while serving his suspension is simply letting A-Rod off the hook. 

Second, MLB should suspend A-Rod for an entire season. The fact that Rodriguez took PEDs in two different time periods shows that he clearly has not learned his lesson. Him lying about his usage is just the cherry on top. 

Finally, the last element of A-Rod's punishment should be that he will not receive any pay throughout the duration of his suspension. He has five years and $114 million left on his contract. Rodriguez should not be monetarily rewarded by duping the Yankees and baseball. 

Overall, baseball can afford to levy such a brutal punishment to A-Rod. Not a lot of people would sympathize with him because of his polarizing personality. The Yankees might want him off the team, and could actually be in favor of a bigger blow. Also, Rodriguez's record chases would be much more difficult to achieve if he had to sit out an entire season while healthy. 

The players also need to know that MLB will not tolerate any more performance-enhancing drugs. Hitting them with a 50-game suspension is a slap on the wrist compared to a year without pay. With baseball now under pressure once again with its drug problem, it needs to make punishments more severe immediately.