Complete Profiles for Players Linked to MLB PED Scandal

The Biogenesis PED scandal first reared its head back at the beginning of the year when it was revealed that the Miami-based clinic and its founder, Tony Bosch, were tied to PEDs and a number of high-profile MLB players.

Now, an ESPN report from T.J Quinn, Pedro Gomez and Mike Fish on Tuesday states that Bosch has reached an agreement to cooperate with MLB investigators on the Biogenesis case.

As a result, Major League Baseball will seek 100-game suspensions for roughly 20 players who have been tied to the clinic.

Here is a look at the 15 names that Tuesday's ESPN report revealed and how their potential suspension could affect the teams for which they play. 

RF Cesar Puello, New York Mets (Double-A)

Career Stats (Minors)

.282/.350/.408, 30 HR, 181 RBI, 277 R, 126 SB

Summary

Signed out of the Dominican Republic as a 17-year-old back in 2008, Cesar Puello has slowly worked his way through the Mets system, reaching Double-A for the first time this season.

He entered the season as the team's No. 18 prospect, according to the Baseball America Prospect Handbook, and is currently hitting .312/.390/.555 with nine home runs and 15 steals in 173 at-bats.

Given how weak the Mets' current outfield situation is and how well he's been playing, Puello had a chance at a big league call-up at some point this season, and a suspension would certainly derail his career path.

RP Jordan Norberto, Free Agent

Career Stats

78 G, 4-3, 4.00 ERA, 1.424 WHIP, 5.8 BB/9, 7.4 K/9

Summary

Signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks out of the Dominican Republic back in 2004, Jordan Norberto made his big league debut in 2010 when he posted a 5.85 ERA with 6.8 K/8 and 9.9 BB/9 marks over 33 games.

He and first baseman Brandon Allen were traded to the A's the following season for reliever Brad Ziegler. After making just six major league appearances in 2011, he was great last season with a 2.77 ERA and 1.135 WHIP in 39 contests.

After posting a 4.35 ERA in nine spring games, he opened the season in Triple-A but was released on May 8 after allowing six earned runs in 1.1 innings of work over three appearances. He gave up five hits and seven walks.

The left-hander is currently a free agent, so this will no doubt hinder his chances of catching on with another team at some point this season.

RP Fautino De Los Santos, Free Agent

Career Stats

40 G, 3-2, 4.21 ERA, 1.486 WHIP, 5.0 BB/9, 11.4 K/9

Summary

Another Dominican-born former A's reliever who is currently without a job, Fautino De Los Santos pitched for the Padres this spring but was released on May 15.

After making 34 appearances and posting a 4.32 ERA and 11.6 K/9 as a rookie in 2011, he played just six games last season and spent the bulk of he season in Triple-A.

It will be interesting to see if Jordan Norberto and De Los Santos are tied to Bartolo Colon, who was also named in the report and served a 50-game suspension last season when the three were all teammates in Oakland.

CF Fernando Martinez, Houston Astros

Career Stats

.206/.269/.362, 9 HR, 29 RBI, 28 R

Summary

Ranked in the Baseball America Top 100 four different times in his career, including as high as No. 20 heading into the 2008 season, Fernando Martinez was expected to be a star for the Mets.

He made his big league debut as a 20-year-old in 2009, hitting just .176 over 91 at-bats, and he saw just 40 more big league at-bats over the next two seasons before the Astros claimed him on waivers prior to last season.

In 118 at-bats last season, he hit .237/.300/.466 with six home runs and 14 RBI, but he has already been demoted to Triple-A after a .182 start to the season. 

At 24 years old, the potential is still there for him to be a useful big leaguer, but the Astros are a rebuilding team with plenty of young players. This may be reason enough to cut him.

C Francisco Cervelli, New York Yankees

Career Stats

.271/.343/.367, 8 HR, 79 RBI, 70 R

Summary

With Russell Martin signing with the Pittsburgh Pirates in the offseason, the Yankees decided against acquiring someone to replace him and instead opened the year with a platoon of Francisco Cervelli and Chris Stewart.

Cervelli spent parts of the past five seasons with the Yankees, with an extended look in 2010 when he hit .271/.359/.335 with 38 RBI in 266 at-bats.

He got off to a nice start this season, hitting .269/.377/.500 with three home runs and eight RBI through his first 17 games. However, he's been on the DL since the end of April with a fractured hand, and at 27, he may not get another chance to seize the everyday catcher job.

SS Everth Cabrera, San Diego Padres

Career Stats

.247/.328/.340, 9 HR, 99 RBI, 160 R, 105 SB

Summary

Everth Cabrera broke into the league as a 22-year-old in 2009 and hit .255 with 25 steals in 103 games as a rookie, playing stellar defense and finishing eighth in NL Rookie of the Year voting.

Expected to be the long-term answer at the position, he instead struggled mightily to start the 2010 season and wound up spending most of that year and 2011 in the minors.

He won the shortstop job back last season, when he hit .246 and led the National League with 44 steals. He's having his best season to date this year. He is currently putting up career highs across the board with a .278/.362/.396 line while once again pacing the NL with 24 steals in 58 games.

C Jesus Montero, Seattle Mariners

Career Stats

.258/.303/.396, 22 HR, 83 RBI, 61 R

Summary

Ranked as one of the top 10 prospects in baseball each season from 2010-2012 by Baseball America, the Yankees traded Jesus Montero to the Mariners prior to last season for promising young right-hander Michael Pineda.

Expected to contend for AL Rookie of the Year honors last year, he was somewhat of a disappointment in hitting .260/.298/.386 with 15 home runs and 62 RBI, though that still made him one of the Mariners' most productive hitters.

Still only 23, Montero got off to a slow start this season, hitting .208 through his first 101 at-bats, and the team opted to send him down to Triple-A recently to work out the kinks and build some confidence. A suspension for him could be a significant detriment to his development and couldn't come at a worse time.

SS Jhonny Peralta, Detroit Tigers

Career Stats

.268/.330/.425, 151 HR, 669 RBI, 655 R

Summary

An 11-year big league veteran, Jhonny Peralta is in his fourth season with the Detroit Tigers after spending his first seven-plus seasons with the Cleveland Indians.

An All-Star as recently as 2011, when he hit .299 with 21 home runs and 86 RBI, Peralta struggled last season and hit just .239 with a .689 OPS, leading some to think the Tigers would look for a replacement in the offseason.

When there were no other options, Peralta had his $6 million option picked up, and he is enjoying a bounce-back season with a .338/.383/.495 line. The question now becomes whether or not his resurgence can be attributed to PEDs.

C Yasmani Grandal, San Diego Padres

Career Stats

.273/.374/.431, 8 HR, 36 RBI, 28 R

Summary

One of the most promising young catchers in all of baseball, Yasmani Grandal just returned from a 50-game suspension for elevated testosterone levels on May 28.

The 24-year-old Cuba native and University of Miami alum was chosen by the Cincinnati Reds at the No. 12 pick in the 2010 draft. The Padres acquired him prior to last season as part of the package Cincinnati put together to snag right-hander Mat Latos.

In 60 games last season, he hit .297/.394/.469 with eight home runs and 36 RBI, and he was expected to assume full-time catching duties for the first time this season. 

LF Melky Cabrera, Toronto Blue Jays

Career Stats

.284/.338/.412, 71 HR, 438 RBI, 510 R

Summary

Another player who was recently suspended for PEDs, Melky Cabrera missed out on the Giants' World Series run and what likely would have been a huge payday as a result of his suspension at the end of last season.

A promising prospect in the Yankees system who debuted as a 20-year-old back in 2005, Cabrera finally broke out last season in his first year with San Francisco. He hit .346/.390/.516 and was a legitimate MVP candidate until he received a 50-game suspension on August 14.

He was able to return for the postseason, but the Giants opted not to add him to their roster and made no effort to sign the free agent in the offseason. He inked a two-year, $16 million deal with the Blue Jays and has hit a solid .284/.328/.375 so far. 

SP Bartolo Colon, Oakland Athletics

Career Stats

392 G, 177-124, 4.03 ERA, 1,875 K, 2,436.2 IP

Summary

Yet another player who was suspended last season, Bartolo Colon had to sit out for 50 games when he showed an elevated testosterone level.

The former Cy Young winner was out of baseball altogether in 2010, but he made an impressive comeback with the Yankees in 2011 when he went 8-10 with a 4.00 ERA in 29 games (26 starts) and helped shore up the back end of their staff.

He signed a one-year deal with the A's last season and was 10-9 with a 3.43 ERA in 24 starts before being hit with the suspension. The team opted to bring him back for another year, and he's been their best starter so far. He's posted a  6-2 record with a 3.33 ERA in 11 starts, including a pair of complete game shutouts.

His comeback with the Yankees was attributed to a controversial stem cell treatment he received in 2010, and while Yahoo! Sports reported that no HGH was used in the procedure, one has to wonder what Colon was doing to be able to return at such a high level.

RF Nelson Cruz, Texas Rangers

Career Stats

.268/.327/.495, 144 HR, 453 RBI, 380 R

Summary

Nelson Cruz endured a long journey to major league success as he was not a full-time player until the age of 28 back in 2009.

After making stops in New York, Oakland and Milwaukee, Cruz finally found a home in Texas when he was acquired along with Carlos Lee in a 2006 deadline deal.

He has hit 122 home runs since the start of the 2009 season, tied for 15th most in all of baseball over that span. He's off to a terrific start this season, hitting .268 with 14 home runs and 40 RBI in his first 205 at-bats, and losing his bat would be a big blow to the Rangers.

SP Gio Gonzalez, Washington Nationals

Career Stats

139 G, 62-43, 3.65 ERA, 785 K, 806.1 IP

Summary

The Nationals paid a steep price to acquire Gio Gonzalez from the A's last season, and understandably so, as he went 31-21 with a 3.17 ERA and 8.2 K/9 between 2010 and 2011 in Oakland.

While it cost the Nationals four top prospects, the move paid off immediately, as the left-hander went 21-8 with a 2.89 ERA and a league-best 9.3 K/9 to finish third in the NL Cy Young voting.

He's been solid once again this season, going 3-3 with a 3.64 ERA and 8.4 K/9 over his first 12 starts. After signing a five-year, $42 million extension last season, he figured to play a major role in the Nationals' success moving forward. 

LF Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers

Career Stats

.312/.374/.565, 211 HR, 678 RBI, 642 R

Summary

One of the premier all-around offensive players in the game today, Ryan Braun has posted back-to-back 30/30 seasons. He led the NL with a career-high 41 home runs last season.

This is not the first time he has been linked to PEDs, as he was originally suspended 50 games following a positive testosterone test at the end of his 2011 MVP season. However, he won an appeal after it was discovered that the test collector had taken his sealed sample home for two days before turning it in, according to a New York Times report.

After letting Prince Fielder walk last offseason and with a dismal pitching staff, there is little question that Braun is the heart and soul of the Brewers right now. Losing him would be a devastating blow to what has already been a rough season in Milwaukee.

3B Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees

Career Stats

.300/.384/.560, 647 HR, 1,950 RBI, 1,898 R

Summary

A shell of what he once was on the field and already sidelined following offseason hip surgery, the already tarnished legacy of Alex Rodriguez looks as though it will only get worse.

Bleacher Report lead writer Zachary Rymer wrote a great piece back when the Biogenesis story first broke in February chronicling A-Rod's career. Rather than go over all the details, I'll simply direct you there.

Due $86 million over the next four years and with a salary of $28 million this season, it will be interesting to see if the Yankees are able to recoup any of that money or perhaps even opt out of that deal should A-Rod wind up with a suspension.