Ryan Braun is a liar, a cheater, a fraud and, as of Monday, a man without a job.
Major League Baseball announced its suspension of the Milwaukee Brewers’ left fielder without pay for the remainder of the 2013 season.
What's curious however, is the timing. MLB has wanted Braun since he dodged the results of a test in October of 2011. Why did Braun, who adamantly defended his innocence, suddenly choose to serve a suspension?
Cowardice and money.
But mostly money.
I’ll start with the cowardice.
Braun accepted his “punishment.” For his actions, he no longer “gets” to play on a last place team going nowhere fast. In fact without Braun, the Brewers will be even worse and potentially gain a better draft pick.
If he was going to miss any time, now seems the opportune time for him to do so. How easy is for Braun to turn his back on a bad team and selfishly serve his suspension?
I’m sure Braun jumped at the opportunity to accept what was no doubt a plea deal with MLB and sit out the rest of the season instead of sitting out next season when the Brewers could compete.
Oh, and Braun is due a $1.5 million raise next season.
New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez is in a similar predicament. Like Braun, Rodriguez is facing a suspension for a violation of MLB’s drug policy.
The difference is that there is no way Rodriguez accepts a plea deal and serves a suspension.
Not now anyway.
Another difference is that it — as always — comes down to money.
Braun’s contract with Milwaukee is backloaded, meaning he earns more money in the later years of his contract.
The Brewers owed Braun about $3.85 million for the remainder of the season. If he loses his appeals and misses 100 games next season, it would cost him upwards of $6 million.
This plea deal saved him over $2 million.
Rodriguez’s contract in New York is front loaded. He would lose $11.23 million if he accepted the same deal as Braun and served his suspension for the remainder of the season. That is if he is lucky enough to get only the 65 games Braun got, which is considered highly unlikely.
Rodriguez will do everything he can to push his suspension back to next year, where his salary drops from $28 million to $25 million, or even until 2015 when he is scheduled to make $21 million.
Unlike Braun, the longer Rodriguez can hold off his imminent suspension, the less money is slated to lose.
It’s all about the money. Ryan Braun proved that on Monday, and Alex Rodriguez is proving it every day he continues to put on spikes.
Reach the columnist at jcemerso@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @J15Emerson
