A-Rod Will Meet With MLB Today

According to Michael S. Schmidt of the NY Times, Alex Rodriguez will meet with MLB investigators later today.

Three people who know about the details of the meeting confirmed that it was still scheduled to take place, despite comments Saturday by Yankees Manager Joe Girardi that Rodriguez wanted to have the meeting postponed. Rodriguez said he expected to play in Sunday’s exhibition game in Sarasota. “I’m on the 9 o’clock bus,” he said.

WHO WILL BE AT THE MEETING? Rodriguez will be interviewed by Rob Manfred, Major League Baseball’s top drug-testing official, and members of baseball’s department of investigations. An official for the players union and at least one of Rodriguez’s lawyers will attend the meeting.

WHAT WILL RODRIGUEZ BE ASKED? Along with questioning him about where he received the banned substances, the officials want to know about his relationship with the trainer Ángel Presinal, who has been accused of distributing steroids to major league players.

Although Presinal has been barred from major league clubhouses, many players continue to train with him, including Rodriguez, who worked with him as recently as 2007.

DOES RODRIGUEZ HAVE TO ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS? Rodriguez does not have to answer questions that he believes may expose him to criminal prosecution. If the baseball officials decide that Rodriguez was not forthcoming or truthful, they can try to punish him. Any discipline can be appealed to an arbitrator.

Schmidt also says the MLB plans to ask A-Rod about Gene Orza. They want to know if the SI.com report was true, and if he give A-Rod advanced notice about a 2004 drug test.

Besides creating more of a mess I don't see what good can come out of this. What exactly will Major League Baseball accomplish by interrogating Alex Rodriguez about his past steroid use?

Knowing A-Rod he'll probably make a mistake and say something he's going to regret, and might even get himself into some trouble with the league. And before you get mad at me for saying that, remember, this is the same guy who had his cousin - the one who helped his get the steroids - pick him up from the ballpark this week.