Maybe Ryan Zachary Braun is attempting a comeback.

Maybe I'm giving T.J. Quinn a bad rap, but from what I remember about him, he was a shill for ESPN on the Bonds case.

I'm having a discussion with a work friend about testing positive. Is it still true that the first positive is not punitive and the name won't be released? Or is that outdated information and the first positive is a 50 game suspension?

A picture in the article shows Arod owing Bosch $4500; Braun owing $1500; Cervelli owing $2500 and an open space for Melky. If I were Cervelli, I would ask for a refund.

The new document, shown partially below, was written by clinic chief Anthony Bosch in April.

Unless there's been something new, we do not know this to be a fact, either in terms of who wrote it or when.

The photo clip in the article is ... odd. All block printing, a strange "MLB" indicator on the left, misspelling of "Melkys" and it also looks like a misspelling of Francisco (or he has a very strange printed N).

It clearly doesn't look good for Braun but until the authenticity of these docs can be established or a money trail or some other physical evidence, there's nothing concrete.

If I were Cervelli, I would ask for a refund.

Or be more fully committed. $2500 makes it seems like you're not even trying.

Braun - 'Well, you see, because of the first litigation when I used Bosch's service to clear my good name, if exonerated, I promised him a $1500 bonus and since I am so clean, I owed him the money...and the name followed by that amount is there...so that explains that, right?'

Dup

Old Hoss on Twitter:

"Another damning document emerges in the Biogenesis case: pic.twitter.com/eBTZSW12"

It clearly doesn't look good for Braun but until the authenticity of these docs can be established or a money trail or some other physical evidence, there's nothing concrete.

It doesn't really contradict his lawyer's story as to why Braun's name was linked to this company. Of course if they were retained as a consultant by Braun's attorney there should be evidence of that- such as correspondence between Braun's Atty and this guy- which could be damning for a reason other than Braun buying PEDs from Bosch:

"To follow-up on our call, we have a client who failed a drug test for steroids, we need to know what can cause a positive test- other than roids- even if its just something to muddy the waters, if pomegranate seeds can cause a false positive than we'll have him say he munches on them 24/7..."

The available benefit of the doubt is shrinking.

It doesn't really contradict his lawyer's story as to why Braun's name was linked to this company.

No, but it strikes me as odd that he would list "monies owed for legal consulting" with "monies owed for roids" but it's not impossible of course.

Or is that outdated information and the first positive is a 50 game suspension?

The first positive for roids is a 50-game suspension. (There is of course an appeals process and the player's name is supposed to remain confidential in this time period ... but hasn't yet.)

The first positive test for amps does not carry a penalty; the second carries a 25-game suspension.

Positives for recreational drugs are always supposed to be confidential and not penalized (barring arrest or things really getting out of control).

Minor-league testing has harsher penalties.

o, but it strikes me as odd that he would list "monies owed for legal consulting" with "monies owed for roids" but it's not impossible of course.

Meh, as an occupational hazard of being a lawyer, in discovery I've seen all manner of "book keeping," and a lot of people (contractors, small scale importers, shippers) will list debts to/from them with no rhyme or reason, monies due for rent, monies due for consulting, monies due for supplying concrete mix, all on the same page-

but IF this guy was hired by Braun's lawyer as a consultant, then that Lawyer will have a paper trail- if there is no paper trail, the lawyer is lying about the consulting thing. If their is a paper trail but the lawyer won't produce it? He won't produce it because it would look really bad for him or Braun (technically it's privileged- but if it on;y involves hiring Bosch as a consultant I'd assume that Braun would waive it)

I prefer the Biogenesis records with Peter Gabriel.

Give it up Laurenzi, this is getting sad now.

I'm hearing:

Major Leagur Baseball is infested with Performance Enhancing Drugs. I have here in my hand a list of 205—a list of names that were made known to the Commissioner of Baseball as being PED users and who nevertheless are still working in MLB.

No, but it strikes me as odd that he would list "monies owed for legal consulting" with "monies owed for roids" but it's not impossible of course.

Maybe he just liked putting all his famous, prestige clients on one list?

Oh wait, Cervelli’s on there, nm.

These reports would all be more credible if the records were released at the same time. Until Braun and Cervelli confirmed they actually had done business with the firm I was a tad skeptical but am starting to come around they may be legitimate.

Not enough proof to get anyone suspended, but for a guy like Braun, just helps confirm he is a PED cheater who got off on a technicality.

Sadly, for guys like Cervelli and Manny Alexander, no amount of PED's can make you good.

Not even sure how better you become using banned PED's than permissible stuff like Creatine, Red Bull and Toradol.

Every I read one of these steroids articles, I imagine the player in question on trial, surrounded by revolving hula hoops, like in the Superman movies.

"Guilty! Guilty! GUILTY...!!"

Thanks Walt. It used to be that the first positive was kept secret, and not punitive, right?

A picture in the article shows Arod owing Bosch $4500; Braun owing $1500; Cervelli owing $2500 and an open space for Melky. If I were Cervelli, I would ask for a refund.

Maybe Cervelli believes he wouldn't see light of day in the major leagues without PEDs? I would imagine that PEDs will improve your performance, but obviously everyone has a different level of talent to start from.

These reports would all be more credible if the records were released at the same time.

I could be mistaken, but I think for a story to have "legs" the media likes to dose out their stories. I believe this to be true in all manner of scandal, Dave Petreus being a recent one.

Rotoworld is reporting Dan Uggla showed up 20 lbs. lighter for camp this year because he spent the offseason doing agility drills and improved his diet. Likewise, Mike Trout reported at 240 lbs. That's a big dude.

Maybe Cervelli believes he wouldn't see light of day in the major leagues without PEDs? I would imagine that PEDs will improve your performance, but obviously everyone has a different level of talent to start from.

Of course, attempted humor...you see, Cervelli isn't a very good player so if he took something that makes some people Babe Ruth, then he should be better than he is!

I saw Trout close up at the BBWAA dinner in NY last month. He was noticeably bigger than his end-of-season playing weight. Didn't look like he had much fat on him either. Just broad and solid. Could affect his speed I guess.

I saw Trout close up at the BBWAA dinner in NY last month. He was noticeably bigger than his end-of-season playing weight. Didn't look like he had much fat on him either. Just broad and solid. Could affect his speed I guess.

Well, clearly he isn't going to win an MVP for having the best all around season since Barry Bonds was winning MVP's in his 20's.

So may as well bulk up, hit some more dingers, and get the hell out of the leadoff spot. And he'll live off reputation in CF for years.

Actually just playing around with play index.....WAR >10, Baserunning > 5, Fielding > 10, OPS+ > 150

Thats a pretty cool list.




Here is the Link to full report lowering the overall WAR threshold to 8. Surprsingly Bonds only shows up once in his age 31 season.

Trout lived with his parents in the offseason in south Jersey, iirc. I suspect his mom is a good cook...

It used to be that the first positive was kept secret, and not punitive, right?

Not that I ever recall no. The "let's have a test to see if we need a test" was not supposed to ever be revealed or lead to any punishment.

I do vaguely recall the Union tried for a "first time is free" program but I don't think they ever got it. I think that was paraded in front of Congress and they laughed at it. Maybe that "first time free" thing did exist for a short while. Now, for a season, the first-time suspension was 10 games but once Palmeiro got caught, that was up to 50 by the next season.

Rotoworld is reporting Dan Uggla showed up 20 lbs. lighter for camp this year because he spent the offseason doing agility drills and improved his diet. Likewise, Mike Trout reported at 240 lbs. That's a big dude.

Seems likely that the Angels told Trout to prepare for 2013 as the LF, with Bourjos taking most of the innings in CF, so he decided to bulk up a bit and maybe add some more power to his game. Should be interesting to see if he's able to do so.

I'm more pessimistic than most people on Trout. Earlier in the offseason, I projected him for a .290/.360/.470 batting line, with his customarily excellent baserunning and a +10 UZR in left field, all adding up to 5.7 WAR. If he is up to 6-1/240, I'd be even more nervous. It's hard to imagine that he'll gain enough power to offset the baserunning and defensive value that he'll lose by adding all that weight.

I don't see why you would project him to just a 180 ISO.

2011 AA: 281
2012 AAA: 220 (93 PA)
ML career: 226

But fair point on the other one -- 10 runs must be 40-50 points of ISO.

Not that I know what you're nervous about. Nobody expects Trout to repeat his 10.7 WAR from last year.

EDIT: ZiPS puts him at 282/361/507 (142 OPS+) and 8 WAR. That seems to be assuming roughly the same defense/baserunning but I'm guessing he's in CF. It says his #1 comp is Matt Kemp which I assume means he has no decent comps. Kemp's a damn fine player but didn't debut until age 21 with 170 PA and an 85 OPS+ and good AA/AAA numbers (PCL of course for AAA). Kemp had only 8 career WAR though age 25.

I guess it's less a projection than a pessimistic prediction. Many of my concerns would be shared by a projection system - the BABIP will definitely fall some, and simply because he was so great last year, he probably overperformed his true talent on plate discipline, baserunning, and/or defense. But something that seems potentially important that the projection systems aren't looking at is that for some inscrutable reason, the league fed him fastball after fastball last year. Just look at this leaderboard - aside from Matt Holliday, almost everyone else around him is a slap hitter. I don't doubt that he has the talent to make adjustments, but I find it hard to believe that he won't get more offspeed pitches next season, and that his power and strikeout rate won't suffer for it.

With regard to his approach: last season, despite the .238 ISO, he was still more of a ground ball hitter than a fly ball hitter. Something doesn't quite seem to add up. Is he really strong enough to maintain a 22% HR/FB ratio? I guess if he's added muscle and retools his approach to hit for more power, he probably can - but then he's not taking advantage of the speed that allowed him to turn all those grounders into hits last year.

I guess I use the word "nervous" because I think a lot of fans will expect him to replicate or improve his 2012 performance this season, and God knows how many mainstream media types will write about his "sophomore slump" if he has only a 7-8 WAR season, much less 5-6 WAR. I really like him as a player, and I want him to be talked about positively. If he drops off significantly from last year's performance, people are going to be unfairly and aggravatingly negative about him.

If he drops off significantly from last year's performance, people are going to be unfairly and aggravatingly negative about him.

Especially if Cabrera wins a second consecutive triple crown