Last week Los Angeles Angels' outfielder Josh Hamilton met with MLB officials in New York City and admitted to suffering a relapse with alcohol and cocaine this offseason. The veteran is now facing punishment from the league and it could be serious.
It's unknown how the MLB will discipline Hamilton because it's a tricky situation. The panel of four arbitrators hearing the case are reportedly split on whether or not Hamilton should be admitted into a rehab program, and a fifth arbitrator is expected to be brought in to break the tie. The panel is also unsure of how to classify Hamilton as a drug offender.
"The group is made up of two attorneys and two physicians - one of each appointed by Major League Baseball's commissioner's office and the players' union," writes Mike DiGiovanna and Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. "The panel first determines whether a player has violated MLB's drug policy, then decides a course of treatment."
"If he is sent into a rehabilitation program, he would be owed his full salary for 30 days, then half his salary for the next 30 days - a total of $6.2 million. If he is suspended and not in treatment, he would not be paid. However, it is unclear whether the Angels would have to pay Hamilton at all if he previously entered a rehabilitation program that lasted at least 60 days."
On top of that, Hamilton's suspension can range from 25 games to an entire season based on whether the panel deems him a first-, second-, third- or fourth-time drug offender under the league's drug policy. The 33-year-old was suspended from 2004-2006 for failing "at least" six drug tests with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays as a minor leaguer and one or more of them may have occurred while he was on the team's 40-man roster. The breakdown for offenses is as follows:
First-time: 15-25 games
Second-time: 25 to 50 games
Third-time: 50-75 games
Fourth-time: at least one full season
Commissioner Rob Manfred will have final say on Hamilton's suspension. It was previously noted the league is mindful of the former AL MVP's significant addiction issues and it wants to be "compassionate" in its ruling.
