Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports rocked the sports world on Tuesday when he reported that New York Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli was among several more players listed in records kept by Anthony Bosch. Last week it was revealed that Bosch, who is the operator of the Biogenesis clinic in Miami, is facing investigation from Major League Baseball for facilitating the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
Cervelli’s name was listed alongside Brewers outfielder and former MVP Ryan Braun and Orioles infielder Danny Valencia on documents obtained by Yahoo Sports. Also listed were Cervelli’s teammate, Alex Rodriguez, and Melky Cabrera, both of which were implicated last week by a report in the Miami New Times. Unlike Rodriguez and Cabrera, Cervelli’s name was not listed next to a specific performance-enhancing drug, though it does warrant reason for investigation. If the investigation yields that Cervelli was indeed using PEDs, he would face a 50-game suspension by Major League Baseball.
Cervelli was expected to compete with Chris Stewart and Austin Romine this spring for the chance to start behind the plate for the Yankees. He spent the majority of the 2012 season catching for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after Stewart was acquired towards the end of Spring Training. Cervelli hit just .246 with 2 home runs and 39 RBIs in the minor leagues last season. The 26-year-old is known much more for his defense, as he threw out 30% of potential base-stealers last season.
The Yankees’ catcher has not publicly commented on the matter since the allegations came to light.
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