Major League Baseball has issued a statement after Alex Rodriguez stormed out of his appeal hearing, calling the proceedings a farce. MLB stands by the process:
For more than 40 years, Major League Baseball and the Players Association have had a contractual grievance process to address disputes between the two parties. This negotiated process has served players and clubs well. Despite Mr. Rodriguez being upset with one of the arbitration panel's rulings today, MLB remains committed to this process.
In an email, A-Rod's lawyer Joe Tacopina said the case is headed to federal court. Whether this is actually what is happening or what is likely or possible to happen is impossible to know for sure. What it does mean is that the process will likely be held up longer than initially thought.
If that happens, it starts to cut even deeper into the Yankees' offseason plans, who need to know whether or not they have to pay Alex Rodriguez in 2014 or not. If they want to make a big free agent push, they need to know the amount of money they have to work with. They also have to know whether or not they should be looking for a new third baseman. Regardless of what happens, this hurts the Yankees the most.