. ▁Rod rig uez ▁h ired ▁New ▁York ▁criminal ▁defense ▁lawyer ▁Joe ▁T ac op ina . ▁ ▁A ▁length y ▁arbitr ation ▁process ▁followed , ▁but ▁the ▁susp ension ▁was ▁u ph eld ▁on ▁January ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 2 0 1 4 . ▁However , ▁since ▁Rod rig uez ▁was ▁allowed ▁to ▁play ▁during ▁the ▁appeal ▁process , ▁this ▁effectively ▁reduced ▁the ▁susp ension ▁to ▁ 1 6 2 ▁games ▁– ▁the ▁entire ty ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁regular - season ▁schedule . ▁Because ▁Rod rig uez ▁was ▁on ▁the ▁susp ended ▁list ▁retro active ▁through ▁August ▁ 3 1 , ▁the ▁susp ension ▁would ▁have ▁included ▁the ▁post season ▁if ▁the ▁Yan ke es ▁qualified ▁( but ▁did ▁not ▁qual ify ▁that ▁year ). ▁He ▁subsequently ▁issued ▁a ▁statement ▁saying ▁he ▁would ▁be ▁challeng ing ▁the ▁decision ▁in ▁federal ▁court . ▁On ▁February ▁ 7 , ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁Rod rig uez ▁announced ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁dro pping ▁his ▁law suit ▁and ▁accepting ▁his ▁susp ension ▁for ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁season . ▁In ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁multiple ▁sources ▁reported ▁that ▁Rod rig uez ▁was ▁ref using ▁to ▁pay ▁the ▁balance ▁of ▁his ▁legal ▁fe es ▁for ▁his ▁defense , ▁which ▁amount ed ▁to ▁over ▁$ 3   mill ion . ▁In ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁Rod rig uez ▁was ▁in ▁fact ▁su ed ▁by ▁his ▁law y ers ▁for ▁$ 3 8 0 ,