Appeal: A-Rod's future on the line with MLB

Bob Nightengale | USA TODAY Sports

With New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez saying, "Let's get it on,'' his appeal of a 211-game suspension levied by Major League Baseball will be heard today in New York. USA TODAY Sports' Bob Nightengale breaks down the key questions:

HOW LONG WILL THE PROCESS TAKE?

The hearing, which will be held at the MLB offices in New York, is expected to last five days, Rodriguez says, with mountains of evidence presented by both sides. MLB insists that Rodriguez has been doping for the last three years, and will have Biogenesis founder Anthony Bosch testify about his relationship with Rodriguez. Rodriguez's team say the investigation is nothing more than a witch-hunt, and the Yankees are in cahoots with MLB to save money. They also plan to cross-examine Bosch to attack his credibility.

WHEN WILL WE FIND OUT IF HIS APPEAL WAS SUCCESS?

Arbitrator Fredric Horowitz is expected to make his ruling within 25 days after the hearing is completed. Horowitz has the option of upholding the suspension, overturning it, or reducing it. Yet, even if Horowitz knows his decision early, MLB would not walk to disrupt the postseason, much less the World Series. Look for Horowitz to announce his ruling the first week of November.

WHAT'S AT STAKE FOR RODRIGUEZ?

The ramifications are enormous for Rodriguez, who says he's "fighting for his life and his legacy.'' He not only would lose about $31 million in pay, but the outcome may determine whether Rodriguez's ever plays again. If Rodriguez loses his appeal, he won't be playing again until May, 2015. It would mean an 18-month layoff for a guy who would nearly 40 when he returns. His baseball skills will have severely deteriorated after that long of a layoff, and certainly would end any chance of breaking Barry Bonds' all-time home run record.

WHAT'S AT STAKE FOR THE YANKEES?

The ruling will greatly impact all of the Yankees' player personnel decisions this winter. If Rodriguez loses his appeal, the Yankees can save his entire $21 million salary in 2014, enabling them to reach their goal of slipping below the $189 million luxury tax figure without severely damaging their playoff hopes next season. If Rodriguez wins, they're on the hook for the entire salary, meaning they couldn't be major players in the free-agent market, and it could adversely affect their chances of bringing back free-agent second baseman Robinson Cano.

WHAT'S AT STAKE FOR MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL?

Simply, their reputation. They believe their investigation was handled professionally and fairly, that everyone who cheated was caught, and punished accordingly. If the suspension sticks, MLB investigators can stick their chests out and let the world know they were right. If Rodriguez wins his appeal, it would not only create the perception that the process was severely flawed, but that the 13 others snared in the Biogenesis case may have blundered by accepting their suspensions.

WHAT'S THE MOST LIKELY OUTCOME?

It seems far-fetched that Rodriguez will simply get off, or even that the entire suspension is upheld. Even if MLB believes that Rodriguez has been doping for years, he has passed all of their drug tests, so how can he receive a penalty four times as severe as anyone else?

Rodriguez will be suspended, but it likely will be reduced to about 100 games.