Alex Rodriguez could top lost-salary list

Major League Baseball Monday is expected to hand down suspensions of the remaining players linked to the Biogenesis performance-enhancing drug scandal, including Alex Rodriguez.

While 2011 NL MVP Ryan Braun of the Brewers was already suspended until the end of this season and will miss out on roughly $3.25 million in salary, A-Rod’s lost pay could eclipse $34 million if he’s suspended through the end of 2014.

That figure dwarfs any previous lost salary from a PED-related ban, but there have been some big ones before this year. Here’s a look at the top five, along with their estimated losses in pay.

Although Ramirez initially was meant to serve 100 games, he opted to retire and forgo most of his roughly $2 million salary for that year.

Eventually, he decided to make a run at a return to the majors and agreed to a 50-game ban, served while on a minor league deal with the Athletics that was worth $500,000 if he made it to the big leagues. He was not called up and has not played in the majors since.