The most recent chapter in the saga of New York Yankees third-baseman and alleged performance enhancing drug user Alex Rodriguez came to an end on January 11, when the arbitrator in his disciplinary case against Major League Baseball announced that “A-Rod” would be suspended for the entirety of the 2014 baseball season and the playoffs.

The decision—the longest drug-related suspension issued in major league history—certainly doesn’t look like a win for Rodriguez, who has already become something of a villain in the eyes of sports fans due to doping accusations. After the three-person arbitration panel, led by Fredric Horowitz, issued its decision, Rodriguez declared he would take his fight into extra innings—asking a court for an injunctive relief to prevent the suspension.

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Although it’s impossible to know what went on in conversation between Rodriguez, Tacopina and the others, Farelli said that the Rodriguez case serves as a good reminder for attorneys that it’s advisable to remain realistic about what arbitration can accomplish for a client, particularly when the evidence against them is piled high. If it’s possible to negotiate a deal, that may be the best that a defendant in a difficult position can accomplish.

This goes for in-house attorneys as well: “As an in-house counsel you have to make a frank assessment of your case at every step in the proceeding, because things will change,” he said.

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