Ex-MLBer Loaiza faces minimum 10 years in cocaine case

[August 11, 2018]    Esteban Loaiza, a two-time All-Star in his 14-year major league career, faces a minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of a life sentence after his guilty plea to cocaine possession with intent to distribute charges in San Diego on Friday.

Los Angeles Dodgers' Esteban Loaiza throws to the Chicago Cubs during the fifth inning of their National League MLB baseball game in Chicago September 3, 2007. REUTERS/John Gress/File Photo

In his plea, Loaiza acknowledged having some 44 pounds of cocaine when he was arrested in February in Imperial Beach, near the border of Tijuana, Mexico, where he was born.

Loaiza's sentencing is set for Nov. 2.

The right-handed starter last pitched in the major leagues in 2008. In his career, Loaiza had a 126-114 career record with a 4.65 ERA in 2,099 innings pitched with the Pirates, Rangers, Blue Jays, White Sox, Yankees, Nationals, Athletics and Dodgers.

Loaiza finished second in American League Cy Young voting in 2003 when he went 21-9 with a 2.90 ERA with the White Sox. He made the AL All-Star team in 2003 and 2004.

The 46-year-old made around $43.7 million in his major league career.

--Field Level Media

[© 2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2018 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.