Former Yankees pitcher Esteban Loaiza pleaded guilty to federal drug charges on Friday, in deal that’ll probably land him behind bars for 30 years.
The 46-year-old, who earned about $43 million in career MLB wages, admitted in a San Diego courtroom that he was busted earlier this year with 44 pounds of cocaine with the intent to distribute.
Loaiza faces between 10 years to life in prison. Lawyers on both sides have agreed to ask the judge for a 30-year sentence, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
He’s scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 2.
Defense lawyer Janice Deaton declined comment on Friday.
Loaiza pitched for eight MLB teams, including the Yankees in 2004 when he was a trade deadline pickup from the Chicago White Sox that season.
He pitched well in relief in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series – surrendering just one hit in 3 ⅓ innings that long night in Boston.
But that one hit was a walk-off single by David Ortiz, as the Red Sox scored the second of four consecutive wins over the Bombers, on their way to Boston’s curse-breaking world title.
The Tijuana-born Loaiza had been a celebrity back in Mexico – both for his long big league career and marriage to Mexican pop star Jenni Rivera. They were married for two years before she filed for divorce in 2012, just months before she died in a plane crash.
With Post Wire Services
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