Esteban Loaiza arrested with over 20 kilograms of heroin or cocaine

Esteban Loaiza has been arrested on drug charges in San Diego, per Jeff Passan, with the former Texas Ranger being held on $200,000 bail after being booked on February 9, 2018. He’s being charged with possession with intent to sell, it appears, after being busted with over 20 kilograms of either heroin or cocaine.

Loaiza, you may recall, was with the Rangers from 1998 through 2000, being acquired by the Rangers from the Pittsburgh Pirates for Warren Morris and Todd Van Poppel, and then being shipped out in July, 2000, for pitcher Darwin Cubillan and a minor league shortstop named Michael Young. You might have heard of that MY guy before.

Loaiza was an All Star in 2003 with the Chicago White Sox, finishing second in the Cy Young balloting and leading the league in strikeouts, but went into a serious decline after that. He last appeared in the majors in 2008.

According to Baseball-Reference, Loaiza made over $40,000,000 in his career, so I’m not sure if he’s in the drug business because he blew through it all and needs the money, or if its just a hobby for him.

Interestingly, this isn’t his first somewhat well known involvement with the legal system...he was involved in a contentious divorce case which went up on appeal, and resulted in a decision in 2004 that became a leading case on the issue of characterization of earnings to be received for work in the future that was contracted for during the marriage, as well as containing some rather salacious details. You can read that case here.