Esteban Loaiza gets three years in prison in drug case

Former MLB pitcher Esteban Loaiza will spend three years in prison after being sentenced in a drug case.

Loaiza was caught trying to move $500,000 worth of cocaine last year and will self-surrender to begin serving his sentence in April.

Massive interest from international media in this case. Here is the wild scene as former MLB star Esteban Loaiza leaves court after judge gives him a 3 year prison sentence (investigators found 44 pounds of cocaine at his rented stash house.) He will self-surrender in April. pic.twitter.com/X87zDn0J0J

— Brian Shlonsky (@10NewsBrian) March 8, 2019

Loaiza was sentenced Friday. He had faced life in prison, according to TMZ, so avoiding that would seem to be a success for him, but he will still be deported to Mexico upon being released.

The 14-year MLB veteran was caught dealing cocaine near a preschool early last year. He made over $40 million over the course of his playing career, and last played in 2008.