Angel Presinal, banned after an October 2001 incident involving an unmarked gym bag full of steroids, has been an associate of Rodriguez dating back to his time with the Texas Rangers, several sources told the paper.

One said Presinal accompanied Rodriguez for the entire 2007 season, staying in a hotel room during road trips with the cousin Rodriguez pegged three days ago as his steroid source from 2001-03. The cousin was identified Thursday as Yuri Sucart.

The source said Rodriguez avoided being seen in public with Presinal, whose name surfaced in the Mitchell Report in December 2007, but had contact with him in New York and Miami as recently as this past fall.

"He's an unsavory character," said a source.

The Mitchell Report described the investigation that followed the 2001 incident at a Toronto airport where Presinal told law enforcement the bag containing drugs belonged to then-Indians star Juan Gonzalez.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told the paper he was aware of Presinal's name but said that the exiled trainer had no official ties to the team.

"He's never had any association with the Yankees," Cashman said. "Whether he knows our players or has worked with any of our players, I wouldn't be able to confirm that."

Agent Scott Boras would not comment on Rodriguez's relationship with Presinal, who runs a gym at the Palacio del los Deportes in Santo Domingo. Presinal also did not return multiple calls.

"Several people have warned Alex about this guy," said a source.

MLB began monitoring Presinal's relationships with players after the bag containing five ampules of anabolic steroids, the anabolic drug clenbuterol and hypodermic needles, was seized by the Canadian Border Service Agency in 2001, the paper reported.

Presinal was traveling with the Cleveland Indians, where he was Gonzalez's personal trainer at the time.

Agents notified Toronto police, who allowed the bag to be shipped to the hotel where the club was staying to see who claimed it.

A border agency seizure report said the man who picked up the bag was Presinal. Agents questioned Presinal and Gonzalez, then an outfielder for the Indians, for four hours before deciding they didn't have enough evidence to link the bag to either. The bag was confiscated.

MLB did an investigation after the incident and banned Presinal from any area in a ballpark not open to the public.