a rod

I still don't know why he turned down this contract. He looks really greedy right now. Honestly, is there much of a difference between 25 million and 30 million. Then again, if someone is willing to pay him that, all the best. Other than Boston and a few other teams, that contract is out of most teams budgets by a long shot.

It'll be very interesting to see where he ends up and for how much.

 

I think the pressure of playing in NY got to him. With all the other off-season changes going on there now's the time to move. Not many teams can afford him and I'm sure NY would have given him a lucrative offer, maybe his best offer. So, I wonder if at this point his focus isn't money but finding an environment where he can pad his stats with less pressure and less media scrutiny; he might go for less money in exchange for a long term deal.

 

I think the deciding factor is the upcoming changes and team uncertainty. Andy Pettite, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, and Roger Clemens are all up in the air.

I wouldn't be surprised if he later finds that these players are staying under Joe Girardi and A-Rod talks to the Yankees again. The problem is, now that he opted out of the contract, the Yankees would have to pay more than they did under contract since Texas will no longer be liable for a lot of the salary.

One thing is for sure, the Yankees will most likely be setting themselves up for great success. Their team has a good combination of older players to mentor the young ones, and young ones to have that hunger to prove themselves. Boston is doing this right now. Veterans like Ortiz, Ramirez, Schilling, and Lowell are all older guys who are mentoring the young guns; Pedroia, Elsbury, Kielty, Lugo, etc.

 

I'm not ruling out a return to the Yankees either, they have the $$$, if that's what this is really about. If he enjoyed playing with Torre he may follow him where he goes. I think the timing of his announcement, during the World Series, all but guarantees he won't be signing with Boston. I heard they (and MLB) were not happy with his agent and the timing of the release.

 

I don't think it's about the money. If A-Rod was just looking for another record-breaking deal, sitting down with the Yankees would have made good sense.

I don't know whether he wants to be the man in another town (he can't trump Jeter in NY, can he?), the pressure of playing in pin stripes is too much, or he is opting out for another reason. Whatever the case, I'm sure this will dominate headlines for a while.

 

Can't handle the pressure of playing in NY? He will (should) win his second AL MVP in the last 3 years as a member of the Yankees. Post season numbers?-they stink, but
this year Jeter's sucked also.

He's a mercenary, pure and simple, just like most pro athletes.....

 

It is unfortunate what has been happening to baseball. Take the example, of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The franchise has been in Pittsburgh forever. With these type of #'s good players demand, how can they ever hope to compete ? If they cannot have a chance to compete, than the league is not balanced at all.

How can Pittsburgh pay 15mil per year, for a typical #3 starting pitcher ? The salaries are rediculous. 30mil for A-rod ? How long until that amount, has been topped ?

Where does this end ?

 

Baseball is in need of a salary cap.

 

It's okay as it is now, there is a limit and you have to pay a "fine" if your over it, thats how it was last time I checked. Still the Florida Marlins can somehow build a World Series team for the salary of 1 A-Rod.

 

A-Rod left because Torre left, and that's the only reason.

 

It doesn't.

To site a quote I read many years ago:

Someone asked Johnny Carson 'how on earth he could command 45 million a year ?', to which Carson replied; 'because they will pay it. If they wouldn't pay it, I wouldn't get it'.

It stops when all the teams enter into collusion and decide to stop paying huge salaries.
You would think a lot of the 'stars' would then quit - and a lot might - but even if this happened, don't expect ticket
prices to go down because they won't.

 

well, a-rod is now talking with the yankees again. i've got a feeling he'll wind up resigning with them, i don't think anyone else would be willing to pay the money he'll command.

 

Dumb for him though, because the 42 or 41 mill the Rangers owed the Yanks for his contract is back with the Rangers. Should have accepted the 5/150 million extension.

 

I don't think A-Rod cares too much who foots the bill (Yankees or Rangers). The Yankees are pretty pissed in that he opted out of the option, and now have to foot the entire bill. Of course, his agent's handling makes him look like a greedy scumbag. I would laugh if the Yankees give him what he was asking. I think, while he is the best player in baseball, that kind of money is a joke for one player. The Yankees spend money, but they don't seem to spend it wisely (like the Mets).

 

a-rod's new contract with the yankees looks like it's in the 10 year, 275 million dollar range, with an added bonus if (and hopefully when) he breaks hank aar, i'm sorry, barry bonds' career home run total.

 

He's 32 right now, so his contract goes until he's 42. Somehow I don't see his production after 40 years old equaling a 27.5 million dollar paycheck.

 

Then you're being very short-sighted. During the last years of his contract, he'll likely be closing in on some of baseball's most prestigious records. Breaking records draws a LOT of attention and $$$$.

 

True dat, same reason the G-Men kept that bag of bones/cheater called Barry Bonds around for 16 mill a year.

 

I thought I had read it was 21 million, but definately a good deal for the Rangers. A-Rod probably wanted to keep on Tom Hicks good side so he can keep playing at Augusta with him. And he still got the big contract from the Yanks.

 

You can thank Warren Buffet for his talk with Rodriguez encouraging him to approach the Yankees without his lawyer. Buffet should be his new agent, sure seems like Boras blew it and Buffet saved it.