Today in the Journal News
-
- April
- 25
Chien-Ming Wang did his part but the Yankees lost again. That’s five in a row.
Alex Rodriguez loves New York and says he’s staying. Scott Boras won’t like that.
Phil Franchise is leaving for the big city and he says he isn’t coming back. Meanwhile Derek Jeter has a bad bruise and the Moose is making a comeback.
I’m on a plane in a few hours and blissfully off for a few days before the Red Sox come to town. However, the blog will roll on.
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, April 25th, 2007 at 3:13 am by Peter Abraham.
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Peter Abraham
Knowing the kind of person A-Rod is (or at least wants to be) I’d have figured he’d care more about his legacy than money at this point. If anything, I think he’d only leave if the fans treated him like garbage like last year.
Here’s hoping to Hughes first MLB start goes ok.
Plenty of athletes in every sport over the years have said they wanted to stay with their respective teams and have bolted once the season ends.
Johnny Damon said the same thing about Boston—and look who is patrolling CF in Pinstripes.
Of course, I hope A-Rod stays. Unfortunately, I think he’s going to bolt.
And Yankee “fans” would then have nobody to blame but themselves for treating this guy like crap for the last 3 years.
The good thing is that A-Rod finally appears to have taken that PR 101 course that I wished he would’ve taken 3 years ago.
Pete – do you throw left-handed – you can replace Myers
There is a big difference between wanting to stay in NY and actually staying in NY.
“I’m going to go up there and pitch to the best of my ability, and I don’t have any intention of coming back,” he said.
Gotta love this kids confidence.
I don’t know what more you guys want from A-Rod. He’s got the team on his back and he said without hesitation he wants to stay NO MATTER WHAT. Could be just words, yes, but what more would you like him to say at this point in time? He’ll say the same thing the other 1000 times throughout the season. None of it matters until the day comes where he’s extended, opts out, or lets the opt-out deadline pass…........ Just be happy he’s saying he wants to stay, and hope he means it, and hope he doesn’t change his mind.
When that opt-out deadline does roll around, if A-Rod does like ever other Boras player ever and opts-out just to get a little more money, then the Yankees really need to step up and make him a good offer.
I think it’s clear that A-Rod is a decent player, and I don’t mean ability-wise. Especially this year, after whatever head-clearing happened over the offseason, he just wants to play well with a good team. He’s not going to get a better chance to do that than with New York, so I think he genuinely wants to stay.
But that doesn’t mean he’s not going to follow the Boras pattern and try to get more money. That’s just the way Boras works. And if the Yankees act like a jilted lover and refuse to make a good offer, then A-Rod will be lost. This guy is obviously a legend that the Yankees can build the next couple of years on, so we need him around just like we need Jeter around.
Pete, he said he wants to stay he didn’t guarentee that. I do think if the Yankees offer him a extension he will stay. He would be crazy if he didn’t take advantage of the money out there right now.
every time he makes a statement it’s I ‘WANT’ to stay in New york. if he really meant it he’d say I ‘WILL’ stay in New York. He controls this, no one else…
saucy, saying “I WILL stay” would be the worst business move he can make, as would waiving the opt-out clause. He nor Boras are that stupid. He’ll get an extension from the Yankees by sheer existence of the opt-out clause (he probably doesn’t even need to threaten to use it), he’s not going to let the time go by and just not exercise it. Any team in the league that could afford him would give him more than the 3 years he has left, including the Yankees, so he’ll either ask for or be offered an extension without having to ask.
Either way, going the route of saying “I WILL NOT LEAVE” just takes away his negotiating position, though technically until the deadline to use the opt-out passes, nothing can really do that. But tipping his hand that he won’t leave under any circumstance at least gives the Yankees the edge that they can call his bluff and offer less or offer nothing and see if he means it (and doesn’t opt-out).
He’s saying the right thing for him, the team, and the fans right now, nothing more, nothing less.
It means as of right now he WANTS to stay in New York, but a lot can happen in 6 months so he’s not going to make a final decision until then. I don’t understand what the problem is, its a rational choice to make. Why would he give up his options now? Would you?
I hope A-Rod just says at the end of the year: “I like it here, I’m a rich man and I make more than enough money as it is.” Not only because then he’d obviously stay in NY but it’ll show that the sport isn’t all about money.
I know, I’m probably a naive dreamer.
well basically, nothing has changed since the last time he publicly spoke about it. this is nothing new at all. that’s all i’m saying.
You’re right about that saucy, he’s pretty much been saying since the playoff loss that he wants to stay. But then with the, “if the fans don’t want me here” statement, people interpretted that as he only wants to stay under certain conditions, whereas now he’s saying “no matter what…”
Really just doesn’t really matter what he says at this stage, but this is the best thing he can say to get people off his back (if that’s possible) and to try and minimize the distraction from the team. Truth is, the second he hears some boos during a slump, he’ll be bombarded with the same question again… “how about now that you’re being booed Alex, you wanna leave now…......” Probably not much can be done to avoid that outside of the idiots not booing in the first place.
Alfred, don’t hold your breath. He’ll get 81 million if he does that. He’ll get probably 120 if he gets an extension or opts-out.
Would you say, nah, I’m already rich, no need for the extra 40 MILLION…....?
What he could do is take the extension in NY and not test the free agent market. That would show he’s not an idiot, nor is it all about money. He could opt-out and let it be a free-for-all and let Boston jack up the price, or he could take a good offer from the Yankees, a generous offer, but possibly less than if he becomes a free agent.
PLUS, if he does that, NY gets to keep the Texas money in play, which is best for the team. I don’t think anyone can blame the best player in the game from taking advantage of a contract that was signed by both parties, later accepted by the Yankees, and get himself a longer contract when he’s in his prime.
and the 120M is a VERY conservative estimate. Assuming he’ll still want to be the highest paid player every year, you can expect more like 150M or more (guessing a 6 year contract).
NY has free money to play with. They won’t b e outbid by anyone. A-Rod now says he wants to stay. He will one day have his own place in monument park. end.of.discussion.
Peter—will you now stop writing “A-Rod’s Already Gone” pieces??
SlickBomb: How do you know the Yankees will bid? A-Rod is a deal for them because Texas pays so much of his salary. I’m not sure Cashman wants a $30 million player on his roster.
If I’m not mistaken, Peter, New York can still negotiate an extension to the current contract while the contract is still being used. Alex will still get his 81 million for the next three years that he made with Texas… NY’s negotiation is for the extension after.
Also, they’ll obviously bid for him because he’s their only right-handed power threat, as well as the best player on the team. He’s not going anywhere.
hmmm, wonder if arod will slump. odds say everyone does, wonder wonder.