Boras may have already found his mark
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Nov 07, 2007 
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New Angels GM Tony Reagins had a meeting to get to know Scott Boras. Thus begins the process that could lead Alex Rodriguez to Anaheim.
Reagins also said he had no issue with the idea of using such a large percentage of his payroll on one player. Bingo!
In many ways, the Angels are perfect for A-Rod. Nobody actually cares about them, so there would be scant pressure. They have a wealthy owner who wants to make a splash. Scott Boras has season tickets and his office is 10 miles away. Plus he can DH down the road.
A-Rod can lead the Angels to a series of disappointing playoff losses and then break the home run record on a Wednesday night at 1:30 a.m. against the Rangers. He’ll claim he loves the Angels and then opt out to play for a fifth team in his career.
Perfect.
perfect is right. thanks for this info pete
All that and getting to beat the Yankees in the playoffs. Life couldn’t get any better.
another reason to hate the Angels
Pete, you are amazing. Has anyone ever told you that?
And A-Rod on the Angels would make many Yankee fans happy in so many ways.
Like, when we actually beat them in the playoffs…
Well said!
I would prefer the Giants because having the Yankees play Alex 6-9 times a year is going to break my heart. Kind of like seeing the old boyfriend you didn’t really want to break up with over and over again.
Can we re-sign Clemens just to hit him right between the eyes with his first pitch?
the angels 1st round draft pick isn’t protected. excellent.
Rebecca – I guess having A-Rod be a nonfactor in a playoff series enabling the Yankees to actually win one would be a good thing…
The only reason to hate the Angels is because we can never seem to beat them. That had better change now more than ever if A-Wad lands there.
I don’t need any “Angelic” headlines next year reading that he escaped NY and the first round of the playoffs in the same year.
I was with you until the part about Boras becoming the DH down the line. Got to watch those pesky pronouns.
Plus it is far away from NY so when he hits 5 hr in a game in April it won’t even make the NY papers. No one will care!! except maybe the rally monkey.
I guess my prediction was spot on – Arod will be an Angel in 2008.
Go ArodGo Away Arod… better.
jeez. this story is already the front page of espn.com
todd what is there pick?
The Angels might as well try to sign Rodriguez and hope that he can help out Vladimir Guerrero. The offense that they have right now isn’t enough to get anything done in the playoffs.
Heh, Jim Rome just called him ‘Mr. Optober’.
Love it!
Most importantly – there are some sweet strip joints in the Los Angeles or Anaheim or where ever those dudes play area….
when did we go from the Angels saying they couldn’t see spending that high a percentage of their payroll on one player to, “no problem?” Wasn’t it the OWNER who said he couldn’t see spending that much on one guy??
He’s going to Boston.
And his next contract can have an opt out clause. Every three years or so, we can hear ESPN asking, “will he opt out, will he opt out?” Ah, it’s just going to be one cycle after another.
Sayonara, A-Rod. We hardly knew ye. Next?
Do you guys actually think that A-rod would take away the Angel’s mojo against us?
Here’s a little quote from the first time 1B Gold Glover winner Youkilis: “To have a guy like Mike Lowell across the diamond is pretty easy, most of the time,” Youkilis told MLB.com. “Being a Gold Glover himself, he definitely makes my job easier at first base. We hope Mike signs back with us and I get to see him across the diamond, throw that ball again.”
jennifer … no idea but they had one of the best records in baseball so i’d guess anywhere from 25-30
If you guys think Girardi is going to allow Anaheim to be our daddy while he’s in charge then you got something coming.
Girardi is going to change the culture of this club.
Guess my hopes of Baseball Owners and GMs standing up together and saying, “No, we won’t pay you that kind of money. Not you, not anyone!” can be thrown right out the window.
Rebecca-
Jim Rome is a thief. Newsday used that for their front page last 9 days ago. Doc Acula posted it.
Look at this – comparing Arod departure with Reggie’s departure to Angels.
Yankees didn’t even make a WS appearance with ‘The Cooler’
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn.....ortCat=mlb
I think I may sense a hint of sarcasm in there…. nah
What happens if A-Rod wins a World Series? Will every sports writer in America apologize for their inane belief that A-Rod isn’t “clutch” or a “winner” or whatever? Baseball is a TEAM sport, you win or lose as one.
Good thing you’re not bitter Pete
I”m circling the date that we play the Angels to give him a fitting welcome.
I might even fly out when we play them!! 
I was thinking about flying out to cali this year anyway. I”ll kill two birds with one stone.
Good move. Let A-Fraud hit the bright lights of Hollywood and goof around with the likes of Britney, Lindsay, and Paris. That should do wonders for his game.
if anyone is bored at work (like me) you can follow some AZ winter ball on milb, gardner and corona are playing. for those of you who don’t know, they are prospects, gardner is a speedy CF who could be called up next year.
Pete:
No!!!!!! Not in Anaheim!!!! We’ve already got Kobe (who lives in Newport Beach, near Boras). One of these guys is enough!!!!
Actually, I work in the shadow of Big Ed Anaheim Stadium of Los Angeles (or whatever they are calling it these days). Angels fans (the few true ones) don’t want this guy. Arte Moreno is very sharp and has made money every year since he’s bought the team. Is he suddenly going to accept a sea of red ink? Is he going to raise ticket prices? There’s no real TV deal, and so he must be looking south of the border for international revenue should he sign A-Rod. I’ll believe it when I see it. Sure, A-Rod fills a need, but will the numbers work? Moreno says he paying no more than 20 million for anyone. How will Boras spin A-Rod signing a less than hoped-for five-year 120/130 million deal? I’m sure he’ll find a way.
Angels attendance is already very strong. Although, if you’ve ever been to an Angels game, you know that most people attending games are fair weather fans who know little about baseball. That would certainly be the target audience for any A-Rod signing.
Oh well . . . Maybe Kobe will be a Bull soon and we’ll have just one of these guys to deal with in the OC.
Are you going to keep laying into A-Rod until he’s dead? It’s gotten old.
And your “scoops” on all things Yankees haven’t exactly been accurate, so I think I’ll just wait and see what happens with the Halos.
I can see next year’s headlines, now: Angels With Dirty Faces
Let A-nchor sink their ship.
Chris NY,
This guy replaced the conservative GM who wouldn’t go for it. The owner’s just putting on his poker face even though he’s thrilled that he’s finally going to get that big bat.
I hope that everyone but the Angels opts out of the A-rod Clear-da-house Sweepstakes, and he signs for just a tad over what he was earning under his first contract.
perfect fit owner says no way he spends that much on 1 player, and A_FIB tells every one he loves NY and coul;dn’t imagine not being in NY next year….. what was that saying? liars deserve each other
?
I would love it if he went to Anaheim. That would mean the end of their dominance over the Yankees. That and the fact that Grandpa Joe won’t be in the dugout getting taken advantage of by that evil mean Scioscia.
I still think he’s going to Boston though.
I may be a conspiracy theorist, but I still think there is something to the fact that Boras, after spending 3 days attached to John Henry’s hip, announced the opt out when he did.
I think it was supposed to be another blow to the Yankees on top of Boston winning the W.S.
I could envision a scenario where the Red Sox front office in concert with Boras think that adding insult to injury would just crush the Yankees.
No one in the Red Sox front office has ever said anything harsh about the timing of the announcement other than “interesting timing”.
“Are you going to keep laying into A-Rod until he’s dead? It’s gotten old.”
I smell a ‘Leave Arod Alone!’ video on youtube coming!
I wonder if ARod will be able to find a suitable she-male mistress in the OC. Most of the hotties in the OC are Fem.
As for the pitch between the eyes, we don’t need Rocket. Joba will be sure to oblige.
did Micheal Kay just refer to Steven White as a grade A prospect ?
They’ll be no such thing as the owners getting nailed for collusion like they did once before. There’s only a very few teams that will talk to A-Rod/Boras and the talk had better be less than the 30M per year range or no takers. They’re pricing themselves right into a lost season and begging to come back.
The whole A-Rod thing stands a chance of becoming something monumental as to how greed will be dealt with in the future.
cool well lets just forget about arod
and yes he did refer to him as a grade A prospect.
thanks Brendon w/ a “b” he’s wrong but thanks anyway
Vlad (who deserves a raise), will be thrilled to hear that the team can’t afford him anymore when his contract is up.
Hardly breaking news. Anaheim GM said he was all in yesterday.
I guess your love affair with Alex is officially over.
Pete
A-Rod’s not a Yankee anymore. How about a little Yankee news?
Jeremy–ah, I missed that!
But yeah, LA seems like the perfect fit. He can get hounded by the Paparazzi and all that. Should be fun.
Instead of the Daily News he’ll be on the front page of the National Enquirer!
Here’s some collusion. Pitchers agree to walk Alex everytime he comes to the plate. They could just say they don’t want to come inside because they don’t want to risk hitting such a good friend.
Pat, there is no Yankees news, this is what people do when they’re bored
, either that or spend 5 minutes doing what Marc does w/ his Jeter posters 
Career Postseason Stats:
A-Rod: .279/.361/.483
A-Rod as a Yankee: .245/.372/.436
Vlad Guerrero: .183/.258/.233
i wonder, will their unclutchness cancel each other out?
it’s funny that Vlad is just as big of postseason “choker” as A-Rod yet i have NEVER once heard this fact mentioned in the media.
OC Yankees fan,
Do you know how the Latino community in California would respond to Alex?
I really would prefer that his “A”ness would end up in SF or with Joe Torre in Chavez Ravine. Being in the NL would allow me to totally ignore the bum rather than have to face him from time to time.
(If you think Joba headhunted with Youk, I can’t wait to see what he does to A-Rod!!)
Los Angelos Angels of Arod – I’m sure he’ll like the sound. Good riddance. Looks like we’ll be playing Seattle in the playoffs for the next few years.
hmmmm, you forgot the will factor
arod scored a .345 will factor while vlad scored .786
just to give you a point of reference:
(jeter scored a .845 and eckstien scored a 1.345, the highest)
hmm: Vlady doesn’t play in NY!
Los Angelos Angels of Alex Emmanuel Rodriguez de Boras
ah, my bad.
i prefer to use the park-adjusted WILL+
Jeter has a WILL+ of 167, A-Rod is a sad 89, but Vlad’s is only 75.
“hmm: Vlady doesn’t play in NY!”
right. so he doesn’t get 100% of the blame despite winning exactly as many play-off series as A-Rod has in the last 4 years, 1, while hitting even worse than A-Rod.
it’s shocking that A-Rod would want to play there.
One more thing, I don’t get why Pete is taking Cashman at his word when he talks about the young pitchers and the future of Damon with the Yanks. Haven’t we learned that all GM’s have to lie?
It doesn’t bother me that they do it, and it would hurt the Yankees if Cash said –
“Damon showed up fat and really underperformed last year, we don’t think he’ll be any better next year, someone take him off our hands and give us something good back”
I don’t think Johnny is coming back, but I’ve been wrong about everything else so don’t burn your “POSITIVELY DAMONIC” t-shirts yet.
mel – hysterical
Pete, seriously.. sometimes you just write the funniest stuff.
Love the last paragraph. But you forgot to add he will claim his love for the Angels and Mickey Mouse.
His bust in Cooperstown will have mouse ears since there is really not team that defines him.
Mel,
I don’t think Arod could handle the Latin community of LA. Something tells me that he is too pretty and “wheta” for them.
What about all the hype about Arod salary vs. Vlad’s salary? A few months ago, everyone said he’d never be able to go the Angels because it would be a problem with Vlad’s salary.
Eckstein is a Jack Russell Terrier.
We Miss Paulie,
Something tells me that, at this point in his career, Vladi will take an help at any cost. It must be just killing him to carry that team year in and year out. Maybe he’ll benefit in his next extension like Jeter did.
Okay, I need to vent for a second:
Why is it that no one seems to know how to properly use an apostrophe any more?
Seriously.
I see it everywhere…hell, I caught it in the Times last night.
W.T. Flying. F?
If this pans out, it’s the only way A-Rod will ever be an angel.
Small but very strong and utterly relentless, nothing AT ALL like the sweet TV ad portrayal.
Eckstein is a Bichon
Pepper,
I was just wondering, because OC mentioned Kobe and I think the Latinos love him (because of Vanessa). So I’m wondering if they would embrace Alex or is he just too white-bread?
Fluffy?
Don’t you think you are being a little hard on A-Rod here Peter? I think the guy is a loser, but you refuse to take it out. Journalists are supposed to be objective, not vindictive. If another newspaper offered you a huge raise to change papers, would you take the offer? I think so.
no body has offered him a raise…he quit, w/o hearing the promotion!!!
arod going to the angels does not mean the yanks will start beating the angels. What is wrong with u ppl? You want one of the best hitters in baseball going from the yanks to the angels (the team that always beats us?) Arod wasnt a good postseason players since the 2004 ALCS but before that he was fantastic. Its not like he cant do that for the angels and guess who the angels will prolly play in the playoffs?
Why is everyone so high on alan horne? Tyler Clippard had better numbers in triple A than horne had in double A. And Ian Kennedy did ten times better in the minors last yr than horne. Dont look at his record or his era. Look at his whip. Its not so pretty in double A. What will it be like in the majors? I dont think Horne and Clippard are legitimate mlb starters any more. I dont think ohlendorf is either. And I am skeptical of Humberto sanchez being anything more than another cashman blunder. Giving up kennedy would be alot for cabrera because fans think the yanks have more pitching prospects (future mlb starters) than they prolly actually have but i would still do it esp if pettitte decides to re-sign. We can have chamberlain, wang, Hughes, Pettitte and Moose next yr and Santana can replace pettitte or moose the following season with the possibility of another pitching prospect actually making it and/or a free agent like peavy, sheets, penny, burnett, harden, etc.
Also, trading for miguel cabrera would kil two birds with one stone. Not only would we be getting a 24 yr old super star third baseman but if we trade melky for him we would prolly be upgrading in center because cash would end up signing rowand or hunter as a replacement who are both better. I also dunno who is playing first next yr but i am skeptical it will be matsui, phillips or consistently giambi. Thas why i was soo annoyed last yr when cash signed mienky with everyone saying dont worry we can sign teixera. well guess what he isnt a free agent yet as I was saying all along. We should have signed someone better for a two yr deal like loretta.
Migames: I had a bichon for 13 years, I miss her so much I still tear a bit when I think about her!
Girardi = Italian Greyhound
“…hard on A-Rod.”
Insert your own joke here.
He knows if he opted out he can make more money. It’s that simple. He can guarantee a longer contract, and hell maybe he just doesn’t want to play for the Yankees. Is that so crazy to think?
From what my friends tell me, they think he is too “white”. Their perception is that it would be great if he “stayed true” while making all the dough but he has not; which is why the OC is perfect for him. He will just look extra tanned.
My peeps are proud. He needs to earn his cred.
Torre is a Bloodhound.
No not at all but he didn’t stop saying all year I love playing in NY, I am a Yankee, this is a first class organization…Blah, Blah, Blah, he is a 32 year old man act like it, be a man and say I didn’t enjoy myself. That is fine, but don’t hide…it shows your weak!!!
nate c,
Let’s try it again.
Los Angeles Angelos de Alejandro Emmanuel Rodgriguez y Boras de Dios de Dinero
(as you can tell my Spanish is very limited)
Pete is free to express his opinions on his blog. This is not the newspaper…it is a web log. Look in the top right corner of the page where this page is defined:
“Thoughts and discussion on the 26-time World Champion Yankees.”
This is not the Yankees news page. That link is below the definition of the page in the top right corner.
Give Pete a break.
David:
This is my blog, I’m just having fun. As for getting a raise, the publisher of the paper tried to call me to offer me a raise but I refused to call him back.
Mel:
Generally speaking, the Hispanics in OC are about as diverse as the Anglo population (mostly middle class). So, it’s hard to say. If you go to Dodger Stadium (a real baseball stadium) you’ll find that a sizable portion of those in attendance are Hispanic. They are knowledgeable and loyal fans. They listen to Vin Scully and score games–not like Anaheim, where teenie boppers (of all races) kick beach balls around and generally disrupt those watching the game.
That said, you do have a large distinctly Hispanic community in OC (especially in Santa Ana, just to the south of Anaheim Stadium). These folk are largely recent Spanish-speaking immigrants from Mexico and Central America. You’d have to target them directly on local Spanish TV and radio. My Spanish is pretty bad so I can’t tell you what, if anything, goes on in terms of reaching them already.
My guess is that if A-Rod ends up here, Artie is thinking of TV/Radio in Mexico and Central America. That was his supposed rationale for the “Los Angeles” Angels crap. It is a complete joke in the OC because even though LA and OC are geographic neighbors, they are two different worlds in terms of culture and ethos.
We loved it when Vin Scully was speaking at some civic group and introduced himself as a broadcaster from the Los Angeles Dodgers of Los Angeles–a real shot at Artie
“…the publisher of the paper tried to call me to offer me a raise but I refused to call him back.”
*Shhhssshhh boooom!*
Pete will be at the ‘Laugh Factory’ every Thursday from now until opening day.
Pepper,
Thanks for the response. I just think it’s difficult to connect with and embrace him because he’s not very humble and personable. Like you said, just kind of lost sight of where he came from. At least Cynthia and Natasha love him.
i think we shuld sign cordero. he is the perfect setup man. Good enough to pitch in the eighth for the yanks but prolly not good enough to be signed to a closer deal on any team but the brewers. He is one of the guys that would prolly take a bigger contract to settle for being a setup man as opposed to a small deal to pitch as the closer. We cant go another season relying on farnsworthless or vizcaino. we need a setup man and he is the best in the market.
My Jack Russell lived 21 tough, smart years.
I don’t have the wherewithal to take on another one.
FINALLY!!!!! Some humor on this blog…
That’s funny stuff, Peter.
OC,
Thanks! I’m all for fat accounts and Picasso paintings, but sometimes you got to keep it real. Like Oprah likes to say money didn’t change her, it made her more of who she was. Good people get better and bad people become monsters. (not saying that Alex is bad or a monster)
In Cali, A-Rod won’t have to deal with a manager who dissed him, batting him 8th. He won’t have to put up with a prima donna Captain who won’t stand up for him and who tried to divide fan and teammate loyalty over his breakup with A-Rod. Alexander won’t have Hank, Hal or George threatening him. And of course there’s no more big, bad NY media or the City’s ignorant and hate filled baseball fans, the ones that hounded A-Rod out of town with their booing and hissing… Wait,I can’t go through with this sarcastic response any further.
WHY WON’T YOU GET IT ALREADY? HE LAUGHS AT TORRE AND JETER AND THE MEDIA AND THE FANS. HE’S ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMINS! HE LEFT FOR THE MONEY! HE ONLY CARES ABOUT THE MONEY! HEY PAY-ROD… CHOKE IN CALIFORNIA FOR A CHANGE.
Whew! Glad I got that off my chest.
Pete, dude, I expect you on Stewart/Colbert/Letterman/Leno yesterday!
Miggy Cabrera’s career averages are .313BA / .388OBP / .542SLG / .930 OPS / 31HR / 118RBI / 72BB / 133K / and 157+ games per year. His fielding pct of .954 at 3B could use a little work but its not disastrous. He’s only 24.
If he has a weight problem it would have to be worked on, but he seems to be a pretty good talent otherwise. If Girardi would vouch for him maybe he’s good one to replace A-Rod. Of course he’s not the all around athlete A-Rod is, nor is he the future HR king, but he’s pretty good and he’d cost the team about 1/3 as much $$$.
I like him better than Crede, although maybe I could live with Crede playing here after all. I’d still worry about his back starting out.
I do not know what Miguel Cabrera’s contract status is this off-season.
The whole team will have to pull together to make up for A-Rod missing. They could accomplish that just by using the same style nickname:
LF J-Dam
SS D-Jet
RF B-Ab
3B M-Cab
DH H-Mat
C Jo-Po
2B R-Can
1B We’ll have to see.
CF Melk Man (M-Cab would already be taken)
And of course … A-Roid off the bench
ARod in Anaheim is huge. The fans will adore him there, and he’ll be great. I’m gonna miss him.
Murphy,
Last I heard, the Los Angeles Dodgers still play in Cali and they just brought in a new manager who wouldn’t hesitate at dropping his cleanup hitter to 8th. lol.
“ARod in Anaheim is huge. The fans will adore him there, and he’ll be great. I’m gonna miss him.”
Has anyone else figured out that ORORO is John Sterling?
#9
Has anyone else figured out that ORORO is John Sterling?
Ok, now that was funny. Just spit water all over my keyboard.
#9- That’s too funny!
no actually………it’s Kimmey
Has Sterling trademarked that homerun call? And what will the Angels broadcaster call when A-rod hits one into the water feature? “A BIG Splash! From A-rod!”
Trading for Miguel Cabrera scares me. Yes, he has put up some impressive offensive numbers, but:
He has batted against inferior N.L. pitching, and hitting in a Home park that is far more “righthand hitter friendly” than Yankee Stadium.
In his 5 years since coming to Florida, he has gained 60 (SIXTY) pounds. Is he another Kevin Mitchell??
He has spent his entire career playing for a small market baseball club. How will the pressure of playing in New York and against better quality teams affect him? Will he/Can he put up the same numbers?
He will not come cheaply in terms of prospects and dollars. He will likely want a long-term deal to stay in New York.
I’d pass and offer Lowell for 4 years/$55 Mil.
“we don’t need Rocket.”
I thought he was dead.
Pete’s
Greatest
Post
Ever
Lol. The most sourest grapes i have ever heard from a journalist
too funny…..what would they do about Vladdy?
First, is there anyone really surprised by this? “They’ve” been saying the Angels for, like, evuh.
But, I have to say, it is the perfect destination for A-Rod. Just think of all the posters with a halo around the “A”. ARod and Anaheim – made for each other!
I know it’s not a done deal, but, I’ll be really surprised if it’s not done by Christmas.
Here’s a fun idea. If the Angels sign A-Rod, they’ll be pretty stacked at third base between him, Chone Figgins and Brandon Wood. Perhaps they’d be interested in a Brandon Wood for Melky Cabrera trade. Granted, they’ve already got a backup center fielder in Reggie Willits, but with injury risks in the corners and an open DH spot, they might be interested in some extra insurance. Meanwhile, Wood would give us a right handed power bat, and even if he struggles he’d probably make a great platoon partner for Betemit.
Nobody cares about the Angels? They had the second-highest attendance in the league last season (over 3.3 million). I think the Angels’ success goes to why Anaheim really is a perfect fit for ARod. This is a popular, competitive, and wealthy team with tremendous PR resources and relatively laid-back fans. Just a season in Anaheim (or San Francisco) would likely do wonders for ARod’s image.
That’s probably why people have been talking about ARod going to the Angels since spring.
is Roger a wrap for his career?
I love ya Pete, but when it comes to Arod you sound like you’re 12 years old, it’s time for everyone to just let it go. As far as the Angels and no one caring about them? Sounds like a typical new york media type who thinks nothing exists west of NYC. I just look at it as it’s business, wish he would have stayed but what are ya gonna do.
Why there are always teams that are A-Rod’s fool?
A Chinese saying properly describes what A-Rod have done,
“Stupid output by smart input”