A-Rod slips leash and returns to Yanks
-
- November
- 14
In what was a bad day for the Scott Boras Corporation, Alex Rodriguez went to the Yankees directly and apparently has all but finalized a 10-year, $275 million deal.
It took 32 years and nationwide scorn but it seems A-Rod is finally his own man. Good for him and good for the Yankees. His playoff performances aside, keeping A-Rod at third beats Mike Lowell or shipping out young prospects for Miguel Cabrera.
By leaving money on the table, Rodriguez erases the stain of opting out the way he did. The Yankees also don’t lose face as Alex came back to them. The only loser is Boras, who had dreams of Rodriguez landing a $350 million deal. Boras wasn’t fired but clearly he was circumvented.
Now two steps remain: Wrap up Mariano Rivera and convince Andy Pettitte to return. Having Posada, Rivera and Rodriguez back should make that easier. It certainly doesn’t hurt.
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, November 14th, 2007 at 6:53 pm by Peter Abraham.
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yay pete
Pete man I thought you were off for vacation…do you have to come back now with this circus?
Very glad this is gettin done. Let’s hope nothing throws a wrench into the process.
Some vacation, eh Pete?
Wow dude. This is f’n priceless. I am absolutely enthralled by A-Rod manning up and doing this! I never, never EVER would have figured him for the type. Perhaps there is alot we don’t know about him after all!
Pete is an addict to this blog, and like all addicts he just can’t stay away. Pete, it’s time for the 12 steps my man.
Watch tomorrow he will be an angel. hahaha this board would be on fire if that happened
Welcome back I think, If you are on the team !
This is great news!
At first I thought this might be a ploy from Boras to make other clubs think the Yanks are involved so they sweeten their deals to ARod.
But if he is really back, it brightens up the outlook for next season a bit more.
now that i got my “first response” out of the way, let’s get into my thoughts.
If Alex is honest about this, it would be the Yankees way of saying that Boras is not bigger than the game.
Maybe an additional step, on your part, could be to completely and offhandedly dismiss the chances of a youthful and reinvigorated Lou Gehrig rising from his eternal rest to fill the hole at first base? That way we could be sure it will happen shortly?
So any word on when the aliens are going to arrive in Central Park?
Now let’s get Johan and call it in offseason. Pete needs a break.
Also, mlbtraderumors says something to the effect of, because Boras was not in on the negotiations he HAS to be fired, because not having him there is a violation of their contract. Does this mean he wouldn’t get the commission?
Aliens landed in Central Park ages ago, or haven’t you noticed some of the “people” that crawl around thereabouts?
I am incredibly confused?
So, what happened here? How much did the Yankees save? I’m so confused…
This is amazing. I am stunned
I really feel bad for pete, imagine your office calling three hours after you left for vacation. you’re the man for post pete, strong work.
I know I’m rambling now with all my disjointed comments, but this is HUGE if true. It is essentially A-Rod, often thought to be one of the most “corporate” players in baseball, saying “Damn The Man.”
As someone who takes a healthy interest in Damning The Man herself….oh man this is really priceless!!
Boras had an associate of his company present. He, himself, didn’t need to be there in person. He has employees. The Union has gained the Yanks assurance that they are respecting ARod’s designation of Boras as his agent.
I will remind you that it was On D Ball that said that the world was not waiting to give Arod the kind of numbers that Bore Ass was talking about.
But being brilliant, yet humble I will give credit to others that suggested the same thing.
But keep in mind Bore Ass still gets 5%.
again Borass loses nothing .. they accept $275 mill.(or whatever it is) because that is all they could get.. Borass gets paid.. Borass looks greedy and classless but I assume he could care less all he cares about is the MONEY..
And beings from Saturn have opened up a Lemonade Stand in Central Park….right, Pete ???
$27.5 million a year for 10 years is an amazing contract.
It will be really interesting to see what other MLB players can come close to this contract.
I think Man Ram is the only other $20 million dollar dude…but that contracts only go one more year left on it.
The Hank & Hal Show continues to be entertaining.
This is almost as funny as watching GM Theo Ep quit then realize he has to make some real dough before he can retire to his dream job of backing up Bernie on the guitbox!
HOLY CRAP didn’t see this coming LOL
I said that I would love him again if he ditched Boras and came crawling back.
I love you, Alex.
Didn’t Andruw Jones renegotiate with the Braves without Boras a few years ago without any union trouble? Or was that under a different contract?
Also, Boras has zillions of employees, and I am sure many of them are fine lawyers with excellent negotiating skills. One of them, at least one of them, had to have been in the room.
This is almost as good as last Christmas when we found out Randy Johnson wanted to be traded. Well, maybe it’s better.
Well this seems like as good an occasion as ever to quote one of my favorite movies…
A-Rod sez, “Damn The Man! Save the empire!”
Awesome, they ink the best player in baseball for 10 years, enough that he could break the HR record
If those are the terms it looks like A-Rod pretty much absorbed the $21M (approximately) but they spread it out over 10 years. In principle, that’s fine by me and probably what it would have taken for acceptance, short of firing Boras.
A-Rod still gets a raise, but not as much as Boras convinced him expect. It’s just $21M less than the raise the Yanks apparently wanted to offer.
Hey A-Rod, Boras’ advice just cost you $21M … shouldn’t that be taken out of his commission?
I think A-Rod might be able to get by on less money. If not, Carl Pavano can probably lend him some.
Welcome To The Greatest Show On Earth - THE BRONX ZOO !!
Come one, come all - Where Everything is Everything
Never a dull moment in New York:
The stock market teeters, Marbury threatens Isiah with blackmail, another Giuliani mess, and now, the Return Of The Jedi
Here’s ESPN’s special report on the Empire, with Buster Olnery and Peter Gammons.
http://tinyurl.com/2y2sg8
Runs 4:10
BBB: BEST MOVIE EVER!!
I think we might be the same person, deep down.
OK Pete - as soon as this clears THEN you can go on vacation.
For real.
“Crawling Back” for $275 Million/10 years….. I’d crawl all the way from Florida for THAT much money!
D-Man, I’m with you..Just how much money do the Yankees save in this deal??????
Any word on the details of the contract i.e. Is there an opt out clause in it after say five years, etc?
This is all good, but I believe it when he signs the contract. I wonder if he can opt out of this contract in few years? Hopefully, he can’t!
So Men in Black is actually a documentary?
I think we only get 1 of Pettitte and A-Rod. Posada and Rivera are both A free agents, so are pettitte and A-Rod. Does this mean we have to pick? I guess the MVP wins, but it sure stinks that A-Rod will have cost us Pettitte? Can Andy come back like Roger mid-season to avoid the Free Agent rules for the offseason?
Well……looks like I gotta get back to work defending AROD again to all my Yankee hating friends.
Just dont sign Lowell…..no draft picks to Boston…please.
Andrea: With the possible exceptions of Big Lebowski and Clerks, definitely the best movie ever! I must say I never thought I’d see an Empire-esque show of rebellion from Alex, but I am loving every second of it!
YEAH, ALEX!!!
I have just gained a lot more respect for A-Rod. Especially if its true that he hasn’t been talking to other teams at ALL since he wanted to make sure he made it right as a Yankee.
Once this gets confirmed and done I for one will be a very happy Yankee fan.
Wait what is this about signing A-Rod means we can’t sign Pettitte? I definitely don’t like the sound of that one!
I think y’ll are giving him way too much credit. The Angels knowing no one else was putting money in the pot lowballed him - Boras and him figured he’d be able to get the original deal if he swallowed hard and here we are.
what I am interested to see will be the clauses…. im sure there is a no-trade. but im hoping none of the other ridiculous clauses from his last contract will be included.
and i have been saying it all along. all the arod rippers better be ready to admit their hatred was premature.
I got my wish the baby stein’s brought Boras down to size,the first time in his 20 yrs as an agent.I hope he got the message,when you play with fire you get burnt!Ha ha
So basically he gets 2 more guaranteed years for the same money by opting out. I don’t want to hear any stuff about how what a great guy A-Rod is for accepting this offer after knowing he screwed up and was left out to dry.
I think the time Rivera is taking to agree to what is clearly a ridiculously fair deal is more offensive than anything A-Rod has done.
Peter,
This Michael Corleone quote reminds of your attempt to take a vacation:
ok, I believe Pete cleared it up that the Free Agent signing rules DO NOT apply to signing one’s own players. So no worries.
BBB: 2 of my other favorites. The number 37 has a special place in my heart because of Clerks. We’re so twins in different universes. Only you love TClipp a little more and my heart belongs to Matty.
Peter, you can aways start that vaca tomorrow, right?
Welcome home, Alpha-Dawg
http://tinyurl.com/2k9ce8
I heard that the Yankees now cannot bring back Pettite, because they will have already signed 3 Type-A Free Agents (Posada, Rivera and ARod) - is that true?
There should be a team option to opt out if they want.
so many hypocrites that hated him for the past month and slammed him every opportunity. now we are saying we love him? just goes to show you how many hypocrites there are. i’m interested in how many times he’s bashed when he has a bad game or if we make the playoffs next season how many of you will call him a choke. this is how you teach the young generation of yankee fans how to act with players. I hope when I get of age I won’t turn on any Yankee player the way the fans did to Arod.
Where is your evidence that A-Rod is “leaving money on the table?” and how can you say that the Yankees come off looking good here? Hank looks like even more of a baby and A-Rod absolutely hosed them business wise.
Oh yeah baby!
Suzyn? Is that really you? I don’t think A-Rod hosed them. Even if we are still overpaying, the guy is the best offensive player in the game. Your comment makes me think it might not really be you.
After reading your post, all I can say is that you chose the perfect user name.
BRILLIANT DAY TO BE A YANKEE FAN! Oh yeah what year will the opt out clause be in this time…
I expect the kids who hang out on this blog to be gullible enough to believe Bora$$ and A-Fraud’s BS…but I certainly didn’t expect it of you, Pete.
For the record, I never hated A-Rod. I did call him a douche (can I say that on this board? I guess I’ll find out)… But I was just sad. I’ve rooted for him since the first day he signed, and when all of New York booed him, I cheered even louder. I felt a little betrayed. So if all this pans out, I’ll be super psyched. So if anyone lumps me in with the people who hated him, I’ll be a very unhappy young lady.
I told ya’all to bet the farm on A=rod’s return..get ready to collect…..
Suzyn Waldman,
must be hard typing with those tears in your eyes.
Welcome back, Doc Acula, we’ve missed you!
Where’ve ya been? Vacationing in Transylvania?
Suzyn:
Oh My Gawwwwd! It’s, It’s Arawwd and He’s back, Just like Rajahh!
“Goodness gracious! Of all the dramatic things! My chair’s greasy with anticipation! Alex Rodriguez is coming back to the Bronx! It smells like an unrefrigerated meat locker between my legs! Goodness gracious!” *cries*
Dr Acula, nice link. Thanks. After a ball-busting day at work, logged into what is always my first stop for my Yankee fix, Pete’s Lohud blog, thinking maybe Rivera signed or something, and lo and behold, I did a double take on the ARod news. I can dig it baby! Hope it gets done.
Looks like Hank’s got some of his Daddy in him. He’s so pissed at Boras he even doesn’t want him in the room. I love it.
Hank said that they will negotiate and he will only go to a certain point so it doesnt matter if Bor-ASS is in the room. So, I dont think they have even discussed #’s to the point of coming to an agreement. Plus the Yanks would be stupid to give him that much money when it is obvious there isnt that many teams interested. They would just be bidding against themselves. My offer would be 8 years/$30m a year. $240-$20m= Take it or leave it $220. I dont understand why people are talking $280m, that is way too much.
ARod admitted he was wrong and apologized (to Hank). I won’t hold my breath waiting for you to do so, Peter, but can you at least stop bashing him?
Donna,
what BS?
you insult Hank when you say that. And I don’t mean “Hank The Drunkn Dwarf” (rest his soul).
LOL Hank
This player’s union question has been resolved. Michael Weiner, the general counsel for the Players Association is fine with how it has transpired..
http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/yankees/ny-sparod1115,0,5938731.story
Hank The Drunkin’ Dwarf? Ahh, He ain’t no match for me, buddy!
No Backpeddling Zone. If the contract gets done, some of you need to take a page from A-Rod’s book and say you were wrong and just support him because he’s gonna be a Yankee for a long time.
go dodgers.
Now trade him to the Marlins for miguel and some pitching ,and let him rot in that empty stadium,wiht all his money.
BWAHAHAHA - I TOLD you all the drama was just starting when he opted out.
Seriously, I could have never predicted this, but I did feel like something wasn’t right all this time. I thought there was some way he could end up back in NY and I refused to start hating the guy until the dust settled.
That having been said, it looks like he did exactly what so many people were saying was the best thing he could do - go behind Boras’ back and not let himself be controlled.
So - Andrea, I’m not sure if I am comfortable saying “I love you, Alex (
) , but I share your sentiment 100% otherwise.
There’s always a chance for the drama to not be over with yet until a deal is inked, so I’m going to keep my bourbob bottle sealed until it’s a done deal. After that,let’s fix the damned bullpen and shore up the rotation as needed.
LathamJoe-
Hey Guys. Yankee fans are very special.
Aside from Jorge’s return, it’s was a slow news week, until today!
Yes. Yes.
Oh My Gawwwwd! My Goooodness! It’s, It’s Arawwd and He’s da Baasses Box, Just like Rajahh! And he Bock to saaaaaave da Jankees!!
Wow where is that dude who posted this 3 days ago!! He rocks!! He’s got major sources!! And I think he was just about right on the money.
As I said earlier I take back all the mean things I said about Alex. I still maintain my distain for Borass.
Should we expect those aliens in Central Park now, ass?
Wolf: Alex can be a girl’s name….
I think to get their money’s worth out of A Rod, maybe they should teach him how to pitch, too…
i wonder if any of the other deals will leak…
Ugh… looks like the circus will be in town for another 10 years.
Great. Just when I thought the Yanks were moving on - they seel their sole. Some “discount”… the Yanks essentially are doing what Texas did - bid against themselves and give Arod the richest contract in the history of the game… again!
Not really a day to celebrate if you ask me…
Hey where’s Brandon? Out celebrating somewhere? Taunting Sox fans?
Uhhhhh …. How certain is anyone of there being a signature on the dotted line at this point?
carolinanyy,
lol. how many Boston writers/columnists will write columns about how the Yankees duped themselves.
Dr. Acula:
That photo hits the spot. Thanks so much!
That Marilyn,She was truly the ARod of her time!
I don’t know if anyone is aware of a rift between Michael Kay and Sterling, but when Kay was told of what Sterling said on WFAN, he was absolutely incredulous and all but dismissed John’s report, noting that Sterling isn’t even working now, and he said that he would wait for a more reliable source before he reported the deal as final.
Either way, it was very telling that Sterling did not reveal his news on Kay’s show. Not that Yankee land needs more drama today, but I found it interesting nonetheless…
Hey I know in all the excitement we forgot Jorge had his physical today. Did he pass?
Is he official? When is the press conference?
Also,
A quick recovery to Hideki Matsui. Please come back strong and shut up all the doubters!
Wait a minute, is this official? Pete, you sound like you are saying that this is official…
In the end, A-Rod is all about where he can get the most $. Too bad he was too brain-numb to realize that he was already playing for that team.
He can take his 2007 MVP season and shove it up his A$$ because he ain’t done proving anything to this Yankee fan.
yeah, it was yet another ugly moment for michael kay. they seem to be gaining in frequency.
“The number 37 has a special place in my heart because of Clerks.”
OMFG!!! LOL!!!
Andrea, you are such a cool chick, you know that? Seriously. Long live Kevin Smith.
Well back to 10 more years of no WS,with him on the team.
1996-2000= no mvp Yankees won 4WS in 5 yrs
Arod has 3 mvp’s,no WS
I’ll take the 4WS in 5 years
mike f,
But before the Sterling moment (lol), Michael Kay was quite giddy with the prospect that this was true. Me thinks he has a man-crush on Alex.
Something tells me this was the plan all along.
can anyone tell me if it is OFFICIAL or just speculation. I don’t trust Alex and I don’t trust Boras. Having said that, it may all be posturing.
lol Mike F.. That’s unfortunate.
Mel, I think he has a man crush on Mussina and was rebuffed that is why he hates Mussina.
This is not a circus… Not by a long shot…. Plus, now that there is no opt out hanging over his head, the man can relax…
He will do well this year… This will be the year when he wrecks a playoff series and the yankees win big…
Dont blame arod for our playoff woes… While he did not help us, it was the pitching that did us in…
we keep our kids for now, maybe get yohan, maybe we keep them and they shine….
Jennifer,
He hates Mussina because he has a superior mind, not because he blew him off. (wait, can I say that?)
Jennifer-
that was Miller.
Take a bow, dude!
LathamJoe-
Norma Jeane DiMaggio is timeless.
Here’s a touching and poignant clip about Love, Fate & Tragedy, featuring Joe and Marilyn.
http://tinyurl.com/2bqc7v
Runs 2:10
You have to sit through a short commercial, first
Hey, at this rate our offseason will be done by Thanksgiving!
As much I was angry about Arod’s opting out, I was much more worried about having to trade Kennedy and/or Hughes and Melky just so we can get some fat lazy bat to fill our 3B. If he can come back that’ll solve so many problems.
Sign Mo, hope that Andy comes back, and maybe do something about 1B (maybe?). Then we can concentrate on our biggest problem: bullpen relief.
A rotation of Wang Pettitte Hughes Joba Kennedy looks very good to me, and we also have Moose who still might bounce back and give us some quality innings.
holy crap.
Mel. LOL Too funny!!
So when do we hear this is official.
mel,
is this official or speculation?
someone please answer me. i am waiting to see how i need to react…
Well that solves Third Base, Now whose on First?
Am I the only one who thinks another 10 years of Arod is a mistake. I mena, sure he’ll put up big numbers, but is that really worth all the drama, “look at me” attitude, and the inevitable “Oh, no it’s October” headlines?
I was hoping the Yanks were serious in moving in a new directions. Guess not.
Those who do not understand the past are doomed to repeat it… what’s old is new again… etc, etc…
November 14, 2007
A-Rod Statement: Yanks Have Brought Me Happiness
Alex Rodriguez just released the following statement:
After spending time with Cynthia and my family over these last few weeks, it became clear to me that I needed to make an attempt to engage the Yankees regarding my future with the organization.
Prior to entering into serious negotiations with other clubs, I wanted the opportunity to share my thoughts directly with Yankees’ ownership. We know there are other opportunities for us, but Cynthia and I have a foundation with the club that has brought us comfort, stability and happiness.
As a result, I reached out to the Yankees through mutual friends and conveyed that message. I also understand that I had to respond to certain Yankees concerns, and I was receptive and understanding of that situation.
Cynthia and I have since spoken directly with the Steinbrenner family. During these healthy discussions, both sides were able to share honest feelings and hopes with one another, and we expect to continue this dialogue with the Yankees over the next few days.
******
Interesting that the discussions were a result of reaching out to “mutual friends” and this is all Alex & Cynthia.
Smart AROD!!!!
Mel, I think Kay’s crush on A-Rod is even more intense than Suzyn Waldman’s obsession with The Rocket Man.
Well now we can spend more time looking for a Ace Stater and 8th innings guy.And maybe getting Pettitte.
Well he is the best 3rd baseman on the market so it’s good that he’s back. Of course the whole opt out shenanigans leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I was getting used to life after A Rod.
As far as Boras being cut out. Not only do I not believe that, but I actually think this could have been their plan all along. Test the market and then take the best deal, which just happenned to be with the Yankees. Only way to do it was for A Rod to make it seem like Boras is wholly responsible for the opt out and A Rod is an innocent bystander. Only way I believe it is if he actually fires Boras (not that it would cost Boras any money).
Jake
Not official but they are working on getting it done.
EY Totally agree. I didn’t want to see our stud pitchers traded.
JeffNJ: If Arod signs a 10 year deal why would he need to keep Boras as an agent? I doubt after the 10 years he’ll stick around as a player.
I also tend to believe that Boras was cut out of this even if not publicly. If not, why would AROD make a point of saying he decided to reach out to the Yankees and communicate a message through mutual friends? He certainly could’ve said he arranged for his agent to contact them, etc.
Oh well, either way if this gets confirmed it is very good news for the Yankees and AROD. AROD wanting to be a Yankee is key.
Assuming we could acquire Kazmir and Santana for the same price, which pitcher would you rather have?
Santana will be 29, and Kazmir will be 24)
And A-Fraud and Bora$$ continue to lead all of you around by the nose…you believe just what they want you to believe.
No one ever said $cott Bora$$ was a fool.
How about Torre? He wanted Alex on his team! You people have no shame and have to have all the good players on the Yanks!
At least we got Proctor
i’d rather have danny haren from oakland then either one of them
Great…NOT
More choking in October.
10 years of misery..Here we come.
I really like this. Especially if he fires Boras.
I take back everything I said last week:)
If Andy and Mo come back I’d say our off season grade would be a A. Cash still needs to do bullpen work.
Jake,
It’s anywhere from “not done” (high Yankee official not named Steinbrenner via Kay) to “in talks” (ESPN/SI) to “all but finalized” (Pete Abe) to 101% chance (Sterling).
The reaction here has ranged from “Yes!”, “I told you so”, “NOOOO!”, “I’m giddy thinking about the 50/150″ (that was me), “he still sucks in the post season”, to “Hanks a genius” (rolls eyes).
I’m a fan and will cheer whoever is on the team, so I’m still waiting for confirmation.
mel,
Have I ever told you that you are brilliant?
So, lineup wise it looks like the Yankees will be fielding the same one as last season?
Now we just need to work on the SP and the bullpen..
I like Haren a lot, but I would prefer Kaz and Cytana because they’re lefties and they have better overall numbers against Boston. But we might be able to get Haren at a cheaper price.
NY Daily News is reporting that although AROD reached out to the Yankees it was the Yankees who insisted Boras couldn’t be the lead negotiator. Supposedly the Yanks insisted Alex do the talking and take the lead in talks.
If true this is hysterical, but whatever it takes. I am just glad that AROD is making it known that he wants to remain a Yankee and it isn’t all about the money.
HERE WE GO YANKEES, HERE WE GO!!
mel-
(rolls eyes)
If it wasn’t for Alex, we wouldn’t have even made the playoffs, and last time I checked, Alex is coming off a better playoff than Jeter, but we all love to conveiently forget that little tidbit!
Alex is going into the Hall of Fame as a Yankee, will have 13 retired by the team, and break imporatnt records wearng a Yankee uniform as the team will move into the new Stadium and will draw even more people.
Word out is that during a recent visit to California, A-Rod realized that a lot of the blonde dancers look too much like women and don’t have the brawny style he prefers of the east coast dancers.
Dr. How the heck did you do that!?!
warm and fuzzy: You give this team the pitching they had in 96, and you don’t think they win this year???
Does anyone remember stanton, nelson or mendoza? Not only quality arms but proven playoff performers. Everyone puts this on arod, but if you cant hold a lead, your not going to win…
Blame wang for this year more than arod….
check out the numbers for the 98 pen btw…
http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/NYY/1998.shtml
Mendoza pitched 130 innings with an era of 3.25… Wow.. Not bad from your long man
Trade for me! Trade for me!
if we get kazmir, shea stadium and citi field will both implode
Rebecca,
Aw shucks. Not bad for someone with an IQ of 35, huh?!
Against improbable odds, 3/10 of the men on the floor at the Boston Garden have Allen as their surname. Go Nets, take down the last undefeated team!
Of course Arod WANTS to be a Yankee… he found out the market wasn’t what he thought and the Yanks would give him the most $$$.
The Angels offered this ridiculous 10/275 contract he would WANT to be a Halo!
Santana over Kazmir for sure.
I just don’t think the Yanks will go after Santana now.
Too many years, too high $ to do for another player, especially a pitcher.
I’m full of questions…
Who is this mutual friend?
Will Arod fire Boras?
Will Arod call a press conference a la Joe Torre to explain what happened?
Will his contract have another opt-out clause?
And who is Miller???
And btw Miller, any more news/rumors to report? Can you go back to your source and ask for a follow up??
Jen-
colon,(the word “roll”),colon - no spaces.
Doc,
That is so way c
:roll: l !!
Yankee Stadium sells out almost every game. How can Arod draw more people?
oops, guess I can do 2 rolls in a row.
C
L
Dee- Some speculated that it is Kevin Long. He became very close with him last year.
From SI’s Heyman -
I thought Boras was not supposed to be involved??
Dr. You have any others?
Yeah I want to know Millers real name!! I wonder if it is Alex?
Thank god. A-Rod is back HOME! Now we need Mo to quit fudging around and sign his 45 mil deal, Then “all will be right” in Yankee land!!!
I am a diehard Yankees fan and this is an awful move by the Yankee brass. Steinbrenner said they were done with ARod. PERIOD. If he said that it depended on whether or not Boras was negotiating or on the size of the contract, that would have been different. But he said that the Yankees did not want ARod. That being said, I would have only approved of the Yankees move if they gave him a hefty paycut to what their original offer was to send the message to ARod that he missd out big time by opting out and by not even talking to the Yankees. I think it is obvious that ARod did this because he realized that no team out there was willing to pay him the amount that he and Boras were demanding. If he does fire Boras, that would change things a bit but if it is true that one of Boras’ lawyers was there, then it is essentially the same as if Boras were there. But even if he fires Boras, I am still convinced that he would have gone to the highest bidder.
I think Peter needs to apologize to the readers who pointed out that A-Rod’s plane was in Florida. Apparently it’s quite possible that he was down there as part of his secret talks with the Steinbreners. I thought all those plane stalkers were crazy, but who knew?
“Who is this mutual friend?
Will Arod fire Boras?
Will his contract have another opt-out clause?
And who is Miller???”
Tune in tomorrow — same Bat-time, same Bat-channel…
Johan SantanaMan,
That’s Boras saving face through his buddy Heyman. When Heyman “broke” the news earlier, any mention of Boras’ involvement or lack thereof was missing.
mel: I assume you mean 135
Jared: I don’t think Steinbrenner ever said that. I believe he said they don’t want AROD *if* he doesn’t want to be a Yankee. If he’s proven he wants to be in pinstripes, he’s the best there is right now, why wouldn’t they want him?
For Jake and whoever missed all the action earlier today, go to the previous thread and read the posts from about 4:00pm to 5:30pm.
I’ll be self-serving and post three of my posts from that thread:
I have clients both inside and outside the organization. I heard the same thing from four sources this afternoon, that the “deal is done”. There are four minor holdups:
1) the PR nuts and bolts;
2) making sure the deferred portion conforms to MLB union guidelines;
3) confirming to all parties that A-Rod chose to not have Boras present, though included via consultation;
4) approval of the Commissioner’s office.
What should be obvious is that all of this has gotten legs over the past few days and is now coming out because it’s allowed to come out. The Yankees have a “media blackout” policy; if you break it, your relationship is terminated.
The fact that I’m discussing this should tell you that the blackout has been lifted. The PR machine is at work….
And those of you who have praised Hank for being the “tough guy” in this instance couldn’t be more right. The difference between he and his father is that Hank has been able to learn from watching his father. The organization is in good hands.
You’re going to hear a lot of complimentary things said in the next few days regarding how Hank handled this, and they will be accurate. But be real clear about something: this was a HUGE step for A-Rod to make. He did the right thing.
The fact that there are others in the organization’s history that have done the same was not lost on him.
Of greater import, however, is A-Rod’s legacy. He’s reached the point financially, where he realizes he’s never going to spend however much he has “left on the table”.
Athletes are not normal, in that their competitive nature is on a level most of us cannot relate to. The massive egos that go with the territory sometimes drive players to lose site of the “big prize”. In A-Rod’s case, the “big prize” is not money.
There is no greater place to be a baseball player than in a Yankees’ uniform. And no greater uniform in which to be the all-time home run king.
The legacy to be left by the all-time home run king who was a Yankee is immeasurable. That’s what’s behind all of this, and to A-Rod’s credit, he’s been big enough to reach out and apologize to the organization. Don’t minimize how much courage that took.
:-/ :-O
:-* 
:-[ :-! 
>:-o O:-) :-$
The news of ARod staying with the Yanks will be a relief to the legions of blond strippers in this city.
Look, when an agent or lawyer is getting a piece of the action they are likely to call the shots. I remember Peter telling all of us to not blame Boras who is only executing the will of his client. But we have been right. I really believe that A-Rod has been handled by Boras and handled poorly. The Texas deal has been discredited and Boras was out to prove that not only was it a good deal - the next one would be bigger - WRONG! I would be astounded if this contract contains any of the ridiculous incentive clauses or opt-outs he commanded in the Texas contract - as 1. The Yankees don’t do that and 2. It would start an escalation of increasingly self-indulgent demands throughout the roster. This will not be a bigger deal and A-Rod will have to come back to orbit even as the highest paid player in the game.
As for Boras, everyone is so awe-struck by his bound player presentations with their ridiculous forecasts IE. Damon 3,000 hits, A-Rod 1,000 HRs - will break Pete Rose for hits record etc.. Anyone who has worked in the corporate world would be fairly unimpressed with his amateur presentations, unsubstantiated claims and boorish tactics - yet he is admired. His advice to A-Rod is to conduct himself as if he was facing sentencing on manslughter charges - don’t speak to anyone - bluff the opposition, bargain through strength. What strength? Aren’t fans tired of players pretending not to care? As if playing in Milwaukee is the same as playing in New York - but that is the act all of these guys perform and we’re supposed to root them on.
And once A-Rod inks the deal - how will he cope with the blow to his ego year after year? How can he go on with the blustering Boras buzzing that he is not getting his fair share and is being dis-respected and could have owned a franchise. A-Rod may in fact be unredeemingly damaged goods because of his representation.
Let me try the eyeroll too!
Yeah Jennifer Miller is a bot of a mystery. I don’t think it’s Arod or any of the in-circle players themselves but I do find it suspicious that Miller came in from nowhere (or at least I haven’t noticed that name before), dropped the bombshell and now he’s gone after it’s official. Or has Miller been on this blog all along before?
Rebecca,
lol. I consider myself more smart alec than anything.
Thanks, Johan. Man does more that strike out guys!
For those of you who really want to learn the icons, just hover your mouse over the one you want.
Bobcat: Thanks for that post.
Wait - I’m confused - is Boras in with the negotiations or out?
oops cry evil twisted roll wink ! ? idea arrow mrgreen
(put these between colons no spaces)
FYI if you copy all the smiley faces into your email, you can than right click and see what was used to make the symbol
Paulie-
Word out is that during a recent visit to California, A-Rod realized that a lot of the blonde dancers look too much like women and don’t have the brawny style he prefers of the east coast dancers.
Nothing wrong with some Yankee-muscle.
http://tinyurl.com/yofdfl
Actually you should be able to just move your pointer over the smile and see what was used.
this if for #13 - make it 55 next year AROD:
“We’re not going to back down,” Steinbrenner said. “It’s goodbye.”
That is what Steinbrenner said. The Yankees now lose credibility because he couldn’t stick to his word.
“In what was a bad day for the Scott Boras Corporation, Alex Rodriguez went to the Yankees directly and apparently has all but finalized a 10-year, $275 million deal.”
“The only loser is Boras, who had dreams of Rodriguez landing a $350 million deal.”
and now for the minority opinion:
before opting out, arod had a three year deal for 81 million. the way i understand it, before he opted out, the yankees offered 5 more years at thirty million per year. that’s 150 million plus 81 million which equals a yankee offer of 231 million for 8 years.
how does going from 231 million to 275 million make boras the loser? that’s 44 million more in arod’s favor.
arod had an opt out clause in his contract because of boras putting it in there. if boras hadn’t put it in there , arod couldn’t have opted out after a mvp year. he’d be in an 81 million dollar contract. now it looks like he’s going to be in a 275 million dollar contract. so how is boris the loser?
explain that in numbers .
the 350 million was unlikley to have ever been the goal. the 275 may have been exactly what they were after in the first place.
pete, i know you write well, but i don’t understand your logic with numbers. to me the numbers say boras and arod made a killing and the yankees are paying way more than they wanted to.
sunny:
Boras is still part of the A-Rod team, technically, inasmuch as it is required by the CBA.
However, as was the case with Bernie and Andruw, the player initiated discussions directly with the team.
I would have to disagree - Arod came to them… They didn’t go to arod. Arod is also willing to take off the $21 mil that would have come from the Rangers (concessions)… so the Yankees were truthful in that they did not pursue arod.
Latin phrase of the day:
Suzyn est
Rebecca:
You’re welcome. It’s hard to sit on information, but it’s harder to lose the relationship…
So Boras is talking to Cashman? Wasn’t there a quote that said “as long as Boras is not at the table”? or something to that effect?
Jen-
Rebecca and I were chatting that Pete was running around in the Carribean screaming “COMPUTER! I NEED A F’N COMPUTER!” before finally hauling towards the beach and swimming for the mainland fully clothed.
Is this a deal or what? I mean this wild day has went from A-Rod signing = aliens landing in central park, to meeting with the team, to an all but finalized deal without Boras, to furious negotiations? And why is this blog the only news online platform that says anything about the yankees almost finalizing a deal with A-Rod. ESPN says they’re “talking, nothing more” and they’re the guys who make up rumors for a living! Someone clear my head!
I am Cynthia Rodriguez. Please, no questions.
Ok - so somewhere I read (maybe here?) that Boras himself does not physically have to attend - one of his lackeys will do and that that will satisfy the representation part?? Is there any truth there?
sunny:
Does it matter? The important thing is that A-Rod stepped up and corrected the chasm that existed between the ownership group and himself.
Bobcat
Great post…
Pete’s not going to want to go on vacation and leave the kids alone here. Look at what happens on the blog when he’s gone. HTML and smiley workshops.
BTW, I cannot wait to hear Boomer and Carton on WFAN tomorrow. Craig wanted A-Rod on the Mets soooooo badly.
Well than Miller um Cynthia I take back all the bad things i’ve said about your husband.
I think Cynthia Rod. is jealous because Laura Posada is hotter than she is.
Just to back on track… forget about your need to know all of the minute details. Just know that by the information getting out to the public, that it is happening. There are details to be worked out, but it is happening. And it will happen without our input.
Mike Lowell on first would be awesome! Image that.. That would take him out of Bostom and force Boston to trade a lot of talent for Miggy Cabrera or have some unknown without Lowell type numbers!
Forget Boston though, if we got Lowell to switch to first our line-up would totally improve with another righty bat…
My batting order is as follows:
Damon,
Jeter,
Abreau,
AROD!!!! w00t!
Lowell,
Posada,
Matsui,
Cano
Cabrera
NOTE: Please don’t resign Vizcaino!!!!! But what are the options?
Dee-
Miller has been here for awhile. I can vouch for him, he’s from Jersey.
You know what I like to think? That Boras was outside of the negotiation room like Michael Douglas was outside of the room his daughter was in in “Traffic”.
Mel- He will come back and this blog entry will have 20,000 posts in it.
Matty- they will be
I can’t stand listening to them. I really need to sit down and write a letter to the program director about how horrible they are.
SI says this isn’t the forst time A-Rod didn’t follow Boras’ wishes
“In July 1996, Rodriguez went against Boras’ advice and agreed to a $10.6 million, four-year contract extension through 2000.”
Willis,
Thanks.
To Sunny 615:
Do you think that Alex sincerely wants to be a Yankee? The reason he came was because all the other teams notified Boras that there was no chance of a $350 million contract. So logically, the Yankees were the only team willing to shell out an insane amount of dough for him. He came “crawling” back in order to make the most money possible and to get in the good graces of the fans because he has slyly made us believe that he was “crawling” back when he knew all along that the Yankees still wanted to talk to him even though he disrespected them by refusing to talk to them unless they offered $350 million. And the fact that he came to them doesn’t mean anything. Steinbrenner said “It’s over”. Now, no one can believe what Steinbrenner is saying. And Boras is an absolute genius. He knew no one wasn’t giving him $350 million, so now it appears as if $275 million is a cut when it is really an increase from his original contract. Boras is still his agent. He is still gonna get 13 million out of this.
Jennifer,
Looks like the blog is almost to 200,000 posts.
Bobcat: Indeed. Of course, the biggest secret I’ve ever had to keep was the one where I didn’t tell my parents I was giving a graduation speech… :-X
Just gives me tremendously more respect for the guys that do this job.
Fleas-
Eh Lowells not that good.. And he’d want 4 years.. There will be some 1B players with better skills after the 08 season..
I think the Yankees should wait for those.
I can’t read all of the above comments to see if this has been discussed, but I’m having a hard time believing that he will sign a ten year deal. I would guess 8 at the most, maybe with options after that. If the 10 year deal has been finalized, forget what I just typed.
Hi Miller you’re back!
Got it, Miller has been here for a while so no he’s not Arod/Boras/Crod/Cashman/Feisand/Sweeny/Kay. My bad!
Lowell is a type A free agent, meaning if we sign him, Boston gets our first round pick and a sandwich pick…
Cash’s draft record so far has been pretty good… Keep the picks … do not sign Lowell.
Wolf: re: me being a cool chick: I know you said this like an hour ago, but I was busy. Thanks! I was writing my thesis and I stopped at 37 pages and sent it to my advisor as it was. Just to say I sent my advisor 37 pages. I have issues.
Bobcat
You hit it right on the nose. He can now be Babe Ruth, not Dave Winfield. He will be bigger than Reggie in this city, probably bigger than Dimaggio when all is said and done.
That counts more than money. Boras believes in money only. This did take a lot of guts on both his and Hank’s parts.
The Yankees and ARod were made for each other, no matter how dysfunctional. I’ve been saying that for weeks.
Now, given your sources, Bobcat and Miller, what’s the deal with Mo? Why don’t they give him less total (say $40-42 million x 3), with a large, incentive laden mutual option for year 4? I’m sure Mo is looking at Clemens contract at 44 years old. Mo is the Clemens of relievers, and although it doesn’t make great baseball sense, I see his point.
Any info?
Enoch:
It’s 10. And the money is $275M, give or take some incentives, etc.
Jared S.:
see Bobcat’s post
Jennifer
I’m sorry you don’t like the show. But instead of complaining about it, you can just not listen.
Arod is also willing to take off the $21 mil that would have come from the Rangers (concessions)…
The above is just silly… oh, great Arod did the Yanks a huge favor and is only accepting $275M instead of $296M.
It’s a banner day in the Bronx…
The Yanks bid against themselves - I guess Arod and the Yanks deserve each other.
sunny:
The Yankees are NOT signing Lowell. Not. That would do exactly the opposite of what Cashman has been working so diligently toward: roster flexibility. The 3-headed monster at 1B from 2007 will either stay in place or be modified in some fashion.
PYF:
The Mo contract will get done as well. Again, if it wasn’t, we wouldn’t be talking about it. Part of what’s at play is the “edge” that both Mo and Jorge have about them. There is some “diss-ing” going on here, but all is well.
Does it matter who “won” or “lost” in this bizarre little episode?
The Yankees got a right-handed, power-hitting 3rd baseman, who only cost them money, not talent. Someone who may break the home run record, apparently unemcumbered by PEDs, as a Yankee.
Isn’t that enough?
Now, if the pitching holds up, we might actually win something next year.
For some reason, I still think Boras is going to get Hughes or Joba out of the deal.
Joe:
Cashman is not done. The last few weeks has been housekeeping. The REAL work begins now. All the last few weeks have done is get the roster back where it was on October 1.
(Note: Pettitte is obviously waiting for these other pieces to fall in place. Why wouldn’t he? Would you come back to a team without A-Rod, Jorge and Mo? While his return is not a given, it’s certainly been given new energy.)
I’m a Mike Lowell fan - anyone who beats cancer and goes on to succeed like he has deserves some respect. But Bobcat is right - filling the roster with aging players is what we have to avoid.
mel,
Thanks for the clarification.
I too will root for the Yankees regardless of who is on the team, but this circus is a bit much.
We need the focus to be on the team and not on just one player.
In the end, GO YANKEES.
the funniest part of this is everyone who’s foolish enough to believe boras masterminded the opt-out announcement but a-rod had the “nuts” to come crawling back to the yankees.
if you really think that poor widdow alex was blindsided by the timing and nature of his opt-out announcement, you should try following professional sports for a while. you might learn something.
likewise, if you think a-rod is going to fire boras, you are outside your mind. scott’s going to get a piece of this massive contract, and he’s going to keep working with alex and milking teams out of every last cent.
the yankees didn’t fold? they didn’t back down? really? we have cashman and steinbrenner on record as saying they’d washed their hands of him, and now he’s back in pinstripes. that’s a monumental reversal of positions, i don’t care how you want to dress it up.
this is a pathetic day in yankees history, and yet just another day in the life of alex rodriguez, who has proven that he is, indeed, bigger than the yankees legacy, bigger than the organization, and bigger than baseball. congrats, alex.
Jake,
No offense, but you obviously didn’t live through the “Bronx Zoo” years. This boring, corporate behaviour is mild in comparison.
I guess the Yanks are so involved with Arod and Bor-ASS that they forgot to announce if Posada’s deal is official yet.. Did he pass his physical today…Also is Mo going to let this drag on for another week or 2 and try to get the Royals involved..Mo take the deal already it is plenty.
I really am conflicted about this.. I’m not sure how I feel about ARod on this team..
I was looking forward to a team with a lot of role players on the team instead of superstar after superstar.
Whats this going to do to team chemistry? He did ignore every Yankee that tried to call him..
Whats this going to do to the Yankees image?
I really don’t know how to feel about this.
GREAT A 43 YR OLD FART AT 3B IN 10YRS.
DMan,
Don’t make it too complicated. Go to a game or two, wear your interlocking NY gear and enjoy it for the entertainment that it’s supposed to be. Nothing more, nothing less.
kasey - So… arod taking the same deal he would have gotten before opting out is … bad?
Spot on Kasey
I;m obviously missing something: How are the Yankees saving face here? Because A-Rod called them rather than the other way around? Didn’t the Yankees say, if you opt out, goodbye? And now they’re going to give him $275M, and eat the $21M that they would have gotten from the Rangers. Sounds like their credibility took a hit.
DMan: I didn’t know how to feel about it either. But look at it this way: who would be better at third base this offseason?
kasey,
Cashman’s exact words were, “That ship has sailed”. Well apparently that ship has come back to port.
I’m as anti-A-rod as they come, but you have to feel a little bit better about 3rd base? Just a wittle-ittle?
IIRC, you came on the other night and gave one of your doom and gloom posts. Something about losing the manager, catcher, closer, third baseman, and front end starting pitcher?
If we can get decent pitching, get Girardi to clean up the mistakes that cost us close games last year, then we should be able to have a decent year, no?
It may be a sad day, but you no what they say about tomorrow…
Dman if he bought each one of them a lamborghini diablo
alls forgiven,I’ll bet.
You gotta assume part of what’s holding up Mo saying “yes” has been the A-Rod development–busy front office + he wants to have at least one news day all to himself. Mo deserves it. With the Alex situation heating up more than three days ago, Mo had to be put on the back burner for a wee bit….
3 postseasons and nothing. it’s time to move on. who cares about the pay cut? we’re getting him by default (no one else wants him.)
honestly, i was excited about a team without him. sorry, but this blows.
Pete: thanks for posting and enjoy your vacation!
Even with Arod, I won’t be excited until the Yankees solidify their pitching..
Jared: Stein kept his word. As far as we know the Yankees didn’t back down and chase him after he opted out. They said from the get-go the money lost if/when he opted out would be taken off the top of whatever they would offer in negotiations if he opted out. Initially they didn’t close the door to negotiations if he opted out, just that the money on the Texas deal wouldn’t be a part of future negotiations. When he opted out Steinbrenner made it personal in a statement claiming AROD didn’t want to be a Yankee and so they wouldn’t want someone who doesn’t want to be there. They wouldn’t chase him as a free agent and they’d move on, rightfully if someone doesn’t want to be there the team needs to move on.
The way I see it (assuming this all gets confirmed as done in the next day or two): the Yankees didn’t chase him after he opted out. The Yankees moved on in evaluating other options for 3rd base because AROD’s opting out was taken as a loud message that he didn’t want to be in NY, when that wasn’t the case. Stein made it personal and it wasn’t. NY announced they had planned on offering at least 8 years and a whole lot of money but he opted out without discussions. Alex wanted to remain in pinstripes and at some point realized the message opting out sent was one the Yankees (and fans) took personally as if he didn’t want to be a Yankee. He wants to be a Yankee - and did what was required to make that clear to the Steinbrenners. They kept their word, they didn’t chase. They kept their word and took the Texas money out of the equation. AROD keeps his word to the organization and fans by making it clear he wants to be in pinstripes and steps up to the plate and delivers the message himself. That takes being a bit humble - not bad to see the highest paid baseball star owning up to his responsibility in this with the owners.
And as a Yankee fan, its great to know we have the best - especially when it took extra work and swallowing some pride for both the owners and AROD to sort through the buzz and figure out how to meet each others needs. Yankees want AROD. AROD wants to be a Yankee.
DONE.
Right on Mel!!
I for one still and not that warm and fuzzy about welcoming AROD back. I still think he’s a cancer to a team, can’t play when it counts BECAUSE of the CONTRACT. He has so much to live up to as Torre would say, playing for the highest contract in the game. I just don’t know if he’s mentally built enough to really play with that - of course, when it counts. I just don’t care about Mr. April and Mr. May, he can go to hell, oh i mean, Boston. the only reason he is coming back is b/c he can’t get no satisfaction anywhere else and he’s got his tail between his legs, how much of that is “not about the money”? He needs to play the game b/c he loves to play it, not b/c he can make millions, that’s obviously a huge bonus!
I’m glad the Yankees didn’t come crawling back to him.The other players were watching too,you know.
Matty I have it on because I need to know the time. I cut my morning so close. I don’t sit for a minute and I am out the door catching a bus to the city. I wish there were better alternatives to listen to sports in the morning but there aren’t.