Take the poll: Did you want A-Rod back?
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- November
- 25
The Yankees have just about finalized their new deal with Alex Rodriguez. In addition to $27.5 million a year, he will receive bonus payments of $6 million for passing Willie Mays, Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds on the career home run lists.
These home runs will be labeled “historic events” and could boost the deal to $305 million over 10 years.
Now that the deal is nearly done, what do you think? Did the Yankees do the right thing or should they have let A-Rod go and built the team a different way? Vote in the poll over to the right.
Just an aside, but the historic events clause could backfire on the Yankees and Alex. Is the idea to chase records or championships? As he approaches the milestones, every pop-up to second base will be seen as him overswinging instead of trying to hit a line drive.
Setting a record should be its own reward. Isn’t $27.5 million a year incentive enough? You would think that after what happened in October, a simple contract would serve both parties best.
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on Sunday, November 25th, 2007 at 2:03 pm by Peter Abraham.
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Peter Abraham
i know that revenue is up, and players want/should be as much a part of that money as anybody. but i agree pete, this particular idea to include alex in the revenue he produces is RIDICULOUS. give him a big bonus when he breaks the record, or give him NOTHING AT ALL on top of 27.5 mil. but don’t bother us with 6 million every time he breaks a “milestone”. absurd. win a world series.
Okay when he opted out I was ticked as all hell at him. I still am angry at the way it went down. Now that we are removed from it, I am smart enough to know we needed him. I didn’t want us to trade a boatload of prospects for someone who every says will eventually be moved to first or dh. The third base market was very thin. We needed Alex as much as he needed us.
I agree with disliking the incentive clauses, he will over swing to gain that next mark with our without the incentive, but it will likely be a lot worse with it.
well put, pete.
seems a-rod can’t do things simply…
he simply couldn’t work out a contract with his agent. now, he simply can’t have a straight forward, ‘simple’ contract.
those incentives (and at 27 mil a year, does he really need more ‘incentive’) will surely come back to get him, as you say.
the man just loves to put unnecessary pressure on himself.
The contract seems a bit large but no when you see Tori Hunter get 90 mil for 5 years – the historic events incentives will be ok not sure why they did this but they seem to both be happy with it so why not
The “historic events” will have 50% of chance happening in the new ball park(home-away games), so that’s going to be a good way to fill the new ball park. Besides, those homeruns might be the ones that help win the games and the playoff spots. But I do see your point.
Maybe there should be some sort of deal in the contract, like how many homeruns Arod has to hit in the playoff season or he get a pay cut—-can’t remember he hit any HR while waring NYY uniform…..
Pete, I agree with your point that 27.5 mil. should be enough. But then again I also would never under estimate the ability of George Steinbrenner to promote, profit and to make additional income off these different mileposts/homerun records set for Rodriquez. Nor do I believe GS would lose money on this venture.
as long as we still spend on pitching, it is a no brainer with
numbers like that and no picks to give up.
also I would have tried to sign Franky Cordero with closer money to set up Mo
Agreed they likely won’t lose money on Alex’s contract. The thing that bothers me is that he will over swing and become tight approaching milestones. He will have a 6 million dollar carrot in front of him as he approaches them.
I REALLY wanted him back before the opt out.
Then when he opted out I was pissed as hell at him, but more so, upset that we just lost a great player.
When I heard the story of what happened and how he came back, I was less pissed at him for the opt out, and now I am just happy the Yanks have him in their lineup again.
First of all, I’m glad Alex is back, in general. The $275 million price tag seemed reasonable, all things considered.
But it’s a silly idea to give him these kinds of incentives; we all saw how much he crumbled as he was approaching home run No. 500. And it hurt the team in the process.
If you DO want to give him a bonus for breaking Bonds’ record, give him a one-time payout of $10 million for that alone and leave the rest of the incentives out of it. After all, who cares if he passes Willie Mays’ record? What does that prove these days?
Jennifer, So what has changed? Remember the 500 HR chase? With or without money dangling like a carrot, this boy has a tendency to put too much pressure on himself.
In my opinion it is generous of the Yankees to extend such a incentive. On the other hand Torre probably views it as an insult, he needs no incentive to blah, blah, blah.
Hope that 600 will be the knew 500 homeruns.I think A-Rod will have along time to beat those records and people will be rooting for A-Rod to beat BOnds.
Even without the historic-event clause, when he was sitting on 399 and 499 home runs, people thought every swing was an overswing. All Alex Rodriguez does—in some peoples minds—is press at the plate (while having one of the best offensive years of all time.) Now it sounds like the media are glad to have something fiscal to key in on when attacking A-Rod’s “pressing.”
If setting the record is it’s own reward, then the Yankees should give the extra revenue generated by the records being broken by a Yankee to charity. After all, it’s enough for the Yankees to be the team A-Rod breaks the record with, all that extra money they’ll earn from marketing, merchandise, publicity, etc. isn’t what baseball is about, right?
Get over it. It’s a non-guaranteed contract, something baseball has needed for a long time. Now people are going to rag on him for that? It’s a great compromise, a way for A-Rod to earn the potential that him and his agent say he’s worth, but without it being guaranteed.
A-Rod is the best bat in the game. The Yankees do not exist in the same financial system as the rest of baseball. You don’t “go in another direction” by letting A-Rod go, you pray you can find a way to close the gap on the lost production, and hope the rest of the league doesn’t pass you.
You blog comment, Peter, shows me the vitriol the media has for A-Rod. It feels like if this man were to come to the Yankees and say ”$15 million a year, 5 years,” the media would be harping on him for trying to buy popularity. Yes, the man desperately needs to win an World Series, but come on, this contract is a fantastic deal for both parties involved.
Baseball, and it’s fans, idolize the man, not the team. You don’t see much press at all for the ‘98 Yankees, but try finding someone who doesn’t know who Mickey Mantle is. Pop culture has been created around Joe DiMaggio. Babe Ruth is a symbol of America let alone baseball. People are forgetting the great sense of pride they’ll feel if and when A-Rod breaks the all-time home run record as a Yankee. To many, it will feel like he is bringing it home. And years from now, a player from this generation will be revered like the Ruths, and Mantles, and DiMaggios. And like them, he’ll be a Yankee.
Get over his “selfishness.” He came to the Yankees himself, to work out a deal, and he and the Yankees did. So the Yankee brass obviously sees the value. Baseball, and the Yankees, have both clearly shown they can afford this deal. They make enough money. Even if A-Rod doesn’t get this money, that doesn’t mean the money disappears. Someone is going to get it.
This contract is a gimmick contract – not a baseball contract. Leave it to Alex – the neediest athlete of all time – who bases his ‘worth’ on dollars instead of team wins.
We will be seeing Celebrity Baseball at the Stadium and 10 years of ARod/Cynthia and their ‘lifestyle’ all the time – is this what MLB wants?
There’s a line from a song about this – “woe to the athlete who thinks more of the money than of the game”.
Wonder what the rest of the Yankee players think of this fiasco?
To answer the question, No, I did not want ARod back.
Question to those who said they don’t want Alex back. Who would you have gotten to replace him at third? And if it is a trade who would you have traded to get him?
Question to those who said they don’t want Alex back. Who would you have gotten to replace him at third? And if it is a trade who would you have traded to get him?
Pete
Leave Underdog alone—he’s alright. Now that he is about to become a Yankee lifer, expect to see a lot more local charity from him, like he does in Miami.
I also think you will see a lot more of a goofy kind of guy, who makes fun of himself and is less uptight.
In terms of his contract, why should MLB and the Yankees get all of the $$$$ from the home run chase? He saw how much revenue MLB brought in during the Bonds chase, and the McGuire chase earlier this decade. Why can’t the player share in the $$$$? He probably will donate most of it the charity—you heard it here first. It’s the principle, not the $$$$.
I guess whenever we talk about ARod, we’ll have to rhyme like Underdog.
“I opted out, and now I’m back”
“Just so NY can talk smack.”
you are right about the HR record being its own prize and not the money. Interesting that the team that is all about championships went this way. It’s not only the “Arod” way of “me and 24” and “my stats before our rings”, but it could backfire on other players negotiations too. It’s going to be a distraction
Yankee fan in Boston:
Thanks for the laugh. Yeah, it’s a “non-guaranteed” contract—except for the $27.5 million a year for 10 years.
Beyond that, he’s free to make all the endorsement deals he wants on the side.
It accomplishes the Yankees not having to use good prospects to get another 3rd baseman and righthanded power bat.
My jury is still out on him until he shows that he’s more ring conscious than stat conscious. Hopefully he matured enough through all of it to know the difference.
Chofo – I agree with you – it’s going to be a nightmare. The Yankee organization is big enough to field a player for each position without these ridiculous contracts. Interesting that as this money craze has taken over the Yankees, their record – year by year – is getting worse.
Alex is an asset to any team.I will personally be impressed when he stops freezing up in postseason.If that happens evens if the Yankees lose,he will be ok in my book.I’m looking for his postseason to explode.The best player in the game should compete the entire baseball season.
With a new mgr and a different in game play ,hopefully it will bring out the best in all of the players next season.
When the bats are silent,maybe some small ball to manufacture some runs for a change.
I am extremely worried about the clause backfiring.
Such a clause furthers the notion that this team is about A-Rod.
It’s not.
Serico’s $10M 1-timer for breaking the record makes more sense than much else I’ve seen, but compared to Schilling’s weigh-in bonuses and some of the other creativity/insanity in baseball contracts the A-Rod contract makes loads of sense and could have been a LOT more complicated (and may still prove to be so).
All the ‘selfishness’ comments about A-Rod will disappear into the hazy fog of nostalgia in a couple of decades. Imagine how Ruth would be treated in this environment without the protection he got from the baseball writers during his career.
Just enjoy watching him for the next 10 years.
As someone chillin’ here in Iowa (literally), I’ve been a Yankee fan for longer than I’d care to admit. I watch most of the Yankee games on DirecTV and the one guy I looked forward to the most coming to the plate to hit was ARod.
I was very happy when news broke of Alex changing course and coming back to the Yanks.
As for the incentives in the contract, who the hell cares? Alex will have so much money at that point, some extra millions will not be on his mind when and if he approaches the milestones. And that scenario is what, like 5 years in the future? Who knows what could happen between now and then.
Anyway, I’ve got other, more pertinent things on my mind concerning the Yanks, like whether Andy will come back, and acquiring an ace for the staff (Johan, Bedard, Kazmir, Haren…) without getting robbed.
c’mon, not only are the yankees getting the best bat in the game back without giving up anything, they’ll probably paying sub-market prices for it too. With inflation factored in, A-Rod’s contract is worth less than his deal with Texas in 2001, especially with deals like Torii Hunter’s 5/$90 showing that the small payroll increases in 2003 & 2004 were aberrations.
The Yankees will be generating a significant amount of revenue when he chases Bonds’ records—one could argue that that should be factored into his contract in the later years, when his production likely won’t match his contract, but to say that that kind of inducement puts records over the team is ridiculous. The Yankees have put plenty of incentive clauses into contracts, and I don’t recall Clemens’ chase for 300 wins or 4,000 strikeouts having a deleterious effect on the team.
A-Rod hit pretty well when he was stuck on 499HRs, including, if I remember correctly, a game-winning double. It just took him 7-8 games to hit 500. And I’m very excitedly looking forward to A-Rod’s 763rd HR in the Bronx, sometime in the next decade…
Are there any other incentives in Alex’s contract? i.e Mvp etc?
How about incentives for actually producing runs in the post-season?
I was looking forward to a cohesive team that would produce championships—not just impressive regular-season stats—post A-Rod. The Yankees again will be a team of 1 and 24. I suppose he will help generate tens of millions in revenue. Let’s hope he can also contribute to playoff victories.
Bryan C,
A-Rod had two hits in game 4 vs. Cleveland, a single and a solo homerun. I can’t imagine the pressure then being any greater.
Anyone remember Winfield’s 1 for 22 in the 1981 World Series?
go back to vacation Pete, come back when you got soemthing to say.
So there may be an official announcement for A-Rod’s contract this week. I assume an this will result in A-Rod taking the 40th and final roster spot. This leaves Cashman needing to move some excess pitching to make room for Molina, Posada, Rivera, and maybe Pettite. Next week should be a big one for trade rumors.
1. It’s only money, which NYY can afford to expend—no farmhands or draft picks are lost.
2. What does it matter if he’s selfish and gauche as long as his skill level is such that he brings loads of hits, RBI’s, runs, HR’s, etc.? Greatest hitter in the game at present, and will probably remain great for at least several years to come.
3. His fielding, though not great, is not bad enough to make him a detriment in the infield.
So what’s not to like? While I was certainly not heartbroken when he opted out, in view of the lack of good replacement options I was relieved on a practical level when he opted back in.
well, i was on the fence about the A-Rod contract, but now that Annie Savoy has come out against it, i am positive it will be a success.
Jennifer-
There are no such incentive clauses in this contract, the ones before were from the previous contract with Texas, the Yankees as a rule never include any incentive clauses, except for Joe Torre.
also, Alex has been, to this point in his career, the most prolific HR hitter in the history of the game.
all of a sudden, b/c it took him 2 weeks to hit #500, that this contract is going to start him pressing 6-7 years in advance of the record?
I am happy he’s back. I have no problem with the incentive clauses, or whatever they are called. I hope that by 660 Alex takes to heart the thing he said after he hit 500: “I learned you can’t will yourself to hit a homerun.” I have confidence that this new contract will allow Alex to relax and be the great hitter he can be.
Did I mention I got these great new glasses this weekend? They have pinkish lenses.
Hey Pete,
Some dirty swine is posting with my name (Whatever) using a small case w. Banish this scum to Siberia. Or maybe Boston.
Buddy that is what I thought, I was just checking. And I’m sure Alex is highly offeneded and insulted by the incentives in his current contract.
im glad they kept him—who could replace all of those runs/rbis? plus, now they wont trade for miguel cabrera which means there is a better chance of keeping melky- who will one day be in the hall of fame (just watch)
I’m still overjoyed about that Zumaya injury. It shows prayers can be answered sometimes. Let’s hope the same fortune befalls upon Papelbon in the very near future.
you pray for people to get injured? classy.
Why was the story that Boras didn’t get what he wanted? Look at the both of them now, sitting on a contract worth 305 million for ten years. Sounds like that’s just what they were aiming for. The Yanks are the fools in this picture. 27.5 million a year is more than enough. A-Rod and Boras met their goal and somehow spinned it like they were humiliated.
Ultimately both sides got what they wanted.
what i like is the total uncertainty of the future. it’s our blind-side, always surprising us.
who can say what $27.5 million per year will look like 5 or 10 years down the line? Inflation and increased baseball revenues may make it look like a bargain, a paltry sum. Depression and contraction would make it look like the dumbest financial move in sports history.
remember mediocre 4.50 era pitchers are commanding 10 million per year now. #1 starters are probably in the $18-25 million range.
things change.
I think the $27.5 million per year IS because of the potential to break the records. ARod’s “bonus” for that is built in, and sorry to say, the Yankees are just getting tricked with this extra $6M.
You think anyone would sign ARod for $27.5M a year for the last 4 years of this deal, when he’s 39-42 years old?
No way. The reason he’s getting that much is BECAUSE of the record.
Or put another way – say ARod signed a 5 year contract (rightfully, for ~$150M) and hits 200 HR over the next 5 years. He’s a FA again at age 38 or whatever, but his performance has decreased (as expected), and to keep the stats simple, say he’s expected to go .280/30/100. Is that a $28M player? Even with inflation, no.
Would he get a, say, 4 year, $100M contract? Yes, probably, but it’s because of the record.
That 10 year, $275M deal already has the record stuff built in. I think the Yankees really got hosed on this one.
hmmm some people are just really idiotic and classless.
“It’s not only the “Arod†way of “me and 24″ and “my stats before our ringsâ€, but it could backfire on other players negotiations too. It’s going to be a distraction”
really? what other player’s contract could this possibly impact? please give an example.
Jeter, if he got close to 4200 hits maybe? maybe.
the whole point is that the yankees can’t reward players for “regular” statistical achievements. they cannot incent players for world series wins. this is a highly unique situation that is extremely unlikely to set any sort of precedent with other players.
An EMPHATIC yes.
“The Yanks are the fools in this picture. 27.5 million a year is more than enough.”
except that the yankees got to sign a-rod to play for them.
how are they fools? they signed the best player in the game. everybody wins.
also, if A-Rod breaks the HR record, the yankees and all of their fans should be THRILLED. this is a GOOD outcome of the contract and an outcome that everyone should be happy about.
who cares that he’ll get a bonus?
this perception that the yankees will regret paying more money if A-Rod hits lots of HRs is counter-intuitive and kindof simplistic.
too many fans just wanted a-rod to be “punished” for opting out, and b/c he still wound up with a fair contract they think the yankees “lost” somehow.
that’s not how it works. they negotiated a deal both sides were happy with.
who cares if you think Boras “won”?
in 6 months, none of this will matter.
This is difficult to assess.
I think the Yankees are better with A-Rod, but these HR incentives are absurd. Couldn’t he have just gotten a percentage of the marketing and merchandise?
This places more emphasis on his milestones than it does the team’s success and that is the only issue I have with his return.
If anyone is concerned about money, A-Rod generates more revenue than any other Yankee, so this contract probably costs the Yankees less than any other player’s contract.
I definitely would have been happier if A-fraud had signed elsewhere. I could not have cared less if the Yanks sucked without him; he just rubs me the wrong way and I wish he was on another team. I know I’m in the minority on this one, but fu^k you stray-rod.
Than you aren’t a Yankee fan if you couldn’t care if the Yankees stunk without him.
“This places more emphasis on his milestones than it does the team’s success and that is the only issue I have with his return.”
you are not allowed to tie any compensation to team success. it’s against the rules.
and yes, winning the WS is by far the most important goal.
but let’s not pretend that the HR record is NOT special. it’s probably the most revered record in all of sports.
look at the way the entire world stopped and cheered in reverance to Ripken when he broke the consecutive games record. it was voted the greatest baseball moment of last century. for the consecutive games record. for a player on a terrible team, everyone stopped and watched the guy take a victory lap…i also remember ESPN cutting in for every single at-bat by MacGwire in 1998 as he got to #62. the march to Clemens’ 300th win was a big production as well.
this idea that A-Rod is now the only guy who thinks individual records are important is just more anti-ARod bias.
i am a yankee fan and i can fully admit that i WANT Alex to take the HR record back from Bonds. i want the Yankees to win the WS every year, but why can’t i root for BOTH things?
why shouldn’t yankee fans want a yankee to own the HR record?
Praying for an injury? Happy Holidays…
Idiot Yankees fans that say stuff like that are starting to sound the way Red Sox fans sounded after 86 years of waiting for a World Series.
What was it—2002, or 2003 (?) when Jeter busted up his shoulder sliding in at 3B on opening day against TOR? I, living in Maine, had all my Sox friends calling and saying their prayers were answered…
Classless, classless people…
Wishing fo injury… C’mon, you are a Yankees fan… Don’t sound so desperate!
Except we’ve been waiting seven…
“I could not have cared less if the Yanks sucked without him; he just rubs me the wrong way and I wish he was on another team.”
so then go root for the Mets. A-Rod is not on the Mets and you obviously don’t care if your teams sucks or not.
Oh! Santana don’t you cry for me;
I come from Alabama,
and a Yankee you will be
I had a dream the other night,
When everything was still;
I thought I saw Santana dear,
A-coming from the hill.
The pitchers mitt was in his hand,
A tear was in his eye,
Said I, Rivera’s coming from the south,
Santana don’t you cry.
Oh! Santana, don’t you cry for me;
I come from Alabama,
and a Yankee you will be.
yes, we want him back. now, let’s get some pitching, move on, and begin the season.
yes, we want him back. now, let’s get some pitching, move on, and begin the season.
I definitely would have been happier if A-fraud had signed elsewhere. I could not have cared less if the Yanks sucked without him; he just rubs me the wrong way and I wish he was on another team. I know I’m in the minority on this one, but fu^k you stray-rod.
You know what rubs me the wrong way? A captain who will defend an admitted PED user but not a teammate who is being unfairly attacked by the media, the fans, and the Sox. The same captain who is not a good defensive SS, but has not offered to vacate the position for the good of the team.
But I still support that captain because he is a good player who is on the team I root for.
The milestone part of the contract I have no problem with whatsoever. Do you all really think that just because he may get to share in the revenue that when he “pops up to second base and be accused of over-swinging” that it makes a difference. Correct me if I am wrong but there was no milestone contract in place this year as he went for 500 and people wrote that anyway.
Also why shouldnt someone who has worked hard and is breaking longstanding records and milestones share in the wealth that not only the Yankees will make but that the MLB PLayers Association makes (they own the rights by the way.
Hopefully by the time Alex comes near these records he will have some ring/s and this wont even seem to matter.
There is no way the yankees can NOT make this deal…They have the money (it wont effect our future decisions), He is the best player of the reguler season in the game (which has gotten us to the post season on both his mvp years) and plays a gold glove level 3rd base with a gun for an arm, will draw a ton of revenue for the Yankees and it costs us nothing in terms of young players to resign him.
Fact is he earns the Yankees more than they give to him and right handed bat at 3rd base in the 4th hole is exactly what this team needs.
YES
He may have an immature personality, but his talent and desire are beyond doubt. Perhaps now he can grow into his talent and be a leader.
He has the chance to be the cornerstone of championship teams, Yankee teams. The best player on the best team. The way it is meant to be.
ALL contracts are paid from team revenue, and team revenue cannot be categorized in a ratio based on the accomplishment(s) of individual player(s). So the spin that was being promulageted re: ARod sharing in some mysterious “marketing” windfall is total poppycock. Now that the details of his contract are coming out, it is clear that ARod is simply receiving a performance bonus for his individual accomplishments. Also, it appears that none of the extra “incentive” (what a joke!) is tied to post-season success.
The Yankees an ARod deserve each other. They are both striking unseemly, Faustian bargains. They are both engaging in “Big Lie” PR, trying to make it seem as though everyone is a good guy. Ironically, the Faust story involves only one devil. This arrangement is even better – Hank and Arod both get to be Satan.
In addition for every World Championship won by the team he get`s a nice piece of pocket money
Absolutly need him back…You cannot replace him.Im not a fan of his negotiating tactics..Or his fake persona…But in the end it comes down to his production….The money means nothing to me..Its business…They wouldn’t spend it if they weren’t making it..Period.
He would hae left to big a hole in our lineup…They made the right move.
My thoughts are exactly the same as Dave. I was very mad about the opt-out. I didn’t really want him back, nor did I think it was possible. But when I found out how he came back (sans Boras), I was happy about it.
I think the incentive thing is just a way to pay him more without really paying him more. Kind of like the Schilling thing, but without being shady. Basically saying, “if you stay healthy, you’ll get paid more.” So I’m kind of ok with the incentive thing.
When Arod opted out I did not want him back. I knew his production would leave a big hole but I felt there would be some positives. But in the period between leaving and coming back I realized that replacing him with a quality player would cost way to much and that Lowell was not that guy. I still find Arod an annoying person who ends to many innings, leaves guys on base and makes a show of running halfway to the rightfield wall when running out one of his grounders. The Yanks have to get smart in using their tools next year. Matsui had consistently been able to move runners. He had not been very good at lead off. Yet following Arod he comes up either after Arod has cleared the bases or as leadoff after Arod ended the previous inning. I don’t like Arod but I’m glad he’s back.
I’m of the opinion that players like Giambi and Arod detract from the team and as a result bring more difficulty then solutions. However, I’m often wrong and I don’t understand the dynamics of our society. You could make a fortune off me as a one person focus group; if I don’t like it, then it will be the biggest hit in our popular culture.
Check out waswatching.com and scroll down and read
Mark Melancon – A Year After Tommy John
We have alot of pitchers who sound promising!
I’m all over the map with the A-rod thing. Wanted his bat, but not him. Then was really happy when the Yankees said, “That ship has sailed”. Surprisingly happy that he “begged” to come back. Now, I’m in wait and see mode while I dream of all the homeruns Alex will be paid for.
So, I voted for the last choice because it was a good one, Pete.
Without ARod this team is not a postseason team in 2008. He was the one guy they could not lose.
I’m glad he’s back.
BTW, Pete, thanks for the new thread. Didn’t even want to read the last one because I know that a lot of people wanted to give away Hughes and Cano.
I’m glad Arod is coming back. It’s a win-win all around.
I think it shows that he was willing to make a long-term commitment to a team after having spent his career being a journeyman and it will clearly make a transformational difference. He has mentioned many times that he covets a championship beyond any of his personal milestones. I believe him when he says that because he knows he will never attain true greatness until he does. I believe he will win a championship in NY eventually and that will drive him to improve his post-season performance.
Why shouldn’t he share in the financial windfall that the Yankees and MLB stand to gain from his chasing the home run record? Let’s not forget how much it will mean this time around since everyone wants Barry Bonds to be but a faint memory as soon as possible.
Pete, sometimes I wonder why you are such a neg…
Seeing A-Rod play this year made everyone realize he is on a different level than Pujols.
The only player who may have Alex’s ability and chance to break his records is Cabrera. Then when you realize that Cabrera has major weight problems and is only 24, it makes you wonder how his body will hold up when he is 28-30. Never mind his defense.
A-Rod is a freak who will go down as one of the three greatest players of all time.
whoa,
You forgot to mention tax evasion. Jeez. Last I heard, Jeter was still a good guy.
I say we take it one year (month?, series? game?) at a time. Alex is not going to hit #600 or #662 next year so why worry about it. Let’s work on trying to close out the old stadium in style with a championship ring.
Pete to answer your question I don’t think the incentives will hurt Alex as much as you think, I think he wants a WS ring more than anything else right now.
“I still find Arod an annoying person who ends to many innings, leaves guys on base and makes a show of running halfway to the rightfield wall when running out one of his grounders.”
i have no problem with you calling A-Rod an annoying person, since that is your opinion, but i challenge you to support the rest of your claims. please, i’d love to see the evidence. i’m looking for facts, not your “gut feeling” based on a few random memories.
i’ll go first:
A-Rod with 0 out: .321/.395/594
A-Rod with 1 out: .305/.386/.571
A-Rod with 2 out: .293/.386/.570
2007 with 2 outs: .304/.410/.727
yeah, he ends too many innings. what a scrub.
A-Rod with no men on base: .300/.381/.565
A-Rod with men on base: .313/.398/.593
2007 with men on base: .329/.443/.719
yeah, he always leaves men on base. he’s terrible.
YankeesDiva,
The only drawback with the incremental bonuses is that Alex sometimes got a “little” tight when he was trying to get #500. Can you imagine #600 & #700? Ay yay yay! He might need a 10 year extension on top of the 10 year contract!
Yes, I’m happy the best player in baseball is back. And as I understand it, his salary is being paid by folks who can well afford it.
Another year of playa hatin’. Though it’s only November, so I guess this still counts as part of last year’s Resentment Born of Envy supply.
But its hard to tell sometimes if he is struggling because of an accomplishment or because he is a streaking homerun hitter. He went 12 games without a home run (end of April beginning of May) and there was no milestone at stake. He only went 7 games without a homerun for the milestone (and only had one game with more than 1 SO during that time frame).
“The only drawback with the incremental bonuses is that Alex sometimes got a “little†tight when he was trying to get #500. ”
he went 27 ABs without a HR.
by reading this thread you’d think it took him a month to do it.
wouldn’t it be nice if all player incentives were based on team achievements?
YankeeDiva,
You may be right about that. I know he had some horrible at-bats in 2006, but made the adjustments in ‘07. but that brings up another peeve of mine, which is sometimes we just needed a hit to drive in a run and it seemed like Alex was going for the whole enchilada and the desired result (rbi) was not achieved.
Wanted him back, and believed he would do a Bernie and come back saying he wanted to be a Yankee. Glad it worked out that way.
Hmmmm
To give a more complete picture of Arod one might include his stats for the postseason in recent years. Before everyone starts yelling “troll” I am only reiterating the point made by dozens of fans on here when Arod first decided to opt out.
hmmm,
Only 27 ABs? It seemed longer. Alex himself admitted that the whole ordeal was a little overwhelming. I know the team was relieved. Personally, it’d be a monkey on my back for sure.
With merchandising and marketing, let’s hope that more shirts are sold with #13 and other numbers without names on the back. The Yankees have never had names on the back of uniform shirts. Yankee fans don’t need names to know who the players are.
Oh, Pete, you are too funny:
“I’m not fooled by your lame attempt to create content during your vacation.”
But seriously, I was ready to let him go when he opted out. I felt betrayed because he kept saying how much he liked New York and then I was hoodwinked when he opted out.
That being said, I forgave him when he went to the Steinbrenners on his own and showed he wanted to stay a Yankee. I am all about those who WANT to be a Yankee, so I can forgive him, plus, we really do need his production.
I am only afraid how things will be between him and Jeter. I was looking forward to Jeter reclaiming his team, but now he is going to have to get used to it. Also, I think have new manger Girardi will shake things up and hopefully their attitudes. I look forward to them acting like a team.
Does he care more about the money once he passes Bonds or is he happier to have his name in Cooperstown as an immortal? Only A-Rod really knows the answer to that. If it were me, (I’m sure alot of you aswell) I’d care far more about the records. Especially when I already have $500,000,000+ already in the bank. I can’t possible spend it all in my lifetime but why not have my signature on something that could possibly last forever? So why not maximize my profitability? This is a business run by a multi-billion dollar entity (MLB).
I think A-Rod probably thinks along these same lines. He is afterall just human, right?
Did I want A-Rod back? In the moment, no. Do I like A-Rod? No. Do I see where we needed a right-handed 3rd baseman with a powerful bat? Absolutely. After all the hysteria about finding someone – anyone to replace his bat I came to terms with A-Rod being back. I still don’t like it; I don’t like the 10 years or this incentive laden contract. Going around the rules – which I thought was a Yankee gig of the past along with overpaying players – doesn’t sit real well either. Having read Little Stein’s piece – well, I don’t think he was showing us who he really is but he didn’t think his father deserved to be banned either. Cashman knows the Yankees need a big #1 – the young pitchers can be terrific but they still have inning limits, etc. We don’t know if Andy will be back and even if he is (and since he’s a fav of mine, I hope he will be), we still need a real #1 who will be around for a while. It will pain me greatly to see Robbie go but the truth is we don’t know how any of the 3 young pitchers will play out. We haven’t seen Joba as a starter, Kennedy at 21 had a stiff back, and Hughes is a good #2 but great is yet to be determined. Girardi has a relationship with Dontrelle but I believe he should stay in the NL because he can really hit. Having said that and knowing his numbers were down I don’t think that would be a stopper for anyone. The way the GM meetings went this year – with each GM stating their needs Cashman (and the rest) know what MN needs to get Santana and what FL needs to get Willis. We don’t know all of this but everyone in that room does. So, while I dislike a lot about A-Rod, we needed him and while I don’t want to give up the kids this is where we have to trust (even tough to write) the Brass.
Love him or hate him, Alex is coming back. Now, can we move on?
Pete,
I was furious with ARod when he opted out. I’m a season ticket holder that never once booed even when I was exasperated with him.I believed him when he said he loved being in New York. Once he opted out, I was as angry towards him as anyone on this blog.
He did the right thing by seeking counsel from others besides Boras. His willingness to discuss his future with the Yankees without Boras being present sold me that he honestly wanted to come back. He was obviously unhappy with the way his agent had handled the situation.
It doesn’t hurt that he’s the best player in the game.But count my vote as a “Yes”. I’m very glad he’s back.
A ten year contract is too long. But the structure of the contract doesn’t bother me. In ‘08 he’ll make $27mil, basically the same money he would have made if he hadn’t opted out.If/when he collects the bonuses the Yankees and all of baseball will have made money merchandising the accomplishments. The bonuses could pay for themselves.
“Only 27 ABs? It seemed longer. ”
he walked 7-8 times in that span too.
Yep, I’m thrilled to have back a me-first player and settle in for 10 years of New York A-Rod-And-24-Other-Guys baseball.
I was upset that ARod opted out in the manner he did; I really didn’t know what to expect – I had hoped he would not opt out but figured he would, but also figured he’d talk to the Yankees first. I, too, believed him when he said he was finally comfortable in New York, and for me, it wasn’t the words, it was when the camera caught him with his teammates; it was that crazy arm thing the bullpen did toward the end of the season when ARod hit a homerun—those intangible things that lets a player know he is “one of the guys.” I thought this was the year ARod became one of the guys. So, the opt-out hurt.
I was very happy about the turn of events that brought ARod back, because I did not want the Yankees to back down and they did not. ARod came back in a way that allowed everyone to come out of the situation looking a little better. After the week or two of blog-discussions on how the Yankees could solve their third base/cleanup spot crisis, I knew that Alex Rodriguez was the only viable solution.
And now the Yankees, instead of having to have spent players to secure a new third baseman, have players they can choose to use to trade for Santana – or not – or someone else – or not. They have a lot more flexibility than if they did not have ARod.
As far as the money goes, money in sports is a non-issue to me. It is so far in the stratosphere as to seem, literally, unreal. So many, too many, players make more money than they could ever spend in two lifetimes, and most of them are mediocre at best. At least ARod is widely acknowledged as being the best at what he does. It is a creative contract, in my mind, and the Yankees only have to pay the incentive money if ARod does break those various records. Of course, as a Yankee fan, I certainly hope he does, and I’m sure every other Yankee fan does, as well. And I am all for the guy who is actually the one hitting the ball to share in whatever money the team stands to make from those endeavors. And let’s not forget, this is ARod saying he will be available to the Yankees at whatever time they want to use those momentous events to create more revenue. Say, 10 years after he breaks Bonds’ record, the Yankees have an event at the stadium. Well, Alex has agreed he will be there. That’s part of the deal.
Listen, no sports figure is actually worth the millions upon millions they are paid. But the sport generates so much money, just as movies do, and Broadway, and other entertainment venues. This is what Americans, and other world citizens, are willing to spend their “extra” cash on. I wish it were different; I wish teachers, and elder care workers and other such people could make a better share of the money pie, but that’s not going to happen. So I don’t begrudge Alex his money.
By the way, MLB and the Players Union had to approve of the structure of the contract, so I’d bet that they went through a couple of permutations of how to compensate Alex before the final version was set.
Simply put AROD is the best overall player in the game today. I would have been happier with an eight-year contract vice ten but that what he wanted. All of this talk about “Historic Event” is a bit ridiculous but we will make so much money during the times that he approaches these Historic Home Runs so I guess it doesn’t really bother me that much. I say as long as we WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS that’s all that matters! Let start with Championship #27 in 2008!
I was puzzled when A-Rod opted out. However, I along thought it was Boras making and did not criticise A-Rod on this blog. The reason I was puzzled: I thought and still believe he was sincere when he said he loved NY and wanted to come back. After the first mis-step of opting out he handled the situation well and came back. So, I believe he was sincere about NY.
Regarding the money who cares? Do the actors deserve $25 mil for a movie? When the revenues are generated, the performers, whether it be actors or sportmen, they get paid accordingly.
Beleive me, if beacuse of Pete Journal makes lot of money, he will get paid too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am gald A-Rod is back. I am not conerned about any thing else other than how Jeter feels. Given his comments after A-Rod opted out, it is interesting to see how Jeter handles himself. When Jeter’s time comes for his contract renewal it is poing to be ugly. Jeter will not be same player by then and he will not be offered even close to what he is making now.
Why would any Yankee fan want this guy back? Use up so much salary and years on a “I come first” lousy fellow? All right, he has great stats, he’s a “great” hitter. Why is it then, I would rather see Ortiz or Manny up in a crucial situation?
Probably because A-rod always looks like he’s posing or self-conscious when he’s at bat. Those other guys just look like they’re trying to hit the ball.
I don’t like the guy. I would have spent the money more wisely….
Thousands of people in this country don’t have health insurance and these guys bicker over millions to play a game – things are really out of whack.
can i say a and d??
Those incentive clauses are kind of odd. If he can’t surpass those home run totals over the next ten seasons, then why would the Yankees want him over those ten seasons?
250 home runs in 10 years would only average out to 25 home runs a year, and that is definitely not worth 27.5 million a year. That’s more than a million a home run…
Worrying about A-Rod’s bonus clauses is a little premature. Unless A-Rod goes on an amazing tear, the likelihood of any of those clauses kicking in before 2010 is slim so for now I choose to just enjoy watching him play.
If you’re worried about this now, just think of all the Yankee worrying you might not give your full effort to in the next 3 years or so. He might just fool some of you and you might actually start to appreciate him. If not, you will have the better part of 10 years to point out his shortcomings and complain about the contract. Pace yourselves people, you wouldn’t want to run out of material only a few months or years into the ride.
hmmm
“well, i was on the fence about the A-Rod contract, but now that Annie Savoy has come out against it, i am positive it will be a success.”
Priceless. Thanks for the laugh.
It’s fine, somebod is going to get that money, they aren’t going to lower ticket prices is A-rod doesn’t make the deal. Either A-rod or the Steinbrenners get the money, it’s not as if the Yanks can’t sign the other people they want.
The Yankees are A-Rod’s team for the next 10 years. His face will be the Yankees’ face. This team is no longer Jeter’s. Anyone cares? How this contract will affect Derek Jeter? I wanted him back but a caveat “be careful what we wish for, we might get it”
We could be on the verge of getting on of the best picthers in the game, and we are talking about Arod. Come on. Next
“This team is no longer Jeter’s. Anyone cares? How this contract will affect Derek Jeter?”
No. If Derek Jeter’s play is affected by another players contact, he isn’t the team player that many of us give him credit for being. I’m more interested in the arms that define this team and not the face.
Good point pat, this is Jete’s team, I don’t care about the contracts, the Yanks have always had multiple stars.
This team will not be Alex’s. He’s not a natural leader.
BTW. Voting is still going on, click the link and vote for Joba to be the Next.
http://www.espn.go.com/mag/?lpos=spotlight&lid=tab6pos1
Watch his video clip. He’s got two zingers about the Rocket and Alex. Fynny stuff. Try to ignore the hot pink in his poster and the animal print pillows. lol.
I can still be a Yankee fan even though I strongly dislike A-Rod. I was looking forward to some Yankee suckiness. Maybe I’m just a negative dude but I would rather suck without A-rod than win with him.
dontfirecash,
Catch the BCS rankings today? 1 more game to go.
I love AROD as a player, but I’m not looking forward to the next 10 years of Yankee baseball being boiled down to a contrived AROD based soap opera by the media. It’s tedious and has been for a long time.
I didn’t want A-Rod back after he opted out, but now he is back i’m glad he is, if that makes sense. With A-Rod back the Yankees look like a good team again.
Jeter isn’t a leader either.
I have been ambivalent about Alex from day one. I am not convinced that he is not a liability to the team. I would rather have had a weaker team this year and work on rebuilding than to have him back. My only hope is that Girardi will have a way of managing him that will help him to be more of team player and be less anxious about his individual performance in the postseason (unlikely given the parameters of the contract).
How is A-Rod not a team player? He contributes to more wins than virtually any player in MLB. It’s not like basketball, where a player can be a ball hog.
Without using a calculator, I estimate that 2018 is the first year I can reasonably expect to see my team without Alex. Right now, that seems like a very long time.
Since I’d like the Yanks to win- Yep, I really wanted him back.
when a-rod opted out,he is such a money guy $_$.Yep,he is a great player in baseball
,however he is seems like an idiot to handle his daily life such as,his contract(how to talk with boss he want to increase salary,and which is the best timing to announced opt out.)His big contract seems almost done,hopfully,he can play well in the next ten year.
To YankeefaninBoston:
The point about the individual overriding the team accomplishments is dead on!
No one remembers the 1998 Yankees (the greatest team accomplishment in the history of the game)over the steroid-driven HR race between McGwire and Sosa that same year.
Say what you want, but another Boras client got his money. The only reason there isn’t a bigger deal made of a contract this enormous is because of Boras’ prior antics. He made $300M seem to be a ‘bargain’ or ‘discount’ compared to that $350M imaginary starting point. Noone involved lost on this one.
There are 2 reasons why the Yanks made the right move.
First, his so-called ‘subpar’ year in 2006 is still better than the year that possible replacement from Florida just put up. And the team does not give up any of the jewels from the farm.
And secondly, if there was no ARod, the Yanks would not have announced they were cutting ticket prices. Ticket prices go up every year. Why not have the best player in the game on the team if you’re paying to have the best team anyway?
ARod won everything he wanted. First, the guy shows complete disrespect for Yankee management by refusing to return calls…..Secondly, he wants 10 years, but Yankee management absolutely refuses….He wants about $300 million, and again Steinbrenner refuses…..Bottom line: Yanks cave in and “forgive” him. They cave and give him 10 years, and now will give him ridiculous bonuses to give him the money HE wants….He will probably set a new HR record. Maybe he’ll also set a new strike out record as well…This guy cannot play under pressure, that’s why he has hit so poorly in post season since game #4, in 2004.
boiled down to this. what would mantle have made signing contracts at the same same age and same time. today in this day and age, what kind of money does the mick get?
Will someone PLEASE tell me what Alex has done that is so wrong?
Does he not give 100% every time he walks out on the field? Does he play like he doesn’t care about winning? Has he not made sacrafices to be on this team? (giving up ss, acknowledging he made a poor decision). Has he not put up with the worst the fans and media have to dish out (06) and come back stronger. Has he not shown that he is a TEAM player by helping out the young kids when needed? Name one person on the Yankees team that has had complaints about A-Rod as a person/teammate? So he isn’t BFFs with Jeter anymore, is that REALLY a big deal, they get along well enough to play the field and joke together in the dugout.
So what if he believes he is the best player in the game (although I have never heard him say that)....if EVERYONE around you is telling you that you are, eventually you’re going to start believing it. Does it really hurt to have Alex have that extra confidence? So what if he thinks he’s nice looking and smart…....what does that have to do with playing baseball?
I agree that opting out was not a smart idea, and Alex realized it as well and took steps to correct the error. But I have to ask is opting out REALLY the worst thing that he’s done? Yeah it wasn’t great for Boras to announce it during the WS but let’s face it how many people actually found out about it during the game? Not many considering how low the ratings were.
Most of the ‘trouble/drama’ that is mentioned with Alex is MEDIA caused (sorry Pete) but its true. How many press conferences has Alex had to complain about something? How many times has he bashed teammates, managers in the press? How many times has he called meetings to discuss how wonderful he is?
Let’s get real the only REAL problem that most people can have with Alex is that he makes the most money. Many are so jealous of it that they allow it to be a bias in rooting for him and the team. We are watching one of the best players (yeah I said it
) play the game and we should be enjoying it but instead we have to read one negative article after another…......which unforutnately takes away from the game.
Would rather have him go to Boston & hurt their chances then
stay here & bury us with his playoff stats. 10 years of this guys act will be tough to swallow. New stadium banner
THE N.Y. YANKEES: A-ROD & 24 other guys. UGH!!
When your a Yankee October is what matters and Arod has been nothing but lame when it comes to the playoffs. I dont know if i can handle that for the next 10 years.
The law of averages will see A-Rod come out of his postseason failures.
Many players have slumped in postseason play and went on to overcome it. With his talent, a few key hits leading to victory will change his confidence level.
“This guy cannot play under pressure, that’s why he has hit so poorly in post season since game #4, in 20004”
__
Sorry but when you pinpoint a specific time and game, you are doing nothing but playing with statistics.
Arod is the best player on the planet.. hell yes i am happy that he is back in pinstripes..
Ugggh no one is answering my question….is it because there really isn’t a logical answer?
Every single Yankee fan will be telling their grandkids they saw Alex Rodriguez play in a Yankee uniform. Its the money. It always has been ever since he left Seattle. Here is the best player most of us have seen in a Yankee uniform, yet some whould rather have him in a Red Sox uniform? I suppose those same people booed loudly 54 times this past year. ARod may not have been the best performer in October since 2004, but who has? Bias aside, it may be more than just wishful thinking the Yanks win it all at least once in the next decade. The same can be said he won’t be as bad in October in that time. That’s how baseball works and how numbers come around.
When you tell your grandchildren you saw ARod, and argue at a nursing home the left side of the infield may be the best ever with Jeter, don’t forget to mention the biggest bust played first base in that infield and made about as much as money as ARod and Jeter. In telling how bad of a bust that firstbaseman was, don’t forget to mention how he handcuffed consecutiive offseason plans while under contract (which effectively may have helped Bernie Williams retire), was the face of steroids and couldn’t even play the position he was signed to play. Then explain to those grandchildren why you didn’t give Jason Giambi the same criticism you gave the best player of your era.
Leave it to the Yankees to come with something uglier than Barry Bonds last season. Peter mentioned how the incentives could backfire when ARod pops up when he doesn’t try for the needed line drive. That’s one of countless situations in the beautiful game of baseball when any batter should try to do something other than swing for the seats. It will be sad to watch an aging ARod in a few years trying only to hit home runs. Logically, he’ll also want to be DHed as soon as possible; playing defense doesn’t help break home run records. It’s truly sad that the block-headed Yankee management didn’t realize that.
RE: Jim in CT’s comment, “All the ’selfishness’ comments about A-Rod will disappear into the hazy fog of nostalgia in a couple of decades. Imagine how Ruth would be treated in this environment without the protection he got from the baseball writers during his career”:
I know this is a Yankee fan blog, but…nostalgia for this Mariner fan will be pretty unlikely. ARod, more and more, is reminding me of Roger Dorn.
Joel Sherman of the Post agrees with me:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/11272007/sports/yankees/a_mistake_516150.htm
Those bonus payments will be a bad idea, just watch.
Not a good deal for a player who can not hit in the playoffs and getting older.
Just tooooooo much $$$$$.