[StethyEntinic]

Sunday, October 28, 2007
Rodriguez opts out of $252 million, 10-year contract with Yankees
Associated Press

DENVER -- Alex Rodriguez opted out of his $252 million, 10-year contract with the Yankees on Sunday in what appears to be the end of his tumultuous career with New York.

Rodriguez's decision, announced by agent Scott Boras as the rival Boston Red Sox completed their World Series sweep of Colorado, makes the third baseman eligible to become a free agent.

Boras said he attempted to notify Yankees general manager Brian Cashman of the decision but couldn't reach him, so he left a voice mail.

"He was traveling and I was traveling," Boras said.

Rodriguez loses the final $72 million in guaranteed salary in the record contract, which he signed with Texas before the 2001 season. The Yankees lose $21.3 million in remaining payments from the Rangers, a subsidy agreed to at the time of his 2004 trade. New York has said it would not attempt to re-sign A-Rod if he opted out.

Boras said during a telephone interview that Rodriguez made his choice because he was uncertain whether Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte would return to the Yankees. Boras said it became clear that the others wouldn't make a decision by Rodriguez's deadline to opt out -- 10 days after the World Series.

"Alex's decision was one based on not knowing what his closer, his catcher and one of his statured pitchers was going to do," Boras said. "He really didn't want to make any decisions until he knew what they were doing."

Cashman did not respond to messages seeking comment.

A-Rod, likely to win his third AL MVP award next month, made his decision before the Yankees announced a replacement for departed manager Joe Torre. Broadcaster Joe Girardi and bench coach Don Mattingly were the top contenders, and the team also interviewed first-base coach Tony Pena.

A Yankees official and an agent who deals regularly with the team said it appears Cashman was leaning toward recommending Girardi. The pair spoke on condition of anonymity because no decision has been announced.

Texas turns out to be the biggest winner, saving the remaining money it would have had to pay New York as part of the 2004 trade. Boras said the Rangers are still responsible for $3 million in annual deferred money A-Rod is owed in the next three years under the contract.

"We're going to wait until we hear officially, but obviously it would be welcome news on our end," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

Rodriguez hit .314 this year and led the majors with 54 homers and 156 RBIs. He was announced as a winner of a Hank Aaron award for offensive achievement before Game 4 but wasn't on hand to receive it. Boras said Rodriguez had a family commitment.

New York was preparing to offer Rodriguez a four- or five-year extension worth between $25 million and $30 million annually and had hoped to meet with A-Rod to present the offer.

"We didn't want to enter in a discussion of the economic parameters until we knew the status of players because that was central to Alex's decision," Boras said.

Rodriguez's decision was first reported by SI.com.

Another Boras client, J.D. Drew, opted out of his contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers following the 2006 season and signed a more lucrative deal with the Red Sox. Boras and the Red Sox denied they spoke before Drew became a free agent.

The Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Angels and even the New York Mets could be possible destinations for Rodriguez. Teams have declined to comment, citing tampering rules that prevent them from discussing players who aren't free agents.

"That's for another time," Red Sox president Larry Lucchino said.

Red Sox fans behind the third-base dugout at Coors Field chanted "Don't sign A-Rod!" after Boston's victory.

"He did it for a reason. I wish him the best," David Ortiz said. "Man, I never would walk away from $150 million."

While the Yankees said they would be done with Rodriguez if he opted out, Boras said he remains willing to talk with them.

"The lines of communication for us are open," he said. "Our position is that we have told New York all along that we will continue discussions with them. Alex enjoyed playing in New York. He played well there. He was comfortable there."

But now it appears he will leave, with the Yankees joining the Seattle Mariners and Texas as former teams for a player who outperformed all others during the regular season but flopped regularly in the postseason.

A-Rod went 4-for-15 (.267) with one RBI against in the Yankees' first-round playoff loss to Cleveland and is in an 8-for-59 (.136) postseason funk dating to 2004. Even worse has been his postseason hitting in the clutch. He is hitless in his past 18 playoff at-bats with runners in scoring position.

New York, entering its first season with a new manager since Torre took over in 1996, will have to find offense to replace Rodriguez's RBI, a prospect that should be daunting for the new manager, whoever it is.

[SasV7ReJ]

Honestly I think that has nothing to do with his decision. I think it has all to do with how the fans and to a lesser extent how the front office treated him. Now that he opted-out and the Yankees won't pursue him, I doubt he will approach the $30 million he was looking for, he might even get less than what he is currently making, there are only a few teams that can afford his previous contract. A-Rod grew up a Met fan, the Mets are one of the few teams that could afford him, however given his history in New York I don't think the Mets would be a good fit, he would have been when he offered to join them at a discount a number of years ago.

[frequensearules]

This guy (A-Rod) opts out of a contract from the wealthiest sports team in the nation and will lose (approzimatley) $75 Million dollars. He is obviously expecting more then that from another team. But i gotta say this is a real low class move on his part. One because he feels like he better then the game itself that he can just opt out during a world series competition. I feel bad for whatever teams signs him next! That team will take on the responsibility for his home runs record chasing and he will clearly take up at least 30 - 35% of the next teams payroll. From a NY Yankees point of view ... good riddance to bad rubbish!

[CAxrrAYN]

Do you think that the circumstances of Torre's leaving were a factor in A-rod's leaving?

I dont think Torre had anything to do with it! Its strictly about the money. I dont think he could care less about the players around him.

[bloriMal]

umpbumb.com"But more than anything, A-Rod and the Yankees were such a match made in Heaven, because A-Rod was such a great symbol for everything the Yankees of this current era represent. The team that is willing to spend any amount of money signs the games most mercenary player to the biggest deal ever. A-Rod needs to be on the Yankees, because it simultaneously makes both the Yankees and A-Rod more hateable, thus perpetuating two of 21st-century baseball’s greatest traditions."

[weightpillsnow]

Why is it with A-Rod that I remember mostly dissapointing at bats in clutch situations and particularly late and post season play.

I remember Nettles, and his clutch hitting much more, not to talk about his acrobatic catches that reduced the need for a great short stop. Even though nettles would only be overall a 250 hitter, read how Nettles would come alive in the second half of August and perform when we really needed to do so in 1977:

August 31, 1977 at Yankee Stadium
Sparky Lyle Picks Up Win In Third Straight Game
by Nick Smith @ 4:42 am. Filed under 1977 Yankees, Graig Nettles, Sparky Lyle, Cliff
Yankees 5, Mariners 4 (80-52)

Graig Nettles belted a walk off solo homerun in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Yankees their fourth straight win and their 22nd win in the month of August. Nettles had a huge game and he went three for five with two homers and three RBIs. Cliff Johnson went three for four with a run.

August 30, 1977 at Yankee Stadium
Yankees Edge Mariners In Eleven Innings For Third Straight Win
by Nick Smith @ 4:15 pm. Filed under 1977 Yankees, Graig Nettles, Sparky Lyle,
Yankees 6, Mariners 5 (79-52)

Mickey Rivers led off the bottom of the eleventh inning with a walk off solo homerun as the Yankees won their third straight game. It was River tenth homerun and he scored three runs in the win. Graig Nettles had a great game and he went two for four with a three run homer.

August 28, 1977 at Yankee Stadium
Ron Guidry Throws Two Hit Shutout In Another Yankees Win
by Nick Smith @ 4:17 am. Filed under 1977 Yankees, Graig Nettles, Reggie Jackson,
Yankees 1, Rangers 0 (77-52)

Graig Nettles tripled, drew a walk and scored the lone run in the win. Reggie Jackson singled, drew a walk and drove in the only run.


August 26, 1977 at Yankee Stadium
Yankees Edge Rangers For Fourth Straight Win
by Nick Smith @ 4:28 am. Filed under 1977 Yankees, Graig Nettles, Sparky Lyle, Ed Figueroa, Willie Randolph, Lou Piniella, Ken Clay, 1977
Yankees 6, Rangers 5 (76-51)

The Yankees overcame a 5-1 deficit and beat the Rangers in their series opener. The game winning run came on a one run triple off the bat of Graig Nettles. Both Lou Piniella and Willie Randolph were a perfect three for three in the contest.


August 23, 1977 at Comiskey Park
Mickey Rivers Has Five Hits As Yankees Get Back to Winning
by Nick Smith @ 2:39 pm. Filed under 1977 Yankees, Graig Nettles, Mickey Rivers, Yankees 8, White Sox 3 (73-51)

Mickey Rivers had five hits and three RBIs as the Yankees got right back on track in their win over the White Sox. Graig Nettles also had a great game and he went three for four with a double, a homerun, three runs and three RBIs. The homerun was his 30th of the season.


August 21, 1977 at Arlington Stadium
Yankees Win Eight Straight Behind Graig Nettles Homerun
by Nick Smith @ 5:17 pm. Filed under 1977 Yankees, Graig Nettles, Sparky Lyle, Ron Guidry, Chris Chambliss, 1977 21,
Yankees 2, Rangers 1 (72-50)

Graig Nettles homered and drove in both Yankees runs in the win. Chris Chambliss singled and he scored a run.


August 15, 1977 at Yankee Stadium
Mike Torrez Pitches Yankees to Win Over White Sox
by Nick Smith @ 5:49 pm. Filed under 1977 Yankees, Graig Nettles, Roy White, Mike Torrez,
Yankees 6, White Sox 2 (66-50)

Graig Nettles went two for three with a walk and two RBIs. Roy White singled and he scored two runs.

[SodeSceriobia]

I got one thing to say about this whole A-Rod thing:A-rod, stay as far away from my Mets as possible.

[Larisochka]

Depending on how you look at it, this was either comic opera of theater of the absurd.

The Yankees badly mishandled the Torre affair, but they seem to have skillfully played the A-Rod separation in the public arena. Bear in mind, when you're talking about this much money, there's usually a secret tunnel connecting the principals.

Boras took a chance and tested the free-agent market, not accepting the reality that, although the A-Rod contract was 7 years old, it was so grossly out of proportion to the baseball salary structure, that the league still hadn't caught up. He compounded the miscalculation by making the announcement during the World Series, insulting a team that was a potential bidder.

Cynical as I am, I think the story that Cashman missed the text message because he fell asleep while reading a bedtime story to his son was a brilliant fabrication, designed to add fuel to the Boras fire. On one hand you have a money-grubbing superagent interrupting the pinnacle of a childhood game; on the other, a guy 'being a dad.' In one stroke, the Yankees are transformed nationally into the good guys.

I'm sure A-Rod was dismayed that his image began rolling downhill, picking up momentum, but I doubt he initiated contact with the Yankees without the hand of Boras.

The link between A-Rod and the Yankees was Goldman Sachs. John Mallory, who was a neighbor of A-Rod and works in GS's private wealth management division, contacted GS executive Gerry Cardinale, who helped create the YES network (Yankees own controlling interest) and is a member of the YES board. Cardinale arranged the meeting between A-Rod and Yankee ownership.

I also heard that neither Mallory nor Cardinale received a fee for their 'services.' This seems to be consistent with the obsessively secretive GS, who didn't want to get dragged into the very public Yankee - A-Rod divorce-reconciliation.

[LkEHaduy]

Depending on how you look at it, this was either comic opera of theater of the absurd.

Leave the Clinton presidency outta this, please.

The Yankees badly mishandled the Torre affair, but they seem to have skillfully played the A-Rod separation in the public arena.

Now that A-Rod has resigned for even more wampum....still believe that?

Honestly, the Bombers idiocy seems only surpassed by that of the Rangers (or should that be pronounced "rain-jars"?)....proving that Mickey Dolans (sorry, taking libs with the spelling) isn't the only monkey around, eh?

OOPS...didn't mean to tug yer tail there... fella.

[ancexiaepidge]

Now that A-Rod has resigned for even more wampum....still believe that?

Did you read the rest of what I said?

They had always intended to renegotiate the remainder of his contract. What happened was that Boras and everyone else were removed, and no bidding war ensued.

Honestly, the Bombers idiocy seems only surpassed by that of the Rangers When you discuss contracts, you have to look at teams as businesses.

Still want to compare the Yankees with the Rangers?

[orbidewa]

Did you read the rest of what I said?

They had always intended to renegotiate the remainder of his contract.

"They"????

What happened was that Boras and everyone else were removed, and no bidding war ensued.

"Everyone else" was removed? That has got to make that "intended renegotiation" rather difficult, eh?

When you discuss contracts, you have to look at teams as businesses.

See above.

Still want to compare the Yankees with the Rangers?

Since neither team faces the danger(s) of declining revenue, perhaps Al Kaline said it best:

"You can lose with anybody"

But, I will say, were I a bettin man, I'd wager on the Yanks future before I'd drop a dime on the RanJars.

[mitiaycatq]

"They"????

Obvious who "they" is.

"Everyone else" was removed? That has got to make that "intended renegotiation" rather difficult, eh? Again, obvious who "everyone else" is.

See above You missed it. By discuss contracts I didn't refer to the negotiating of a contract; I meant how you view the amount of money that is paid. But you seem to get on track below...

Since neither team faces the danger(s) of declining revenue You compare businesses on that basis?

But, I will say, were I a bettin man, I'd wager on the Yanks future before I'd drop a dime on the RanJars. After all that, you refute your own argument?