According to an MLB.com account (and apparently A-Rod's website), A-Rod and the Yankees have resumed negotiations again. They are reportedly close to a 10 year contract worth around $290M. It appears that A-Rod and the Yankees are talking directly, without Boras around. The PC PR-talk of this announcement makes it seem like a fait accompli that he will re-sign with the Yankees.
Maybe It Skipped a Generation
What ever happened to Hank Steinbrenner's first significant statement as head of the Yankees: "It's good-bye." It makes him look like a wimp to kowtow to a player with his very first major decision after taking over the Yankees from King George. Then again, it is A-Rod, the best hitter, maybe player, in the majors today.
But his dad, say what you will about him and his ways, always earned my respect for being tough and showing he has cahones, he says what he means, he means what he says. Even if he contradicts himself now and again: hire Billy, fire Billy, hire Billy, fire Billy... I can not imagine King George ever going back on a grand proclaimation such as "It's good-bye." That's too dramatic a statement to just throw out there without having the manhood to back it up, because otherwise you really look like a wimpy fool, willing to kowtow to the right player. It makes you look like a very weak leader that you don't stand behind your words.
Unless, that is, Cashman negotiates a deal with A-Rod and then Hank Steinbrenner says "NO! Good-bye is good-bye. Good-bye!" But I'm not holding my breath, it looks like it's going to happen.
A-Rod Hell-A Smart
I've never really thought that A-Rod was that particularly intelligent, but he showed a lot of smarts by "re-opening" channels with the Yankees. He probably got spooked by the fact that there are not a lot of teams who can afford his type of coinage, and with Miguel Cabrera on the market now, there will be one less team bidding. Plus, really, the Yankees are the only team who can afford such a huge salary as Boras had been talking about.
My take on the ARod and Yankees thing is a battle of power, or who has more of it. Before the season even ended, I recall the Yankees saying they could proceed with ARod, if he chooses to opt-out. In return, ARod decides he will, so that even if he re-signs with the team, they're paying more out of pocket for him than they were previously.
ReplyDelete"You don't think you need me? I'll show you that you think you do."
Maybe I'm just way off, but it sounds like a cool story!
I take the opposite point of view from that taken by sfgfan. I think Boras really overplayed his hand, that he lost $2-4 mil per year by announcing during the world series, and that A-Rod avoided a disaster by going back to the Yankees. I am surprised the Yankees paid him $27 mil a year. I think they could have gotten him for $24, 25 mil per, but it probably doesn't make all that much difference to them. It is pretty clear that the potential suitors had given the A-Rod camp pretty strong indications that none of them were going to get anywhere near $30 mil. Even tho A-Rod does lose a little face, I think the Yanks gave him an extra couple of mil per just so he wouldn't have to appear like he was crawling back. But, that is exactly what I think he did. I think, inside baseball circles, GMs and financial VPs are having a pretty good laugh at Boras.
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