October 29, 2007
“You stay classy Alex Rodriguez.” (c) Ron Burgandy (well, sort of, anyway)
So, I’m sitting there watching the Red Sox dismantle the Rockies in four straight games (that 8 day lay-off killed the Rockies, I don’t care what anyone says) and all of the sudden, Fox breaks in during the game with an important sports update. What is it? what could possibly be worth reporting during the ultimately final game of the World Series? Football? No, there wasn’t any football on TV. Basketball? They’re only in preseason, who cares? Hockey? hahahahaha! No folks, its Alex Rodriguez! He decided to opt out of his contract today! Here are the details from ESPN,
Rodriguez’s decision, announced by agent Scott Boras during Game 4 of the World Series, makes him eligible to become a free agent….
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. “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.”
So, to recap, Alex Rodriguez isn’t going back to the Yankees because he’s worried that the Yankees are, for all intents and purposes about to go into “rebuilding mode” and he, on the other hand, is trying to win a championship as soon as possible. Just for the sake of reference, let it be noted that only Rivera has said that he will be testing the free agent market. Posada and Pettitte have been mum on any contract negotiations, although the likelihood of a decision within the next 10 days is probably not likely (A-Rod had 10 days after the World Series ended to opt out of the contract with the Yankees).
A-Rod opting out of the contract wasn’t really a big deal, many bloggers have written about the possibility of A-Rod leaving the Yankees and how much money he might make when he’s gone. So, what was the problem tonight? Well, quite simply put, this move was CLASSLESS. Why go and try to interrupt the World Series? Especially with something like this…becoming a free agent. Don’t you want to look like a team player to prospective teams? or to potential sponsors? or for endorsements? Why try and show your bigger than the biggest game in your sport? Did A-Rod need the exposure or publicity? Was he not going to be the biggest story on sportscenter if he made this decision on Monday? or Tuesday? Even though it was unlikely, why not wait until the last possible day to see if you could make a more informed decision? The move simply baffles me. Honestly, the fact that you preempted a great pitching performance by Jon Lester, a cancer survivor who finished his chemotherapy only 9 months ago, just to tell me that you’re going to be a free agent? Well, that just makes you look like an ass.
But enough of “team A-Rod’s” poor decision making and “classy” moves. Let’s look at what A-Rod has lost, now that he’s opted out of his deal, and will (more than likely) become a free agent. The New York Daily News’ Mark Feinsand reports,
…an offer from the Yankees, which was going to be in the range of five years and $135 million-$140 million. That would have eclipsed the $25.2 million he made per year from the 10-year, $252 million contract he signed with Texas before the 2001 season.
A-Rod was set to earn $27 million in each of the next three years, but a clause built in the deal would have bumped it by $5 million in both 2009 and 2010, pushing the guaranteed money to $91 million.
Of course, with A-Rod set to probably make at least $30 million a year, he’s probably not that concerned with leaving $91 million on the table with the Yankees. The Angels and the Rangers are currently the leading A-Rod suitors (although you never know when the Mets, Red Sox, or Cubs may join the fray). Look for A-Rod’s new team to sign him to some sort of deal possibly approaching $300 million dollars. Seem like a lot of money? Well, if you ask Rodriguez’s agent, Scott Boras, A-Rod is definitely worth it.
ESPN: Agent: A-Rod opts out of contract with Yankees
New York Daily News: A-Rod’s A-Bomb: Opts out of Yankee contract
Sports Biz w/Darren Rovell: Scott Boras, Agent for A-Rod: Our Conversation
New York Daily News: The answer is simple: Alex Rodriguez to the Mets
Lookout Landing: Congratulations, Texas Rangers
Related -
Sports Business Digest: How much money is A-Rod going to make?
Sports Business Digest: Alex Rodriguez. Future owner of the Cubs
UPDATE: OCTOBER 29th. Major League Baseball is pissed…and a Scott Boras apology?
UPDATE: Now, with awesome Peter Gammons video, courtesy of the Big Lead
5 comments
I have to admit becoming pretty much numb to the “news” about baseball these days…steroids, Yankees, steroids, Red Sox…a lot of folks have been outraged about the A-Rod announcement, but I was equally outraged I had to hear about Joe Torre for a couple of weeks as well. The Yankees are at the top of the classless heap for scheduling their “management conference” during the playoffs, making it out to be some kind of United Nations get-together and then shoving a contract offer at Torre they knew even he wouldn’t accept. So, to me it’s just a case of they get what they give. A-Rod is what he is, Boras is what he is…and life goes on for both, albeit with even more money about to fall into their accounts.
A-Rod is not coming back to Texas. 0% chance.
The press here murdered him for a solid year before he left.
The overwhelming majority of Rangers fans HATE him.
A-Rod hates this city for the way he was treated.
Tom Hicks said he considers that contract a mistake.
Tom Hicks has gone cheapskate.
Tom Hicks won’t deal with Scott Boras. They won’t draft his players or sign his free agents, only exception being 1 year deals (Gagne like) and Millwood (Millwood doesn’t make big, and happens to be (if I remember correctly) the only multi-year f.a. signing in the past 6 seasons)
Any “reports” of the Rangers being interested in signing A-Rod are only Boras leaving the door open for using them as a bargaining chip. A-Rod and the Rangers will never be reunited – FACT.
This is great how I see things. Now the Pirates just have to convince Torre to come to Pittsburgh, then we should be able to snag A-Rod, Rivera, and we might as well get Bonds back while we are at it.
Ha! being from Pittsburgh that would be awesome…a reason to actually watch Pirates baseball past June.
I chuckled in pure disgust when I heard the news A-Rod was opting out of his contract. How’s that possible? Oh, it’s possible when you get so freakin’ sick of the New York Yankees after having to hear about their news the whole post season, just to turn around and listen to the talk that a Yankee is opting out of his contract to look elsewhere.
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