djtestudo

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...act/index.html

Ken Rosenthal reported it on the ballgame as well.

Huge news.

My question is, since the Yankees have been claiming all along that they won't offer him a new contract if he opts-out, will they live up to that now that he has?

Are they really willing to go with Wilson Betemit or signing a 34-year-old (by Opening Day) Mike Lowell long-term, like has already been suggested if the Sox try for A-Rod?

Between this, the manager situation, and guys like Posada and Rivera possibly leaving (or signing long-term for their declining years), the Yankees may finally be showing their cracks.

Then, there is a question of the number of teams that not only can realistically give him what he wants, but also won't be scared away by Scott Boras and his negotiating tactics. And, also who have a hole at third base or shortstop.

Basically, it's the Angels and Dodgers, Cubs, Red Sox (possibly), and then perhaps teams like Detroit, Seattle, and Baltimore.

This makes the offseason that much more interesting, and even better, upstages the Red Sox winning the World Series more then anything short of a death, disaster or Yankees hiring a manager (rumor says they have picked Girardi).

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QuasiMondo

Don't forget about the Mets. Yeah, we already have a 3b and SS, but we can just as easily put Reyes at second and slot A-Rod right in.

And don't be fooled into thinking it's about money. He wants to play for a team where the fans will appreciate him. He was never fully embraced by Yankee fans. Constantly getting booed in the Bronx even when he was playing well had to have screwed with his head.

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Cameron originally envisioned the Terminator as a small, unremarkable man, giving it the ability to blend in more easily. As a result, his first choice for the part was Lance Henriksen. O. J. Simpson was on the shortlist but Cameron did not think that such a nice guy could be a ruthless killer.

-From the Collector's Edition DVD of The Terminator

Glory's Sun

There's no way in my mind that the Sox are going to get rid of Lowell. He's the WS MVP for fucks sake. I'm really hoping that Theo wouldn't be stupid enough to even pursue A-rod. A-rod is like a death wish for any team he plays on. We don't need a face of the organization.. we have one in Varitek. Now, if A-rod actually did something in the postseason, then it would be a different story.

There's actually talk that the Marlin's could get into the mix for A-rod. Florida could be a good fit for him as he'd basically have total control and wouldn't have to worry about the media as much. Some people have thrown the Angels in there but I don't see that happening unless they unload Vlad.

Ya know, I really don't care where he ends up as long as it's not with Boston.

Average_Joe

Amen to that, brother. I don't think he would be a good fit with the currrent team. I think his personality is too big, and he would be a clubhouse cancer.

However, I would rather have a guy with A-Rods stats at third base. Lowell played great this year, but it's career season based on his history. Not to mention, Lowell's stats this year = an off-season for A-Rod.

Oh, and A-Rod has been known to play a bit of shortshop as well. A-Rod over Lugo?

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Glory's Sun

Well yeah I'd take A-rod over Lugo.. but I'd rather have Cabrerra back from '04 than Lugo.

Here's the thing.. which would you rather have in Boston?? Beckett or A-rod? If Boston gets A-rod, they'll have to get rid of some pitching.. or Manny and another big bat. Him going to Boston just doesn't make sense to me, but I'm not the one with the money or the team.. heh.

Ustwo

What team is going to pay the insane amount of money hes going to want besides the Yankees?

I think hes done in NY and I'm sure they got something worked out under the table before he opted out but man.

Hes great but for 30 million a year you can make your team a lot better than just one guy who can't hit in the post season for whatever reason.

Hell, I'd lead the cheer if he joined the White Sox, (they would never spend the money) but if it was him OR 3 quality players, I'd take those players.

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kutulu

I agree. It is a BAD time to be signing Lowell. He's not that great and he's coming off of a career year where he was the WS MVP. He's also pretty old.

Halx

Come On Dodgers! Grow Some Balls And Sign Him!

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Average_Joe

Money would probably not be an issue. If the Red Sox do nothing but sign A-Rod for ~$30M, their team salary for next year probably wouldn't go up much considering Schilling's contract is finished (~$13M), as is Clement's ($9.5M) and Gagne's (~$6M) and they will probably trade Coco (~$4M) if they can.

Man...I can't believe I'm making a case to sign A-Rod!?!?!?!? I think I'll go break my fingers now so I can't keep typing.

Actually, Lowell's not that old...he only looks old. He'll be 34 next season. I'd like to see him back for 2 more years at the same salary he's making now, which is $9M.

__________________
I think I'll procrastinate......in a little while.

kutulu

34 is old in baseball years.

Glory's Sun

I think at this point, the Dodgers are the most likely place he could go if he doesn't end up back in a skankee uniform. The skanks are only saying they won't play ball with Boras so nobody else will drive the price up. Add that to the fact that supposedly the Dodgers are talking with Torre about the managerial position and this only helps the A-rod deal.

34 may be old in baseball years, but I can almost guarantee that Boston will resign Lowell. He may not have as good a year next year, but he's proven that he wasn't just a throw in deal with Beckett since he arrived. I mean shit, Manny and Ortiz didn't have the kind of year they usually have either and let's not get started on J.D. Drew.. but they won. I don't think Boston is going to do much to shake this team up except for a few pitching changes and bullpen structuring moves. This would exclude CoCo as he's almost expendable with the emergence of Ellsbury. We still have Henske that we can throw into the game if we need an outfield replacement.

cameroncrazy822

"Alex Rodriguez and his agent, Scott Boras, have become the kind of phonies that aspiring phonies now study in sports, somewhat the way scientists study lab rats.

Here was Boras the other night, getting his client A-Rod into the World Series the only way he can, having him opt out of his Yankees contract on the night the Boston Red Sox were about to sweep the Colorado Rockies.

In so doing, Boras unwittingly gave us a fitting epitaph to A-Rod's Yankee career:

He upstaged more World Series games than he actually played in.

It was the late George Young, general manager of the football Giants, who once said to me, "When they say it's not about the money, it's always about the money."

It is always about the money with A-Rod. He just won't ever say that, even if you threaten him with one of his own baseball bats.

So he tries to make it about his teammates, some of whose names he actually knows. So here was Boras, who never seems to run out of saliva - or angles - talking about Mo Rivera and Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte instead of the $300 million he thinks he can get for A-Rod someplace else.

"Alex's decision was one based on not knowing what his closer, his catcher and one of his statured starting pitchers was going to do," Boras said in one interview he gave Sunday night while Game 4 of the Series was still going on.

If Boras thinks that he can convince anybody who has followed a single at-bat of Alex Rodriguez's career that he has ever cared for a baseball player other than Alex Rodriguez, then Scott Boras really is the world's greatest sports agent.

Boras has made no secret that he is looking for another 10-year contract for A-Rod. That is out of one side of his mouth. Out of the other, he wants us to believe that a huge reason A-Rod walks away from the Yankees is because of this sudden concern about the futures of the 37-year-old Rivera, the 36-year-old Posada, the 35-year-old Pettitte.

I have even heard some broadcasters suggest that Joe Torre leaving the Yankees might also have been a reason why A-Rod wanted to leave. Every time I did, I had the same reaction: That anybody thinking Rodriguez had loyalty to any manager - especially one who batted him eighth in a playoff game against the Detroit Tigers last year - must be drunk.

It is as interesting to note that this all happens as the Red Sox win again. And that there is all this fuss about A-Rod's contract one night after a Red Sox pitcher, Daisuke Matsuzaka, knocks in more runs - two - with his first postseason hit than A-Rod did against the Indians in the Yankees' division series.

Once, nearly four years ago, Rodriguez nearly went to Boston. The Red Sox were even willing to part with Manny Ramirez and his own big contract ($20 million a year) to bring Rodriguez to Fenway Park to play shortstop for them. If they had managed to do that, they would probably still be looking for their first World Series championship since 1918.

Boras loves to show you a lot of research about how a lot of great baseball players have come up short in the postseason. Even A-Rod short, which means short enough to ride a horse in the Breeders' Cup. In Boston, where Ramirez was MVP of the 2004 World Series, where he and David Ortiz are run-producing machines in the postseason, they must think Boras is the one acting drunk.

You can go up and down the Red Sox batting order, pick any name, and find somebody who did more for his team than A-Rod did for the Yankees in the last three Octobers he played for them.

He was a gold-plated phony coming in the door and he is the same leaving.

Here was Rodriguez standing in the Stadium Club at Yankee Stadium in February 2004, on the day it was officially announced that he was coming to New York to play third base for the Yankees:

"I've come to the point in my career [where] winning is the most important thing. Aside from the personal accolades - and I think I've done a lot there - winning is the most important thing. And being a New York Yankee and the history and the present and the future, I think it provides an opportunity when you drive to the ballpark every day that you actually have an opportunity to win and win big. Hopefully in October. So I think it was just team over personal."

Nothing is ever personal with him, ever. He wants to act like a team guy and sound like a team guy but has no real idea how to do that, because everything is supposed to be about him.

It's why you wanted to laugh the other night when Boras invoked the names of Rivera and Posada and Pettitte. You know who they really are to Alex Rodriguez? Three more guys in the clubhouse trying to breathe his air.

Big Octobers, that's what A-Rod promised Yankee fans. And that is exactly how it worked out during his four seasons here. Only the big Octobers, two of the biggest in baseball history because of the way the Red Sox came back in the league championship series and then swept through the World Series, were in Boston.

A real good Yankee fan I know put it this way yesterday, even talking about a player who hit him 54 home runs this season, one without whom the Yankees wouldn't have even made the first round of the playoffs:

"The Red Sox won, but we lost A-Rod. Call it a split.""

From his mouth (typewriter) to God's ears!

Infinite_Loser

Come on Marlins! However, I doubt the stingey Marlin's management would dish out the money for A-Rod.

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kutulu

This is exactly why ARod needed to opt out. Fuck New York, their asshole fans and the pitbull journalists. He'll get the MVP, giving him 2 MVPs, 173 HR, over 500 RBI, and an OPS close to 1.000 over four years and they treated him like shit the whole time.

Also, you don't get to complain about how someone is greedy when you have a $200M payroll.

Bear Cub

Make him a Met.

We'll take Joe Torre, too.

pan6467

Personally, I'd love to see no team offer him even $20 mill.

WTF, the dollar is at an all time low, polls are showing that some 65+ % of this nation expects things to get worse and a fucking baseball player wants to make more than $25 mill a year?????? People are losing their jobs and if they are lucky to find a job they have to get paid less with fewer benefits.

Wow..... there is something seriously wrong in this country when people are ok with athletes and entertainers greed as their neighbors lose everything.

I will never support a team that signs this asshole if they sign him for more.

(But I also realize if no one does then the fucking baseball union sues the owners for collusion. What a nice gig they got.)

On the a side note, I feel good for Tom Hicks who gets out from his A-Rod debacle and gets to use the money to keep maybe Michael Young or Ian Kinsler to long term contracts and keep the Rangers a viable contender for a while.

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I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

djtestudo

It's pro sports. You don't have to support the system if you don't want to.

And that Lupica column proves why I am an A-Rod fan, to a certain point. The city of New York has spent three years treating him like shit, and now that he is getting out of there they are acting as though replacing the best player in baseball with Wilson Betemit is OK.

They, especially the media members, are idiots and deserve whatever they get.

__________________
"Final thought: I just rented Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine. Frankly, it was the worst sports movie I've ever seen."
--Peter Schmuck, The (Baltimore) Sun

Cross-Over

Not really. In basketball and football, yes.

Of course is is not young, but old implies well past your prime, when in fact, many star players have played or are playing in their prime well in their thirties. Chipper Jones, Ichiro, Jeff Kent, Ivan Rodriguez, Edmonds, Biggio, Griffey, Dye, Thome, Ordonez, Mora, etc. I left off Giambi and Bonds due to the likelihood of artifical enhancement. I also left out pitchers.

There are exceptions, but I wanted to illustrate that 34 isn't old in baseball years, especially compared to other major sports.

QuasiMondo

We don't need Torre, we have his clone.

I'm all for A-Rod coming to Shea, but not if this prevents the Mets from taking care of other glaring deficiencies, like that horrible bullpen. I wouldn't get upset if the Mets get him, but he's not the only big fish out there, and if they're not talking to other free agents like Torii Hunter or even Mariano Rivera, then they'll be in the same boat they were in at the end of the season.

Even a pitcher can last into their 40's. Glavine and Clemens are the first two that come to mind.

I want to agree...but I can't.

A-Rod is an entertainer. What he's doing is no different than when the cast of 'Friends' signed that blockbuster (then) deal of $1 per episode. No different than Celine Dion getting $100 to perform at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. No different than retired F1 driver Michael Schumacher, who at one time was the second highest paid athlete, receiving $80 mil a year. No different than the Los Angeles Galaxy paying David Bekham $250 to play in the U.S. No different than Howard Stern getting over half a billion from XM to take his show to satellite. And it's questionable whether or not the employers of the last two names can even make enough money to pay them.

So why all of this hatred towards A-Rod? He's not a toxic personality to the clubhouse like Terrell Owens was to San Francisco and Philadelphia. He's not gutless or heartless, we've seen that when he talked Torre into putting him back into the lineup after a hamstring injury could've taken him out of at a time when the Yankees needed him, and he responded the next night by blasting two home runs in the same inning against Seattle. He's not overrated, you can see it for yourself. He's not as big a choke artist as people make him out to be (folks have short memories about how well he was playing in the '04 ALCS before the whole team crashed and burned). To my knowledge, he's not an asshole in public (he pulls kids out of the path of speeding trucks for crying out loud.

I just don't get why people are upset that Alex Rodriguez is out there trying to see what the free agent market can bring in? On a fundamental level, it's what everybody does when they're job hunting and they know they're shit hot at what they do. Call me crazy, but A-Rod seeking a $350M deal has no impact on my day-to-day life. If he signs with a team for $35M or even $35, the money a team saves isn't going to come my way. The league has no salary cap, so it's not going to affect the ability of other players to maximize their value, and as we've already seen from teams like the Yankees and Mets, dumping dollars doesn't mean you can buy your way into a dynasty.

I'm no A-Rod apologist, I just don't see any good reason to hate this man.

__________________
Cameron originally envisioned the Terminator as a small, unremarkable man, giving it the ability to blend in more easily. As a result, his first choice for the part was Lance Henriksen. O. J. Simpson was on the shortlist but Cameron did not think that such a nice guy could be a ruthless killer.

-From the Collector's Edition DVD of The Terminator

Glory's Sun

I don't hate A-rod, in fact I think he's the best player out there in the game today.. at least..the best everyday player. Say what you want about his postseasons.. they suck. You can't deny it.

If the man gets what he wants then you shouldn't hate him or Scott Boras, you should hate the team that pays him that.. well you should hate the team if it was a dumb move. If Boston signed him, I'd be incredibly pissed because it would be a bonehead move. A team such as the Dodgers however, it would make sense. I actually am starting to think he has a better chance of ending up with Detroit than anyone.. it seems like Detroit ownership and Scott Boras like to suck each others dicks. (i.e. Pudge and Maglio)

Jadast

It all makes sense now. The Braves don't offer Adruw Jones then trade Renteria for two garbage guys and now there's a money and a spot for A-Rod. No wait - that is my fantasy world. The real world Braves don't have the balls to build a World Series team. Bobby Cox should leave now before management gives him a little league roster to play with.

pan6467

When foreclosures are at an all time high, when the incomes of the "middle class" are shrinking, when over 65% of the country are worried about their economic futures, when the dollar is at an all time low, when good paying jobs are being lost every day and those people with mortgages, car payments and kids can only find jobs paying them far less and with fewer benefits... how can anybody in their right mind see this and say, "$25 million per year just isn't enough... I need more."

HOW??????

I'm sorry, if the man cared anything for the fans that support him, he'd say, "I can live on $25 Million per year right now. I don't need to suck every penny I can out of the fans and teams."

Sorry, the man is the greediest, most selfish piece of shit I have ever heard of. And I hope to God not 1 team comes forward and offers even $20 Mill.

__________________
I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

QuasiMondo

I think it's a simple question, really. How does Alex Rodriguez' salary impact my economic outlook?

It doesn't. Not directly, not indrectly.

It should be mentioned that the league is swimming in cash like Scrooge McDuck in his money bin. In 2005 the league pulled in nearly $5 billion.

There's no shortage of funds throughout this league. With the type of media control the league has, from signing the deal to put the Extra Innings package exclusively to Direct TV for $700 million to the push to have all internet content come exclusively though their mlb.com website, and that means only one thing: Business is good. Small market teams like to complain that they can't compete because large market teams are snatching up all of the good talent and can't afford to pay big name players. They like to razzle-dazzle us with lines like, "A-Rod's paycheck is more than our entire payroll!" Here's their dirty little secret: Some of these teams make more money through the league's revenue sharing program than they spend on player salaries. It's why the reason the Forida Marlins were so throughly dismantled after winning the World Series in '97 and again in '03. Ownership had short arms, deep pockets, and found it cheaper to ship quality players elsewhere rather than keep them around. Revenue sharing is like league welfare. When they don't hire quality players, fans become disinterested, they lose money and have to rely on the leage for income. The only time they'll think about injecting quality into their teams is when they want a new stadium.

The bottom line is that you have the Steinbrenners, the Huizengas, the Duquettes, etc., pulling in billions. The demands that A-Rod is making are miniscule compared to what those guys are pulling in.

__________________
Cameron originally envisioned the Terminator as a small, unremarkable man, giving it the ability to blend in more easily. As a result, his first choice for the part was Lance Henriksen. O. J. Simpson was on the shortlist but Cameron did not think that such a nice guy could be a ruthless killer.

-From the Collector's Edition DVD of The Terminator

djtestudo

Either A-Rod gets it, or the owner does.

Who would you rather see get paid?

And "neither" is a very unacceptable answer.

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--Peter Schmuck, The (Baltimore) Sun

kutulu

My earlier point was not that players cannot be effective after age 34, it was that chances are they have a short shelf life after that age. They will usually cost a lot and should not be given a long term deal. Also, for every guy who is able to be a great player into his mid 30's, there are 10 who lost it out of the blue.

Pan:

If the middle class is shrinking and can't pay their mortgages, then they shouldn't be paying for baseball tickets. ARod will get as much money as some dipshit gm thinks he can afford to pay but it isn't his fault that some gm thinks he can afford to pay for it.

Average_Joe

BTW, A-rod will be 33 when he plays next year. I think he will be an exception to the rule.

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I think I'll procrastinate......in a little while.

dylanmarsh

First, you're comparing apples to oranges when talking about two different economies: baseball and the real world. In fact, even if the two economies were related, it would make absolute sense for A-Rod to ask for more money, if his previous contract doesn't translate to today's dollar.

Second, I don't think anyone has asked A-Rod what is important to him. Maybe it is just the money and being number on a personal level. You can't fault him for that, if he's willing to make $30M/season in Texas or whereever.

Fact is, someone will pay him what he wants. I just pray it's not the Red Sox.

QuasiMondo

A-Rod needs to tell Scott Borras to STFU. He's not helping the situation at all.

__________________
Cameron originally envisioned the Terminator as a small, unremarkable man, giving it the ability to blend in more easily. As a result, his first choice for the part was Lance Henriksen. O. J. Simpson was on the shortlist but Cameron did not think that such a nice guy could be a ruthless killer.

-From the Collector's Edition DVD of The Terminator

djtestudo

Usually I would agree, but when your talent level is so far above everyone elses, as with Rodriguez, it takes longer for skills to drop.

Maybe when he's 36-37 he's 80-85% of what he used to be, but that means he's still a very good major-league player, if not a great one.

__________________
"Final thought: I just rented Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine. Frankly, it was the worst sports movie I've ever seen."
--Peter Schmuck, The (Baltimore) Sun

kutulu

But when he's 80-85% of his current self he'll be making $30M/yr (if he gets his way). Check out this article:

djtestudo

He's also not going to get that money.

__________________
"Final thought: I just rented Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine. Frankly, it was the worst sports movie I've ever seen."
--Peter Schmuck, The (Baltimore) Sun

kutulu

I agree

pan6467

I'll be very surprised if he even gets the $25 million he was making.

I know if Castellini or Dolan were to open their wallets and try to get A-Rod I would boycott the team. The Reds could use an A-Rod type hitter but they need the pitching far far more (a nice fit would be Wood perhaps)..... The Tribe is decent and although they most likely will lose Blake and need a 3rd baseman A-Rod would poison the clubhouse.

Teams totally out because of finances or other reasons (like intelligent GM's): Minnesota, KC, Texas (wouldn't do it if they only had to pay him a $1... the fans hate A-Rod too much, exaggerated but you get my point), Oakland, Pitt, Houston, Tampa Bay, Milwaukee, Cincy, Cleveland, Toronto, Washington, Colorado, Arizona, San Diego.

Teams that will be mentioned in rumors but won't truly be wanting him:

The Dodgers, I don't see it helping them, the key to the Dodgers has ALWAYS been pitching and will always hopefully be pitching, they live in one of the most pitcher friendly stadiums ever built. A-Rod would take away any chance of them building a truly strong pitching staff.... I see them saving the money next year for Johan. I really just don't see the Dodgers doing it, it doesn't make sense there.

The Angels have too much baggage and have been burnt badly by giving players contracts that the player isn't worth. Plus, they have a very respectable offense now. To add a non-team player into the mix doesn't make sense. Plus, the Angels biggest weakness is pitching not bats. To add A-Rod they would have to get rid of Guerrero, and move Cabrera or Figgins and I think that would be too much for a team that seems to have a very good chemistry and team environment. Plus, they have a great mix of young studs and veterans.... No A-Rod here.

Atlanta simply put can't afford him, AOL/Time Warner just won't put that much into the team, they can't afford to. IF the Braves do go after a high priced hitter my feeling is it will be Griffey.

Philly has too many studs getting ready to blossom and will be wanting money. Where are they going to put Helms or Rollins? I see them saving the money, if they want to spend they'll do it in house and sign Howard, Utley, Helms and Rollins. Philly desperately needs a catcher, Center Fielder and PITCHING if they plan to go anywhere. A-Rod just doesn't fit.

Baltimore.... it's just a mess there until they get a new owner they're stuck in the sewer. Angelos may spend the money, only because he wants to outdraw Washington but.... he will drive the death nail into that team for a generation and MLB would frown upon it because it could in turn kill the Washington franchise's base. (Good way for Angelos to kind of blackmail MLB though... threaten to do this.)

Boston... just don't see it. I think they maybe tempted but they already have a huge payroll and adding A-Rod to Papi and Manny while making it the best lineup possibly ever... would have WAY WAY too much invested in older players in decline, I think it would have too many ego and pampered star attitudes and totally destroy the team. This is another team that needs to focus on pitching and promoting it's up and comers like Youkilis, Ellsbury and Pedroia.

Da Cubs.... not a chance, they need PITCHING, they are in limbo because they are for sale and there isn't a prayer.

ChiSox... too many veterans making way too much now. I see them as sellers in the trading market trying to rebuild the next few years... all A-Rod would do is eat up resource money that they need to put into their farm system and scouting.

Detroit possibly, but doubtful. The money just isn't in the community (their gate) for them to justify the spending, plus this is another team that needs too many pieces and putting all that money into one piece won't win them anything.

Florida, the owner is the old Montreal Expo owner, and he will no not spend the money. If he does, he does so only to appeal to the Carribean, Cuban, Hispanic community hoping to increase interest in a town that really has none. If he signs A-Rod, he does so pretty much knowing he'll trade A-Rod after a season or 2 and it'll probably cost the franchise to fold or move... it would totally destroy baseball in Miami... MLB won't let that happen.

The Mets, while I am sure they would love to upstage the Yankees, again, they are in desperate need for pitching and need to fill positions like catcher, their outfield (except RF Beltran... although he's not what he was).... their ONLY strengths right now are 3B Wright and SS Reyes. They could move Reyes to 2B I guess..... but.....wow, that would ensure they go nowhere for awhile, as their pitching and age would be too much to overcome.

The Giants.... great fit, good way to replace Bonds, but this is another team that his contract would destroy and SF is in need of wins or losing the fan base. If anything, I see the love/hate with Barry continuing and no A-Rod here. Too expensive.

Seattle.... could use him at 3B but their pitching is in shambles and I don't see the fans as being eager to get him back. This is another team I could see going more for Griffey. I just don't see them even talking to Boras about A-Rod.

St. Louis wants pitching. Brendan Ryan is a damned great prospect at 3B. They have good young talent with a mix of great veterans, but lack PITCHING. They have a new GM that probably would love to make a bang and show explosiveness in this off season, but I see it needed more toward pitching and signing the young talent. IF he goes the A-Rod route (doubtful ownership would even spend the money) he upsets Pujols, he's betting that A-Rod could be as good in the NL and his job would be hanging on A-Rod's performance and getting them to the World Series. I don't see the new GM being that stupid or suicidal. He'll take his lumps but I have a feeling it'll be because he spends the next couple seasons rebuilding and using fresh new talented players.

That leaves us with one team..... and my prediction:

THE YANKEES...... I see the Yankees waiting and signing A-Rod for about the same $25 Million... with incentives and both sides saving face by saying how much they love each other and that A-Rod had better offers but realized his heart truly belonged in a NY Yankee jersey. The Yankees look like they get a steal, A-Rod wins the fans over, Boras doesn't look like such a greedy bastard, the fans are happy to know he "truly" loves NY, and the teams that "bid" on him can tell their fans they believed in the team soooo much that they wanted that missing piece A-Rod could give them and they tried hard and dammit, they just showed the fans how much they believe in their team so buy more tickets. MLB wins because the "biggest" name stays in their biggest market and with his salary not going up much, there will be a period of maybe more reasonable spending.

__________________
I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

Infinite_Loser

Baseball in Miami can't be any worse than it is now. But, we don't have to worry about A-Rod coming down south, 'cuz the current management would never dish out the money.

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I believe in equality; Everyone is equally inferior to me.

QuasiMondo

Well, prepare to be surprised. The sports stations in NYC are all abuzz with reports that Rodriguez is in direct talks with Hank and Hal Steinbrenner over a new contract. Scott Borras is reportedly not involved with these negotiations. The reported figure: 10 years, $275m. This is a steal, not only in financial terms, but in what they won't have to give up anymore to replace him. Not giving up Ian Kennedy, Jobba Chamberlain, Phillip Hughes, or even Melki Cabrerra to land a replacement third baseman means one of these four can be dealt to Minnesota in a bid to land Johan Santana.

Scott Borras gambled and lost, costing his client a sizeable chunk of change.

And you Yankee fans are a funny bunch. Two weeks ago, you were all, "good riddance, he's a money-whore, he couldn't come up big in the playoffs, yadda yadda." Today, it's "oh it's a great day in the Yankee kingdom, the Yankees are back! World Series in 08!" You guys sicken me with how quickly you turn on him, and just as quickly hop back on the A-Rod bandwagon. It's not even a you love him and hate him thing. You love or hatred of him seems dependent on the weather, the stock market update, the price of oil, yesterday's score, and the astrological report of the day. This has to be the most dysfunctional relationship I've ever seen between a player and his fans.

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Cameron originally envisioned the Terminator as a small, unremarkable man, giving it the ability to blend in more easily. As a result, his first choice for the part was Lance Henriksen. O. J. Simpson was on the shortlist but Cameron did not think that such a nice guy could be a ruthless killer.

-From the Collector's Edition DVD of The Terminator

pan6467

And he was going to make how much before he opted out, 27 million?

So is there any big raise, he was due $25 million and Texas still pays the $3 mill. So I guess yes, he is going to make his 30.... just Texas still is paying and the Yankees don't get a discount.

I defer back to what I stated above..... I called it.

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I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

Ilow

I don't think that the Rangers are still paying since he opted out. Someone can correct me, but I thought that stopped once he opted out. 27.5 mil is a good chunk of change. Does he still owe Boras a commission? If not he is really making out!

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"Religion is the one area of our discourse in which it is considered noble to pretend to be certain about things no human being could possibly be certain about"
--Sam Harris

djtestudo

If by "one" you mean "at least three", then sure.

Yeah, Texas won't be paying jack anymore.

And the commission question, if the reports are correct, is huge. That could be an additional $2.5 million or more coming his way, depending on the exact breakdown of the agents' fees.

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"Final thought: I just rented Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine. Frankly, it was the worst sports movie I've ever seen."
--Peter Schmuck, The (Baltimore) Sun

pan6467

Here you go: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_yl...v=ap&type=lgns

It's from deferred payments but he still gets 9 million from Texas, 3 million per year.

As for commission fees, it all depends on what kind of contract Boras had with A-Rod, a lot of players sign contracts where if they try to cutthroat the agent out, the agent still gets his share. I'm sure Boras will get his... or you will see a lawsuit.

Like I stated before, this was about the only way it could go down for all to save face. The price was too high and as I showed not 1 of the 29 other teams would bite, they may have hyped it a bit... but no, if there truly had been interest it wouldn't be ending this quickly, A-Rod and Boras would be getting all they could and be playing teams bids in the papers, trying to get others to up theirs.

__________________
I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

djtestudo

That's different. All contracts have deferred money, they just restructured it differently.

__________________
"Final thought: I just rented Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine. Frankly, it was the worst sports movie I've ever seen."
--Peter Schmuck, The (Baltimore) Sun