Comments on: A-Rod’s career is not over. Just stop it.

By: binarymath

binarymath — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 19:41:03 +0000

If the Yankees do NOT release Arod, they may try to void the contract, wait for the legal battle, and hope for a settlement. He can then trade some fraction of the remaining contract for his freedom.

If they DO release him, he is still more than viable at some salary level, and clubs will get imaginative with incentive-laden contract offers.

The Phils just signed Yuniesky Betancourt to be a backup for their aging infield. I suspect GM Ruben Amaro (and Phillies’ fan base) would be much more “juiced” (sorry, couldn’t resist that…) about having Arod than YuBet on the roster.

And I suspect a similar story for the Cardinals and MANY other teams in MLB.

In fact, I would not rule out a release settlement that gave NYY some sort of “right of first refusal” where they could match or beat other offers. That would be quicker than a drawn-out court fight, gives the Yanks some immediate relief against luxury tax level, and the first refusal clause would let everyone bid for Arod, establishing a current market value for his services.

If the other teams are able to bid for Arod, then they cannot be upset if his next contract is much less than what the Yanks would have owed under the old deal. And some team (like the Phils) might offer more than the Yanks.

By: 1historian

1historian — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 12:41:58 +0000

Craig strikes me as one of those who is more susceptible to literary ‘vapors’ than the others.

By: 13arod

13arod — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 12:13:38 +0000

you know that he is a good third basemen not going to be released and didn’t take drugs

By: cur68

cur68 — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 07:36:52 +0000

Gawd. Coherent much?

By: dprat

dprat — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 04:02:29 +0000

I enjoy many of your posts, OG. But for this one, a thousand thumbs up would not be sufficient.

By: superpriebe

superpriebe — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 03:49:28 +0000

You know, if the Yankees released him, I actually could see him being done. His strikes against:

** Possible 50-game suspension
** Poor health for quite some time
** Ensuing media circus
** Good, but not superlative hitter
** Not considered great around the clubhouse or with press
** Probably limited defensively

No one wanted Barry Bonds at any price after his last season, when he hit 276/480/565. ARod isn’t hitting nearly that well and isn’t as healthy as Bonds was then. I don’t mean to say ARod SHOULD be done, but it wouldn’t be surprised if it happened. Precedent has been set.

By: 13arod

13arod — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 03:36:45 +0000

how does mlb not know that bosch could have put arod’s name on the list and maybe other’s bosch can’t be trusted and he needs to go to prision because i know that he is framing arod and maybe others trust me when you guys find out your wrong you are going to feel stuiped and i am going to be right and arod is going to come back and have a good half of a season

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 03:20:03 +0000

I thought this was the internet. You make it sound like a church.

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 03:19:02 +0000

No one – especially no spawrtsrighter – is going to describe A-Roid as having dysplasia. No one. They’d have to explain it several times, fail, default to a veterinary authority who has worked closely with the Borg. I am not aware of any veterinary authority who has worked closely with the Borg. Just the Atlanta Falcons, and that was years ago.

By: paperlions

paperlions — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 01:56:28 +0000

Not well, but the upgrade on offense over those nearly automatic outs currently on the roster should more than compensate for the bad defense.

By: jckid21

jckid21 — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 01:52:21 +0000

Even if the Yankees find some clause or breach to get out of this contract the MLB Players Union will fight this to the bitter end. They will not go down without a lengthy legal fight on this one because if the Yankees were ever successful in voiding AROD’s contract that opens up Pandora’s box because keep in mind AROD never failed a PED test. Imagine the power a franchise could have if someone actually failed a test. The players union will never let that happen no matter what idiot player gets caught.

By: 18thstreet

18thstreet — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 01:42:45 +0000

I once heckled Bob Novak (the political columnist) at a Maryland basketball game. It was great. Whenever the crowd cheered a Maryland basket, I yelled, “Novak, you’re a hack!” Cathartic.

By: 18thstreet

18thstreet — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 01:41:19 +0000

It is impossible to boo a Yankee excessively.

By: raysfan1

raysfan1 — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 01:17:00 +0000

Testing can’t detect that for which testers don’t test. HGH testing only starts this year. Plus, HGH metabolizes extremely quickly, so catching anyone will be either very lucky timing or the result of a tip off (which is how the rugby player who tested positive a year or two ago got caught).

By: lionsplayoffs

lionsplayoffs — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 00:47:35 +0000

I thought cheaters like A-Roid were supposed to be getting caught. Why was their testing not uncovering this crap?

By: hojo20

hojo20 — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 23:46:48 +0000

COuld’ve been worse, if he said Joe Posnanski was his favorite.

By: geoknows

geoknows — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 23:03:43 +0000

Yikes. He hasn’t played short regularly since 2003, when he was 27 years old, and only 8 innings since, none of them after 2005. Do you really think he can?

By: sabatimus

sabatimus — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 22:56:28 +0000

Yes it is.

By: youknowwhatsgoodforshoulderpain

youknowwhatsgoodforshoulderpain — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 22:46:21 +0000

“The only factor would be the strength of his hip, not his status as a media pariah.”

Well put. I think that’s the meat and potatos of most sports businesses anyway. Production/potential beats out public opinion 95% of the time.

By: xmatt0926x

xmatt0926x — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 22:43:04 +0000

Weren’t they already talking about him possibly being done anyway because of his injuries? I thought from the stories I was reading after the season that it was a longshot for him to come back and the Yankees might be off the hook because of the insurance.

By: paperlions

paperlions — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 22:42:13 +0000

Considering the alternatives currently available to them, I would take ARod as a backup SS option on the Cardinals….you know, assuming they could pick him up for cheap after he cleared waivers and that it meant the release of Cedeno.

By: 13arod

13arod — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 22:42:10 +0000

arpd not taking drugs can’t see him taking drugs after he admited in 2009 story doesn’t make sense anybody could have put his name down and framed him

By: pisano

pisano — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 22:35:09 +0000

“Arod’s career is not over”…. what harm is there in wishing it is?

By: pinkfloydprism

pinkfloydprism — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 22:28:40 +0000

Not by a contractual standpoint… but realistically… it just might be.

By: darthicarus

darthicarus — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 22:21:29 +0000

This is the internet, can we please leave logic/reason/sanity next to the keyboard & just continue to believe what we want.

By: 1943mrmojorisin1971

1943mrmojorisin1971 — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 22:21:28 +0000

His career can’t be over. Who will I boo excessively when the Yankees come to town? I guess every other player on the team….but it just wouldn’t be the same.

By: chacochicken

chacochicken — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 22:21:21 +0000

Hips will always be his problem. Do whatever you want with that. I do have it on good authority, from a very reputable sports memorabilia dealer, that Arod’s hip trouble isn’t from peds, in fact, his mother is a pure-bred german shepherd.

By: evan5

evan5 — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 22:19:28 +0000

“David Schoenfield is one of my favorite baseball writers…”

And that’s where I stopped reading.

By: stex52

stex52 — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 22:12:56 +0000

Sportswriters. Hysterical overstatements. You can’t have one without the other.