TwitterMore Fun With Alex
29 Jan 2013
Just when you thought Alex Rodriguez couldn’t get more interesting, here’s a new PED story linking him and other athletes to an outfit in Miami. It was back in early 2009, ironically during his last hip surgery recovery, that A-Rod admitted to using steroids during a three-year period. The Yankees stood by Alex and supported him at his press conference where he supposedly came clean.
But, that was a different A-Rod. That guy had won a MVP in 2007 and he hit .302/.392/.573 in 2008. The Yankees needed that player to be productive and their faith was rewarded with a championship in 2009 that would not have been won without Alex. Now, things are very, very different.
Let’s start with the obvious, this isn’t the same player. Rodriguez just had surgery on his other hip. He has not hit .300 since 2008 and his OPS has declined every year since 2007. He has hit 34 homers over the last two seasons and has appeared in only 221 games during that period. Couple that with his contract which has 5 years and $114-million left on it before incentives (we will get to those) and I think it is fair to say that the Yankees won’t be as supportive this time around if these allegations prove to be true.
And this is the where the biggest change from 2009 comes in, the quest to get a payroll below $189-million in 2014. I’ve detailed how hard it will be to accomplish, but if the Yankees somehow could subtract the $27.5 AAV of Alex’s contract, it becomes a lot easier to achieve. Now, I don’t see any way that is possible, but I do think the Yankees will have an argument to make against Alex’s contract incentives.
Alex gets $6-million each time he hits a milestone home run which are defined as home run #660, 714, 755, 762 and 763. And those bonuses will count against the Yankees’ payroll when they are earned. So, with Alex out until July, currently hitting a home run about once every 6.5 games and sitting at 647 career homers, there is a very real chance that he won’t hit #660 until 2014. And that would cost the Yankees an extra $6-million in payroll which could completely obliterate their quest to get under $189 million.
So, I expect the Yankees to attack those incentive clauses. A-Rod has already admitted to using PED’s from 2001-2003 when he hit 156 homers. The Yankees could use that and these latest allegations to try and invalidate his 660th homer, arguing that his real total would be less without the use of PED’s. I imagine the Yankees are thinking over their options very carefully right now. And, at the very least, I imagine Hal has given Hank a huge wedgie, at least I hope he has.
Jan 30, 2013 @ 02:32:34
Peter, do you really think the Yankees will try to void an already achieved home run total? What will that say to all other prospective free agent players who were considering the Yankees, especially those who juice? Also, how does one quantify drug use to direct production? Tricky.
Either way, it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out and if Peter Gammons is ready to conduct round 2 with Arod in a one-on-one interview of meatballs and cupcake questions.
Jan 30, 2013 @ 04:41:34
When you consider that the home run incentives could cost the Yankees more than $50 million, I think they try. Not sure how they do any of it, but ESPN is reporting they are looking into voiding the whole deal.
Jan 30, 2013 @ 04:45:46
This drama with Alex is *really* getting old. It would be wonderful if they could write him one really big check and have him retire, but that would be too simple for everyone concerned, including Alex – so it won’t happen. Besides I think Alex’s ego wouldn’t let him retire until he was shoved out the door. Additionally, my guess is that the contract would take several years, including appeals, to litigate and cost a few megabucks in the process – so it probably won”t come to a suit of any kind.
And … welcome back guys. The improvements are very nice.
PS – I am about to finish Francona’s new book. It’s a good read. I recommend it.
Jan 30, 2013 @ 17:39:38
Mitchell
I do wonder if the current line of thinking by Joel Sherman and some others might come true. To summarize- Alex has cheated rampantly for years. Alex knows he can’t play at a high level without PED’s and new PED tests this season will catch him. So Alex uses his bum hip as an excuse and finds a doctor who says he can’t play anymore. By doing so he gets the benefit of collecting every cent owed to him. The Yankees don’t mind because he goes away and they get around 80% of his contract from 2014-2017 back from insurance.
Jan 30, 2013 @ 19:54:10
Insurance company would end up being the one to sue him instead of mlb or the Yankees.
Jan 30, 2013 @ 12:39:55
I can’t see them getting any money out of Arod, the legal wrestling that would take place would take years to sort through. Not worth it. Jayson Stark’s article on it seems very aggressive, almost too aggressive in that the “evidence” must be fool proof or as close to it as you can get. Again, no failed tests (other than Cabrera) and relying on hearsay but with the new rules in place baseball can act. Should be interesting.
Mitchell – I’m about 2/3 of the way through Francona’s book, I like it a lot, great insiders view and lots of funny anecdotal humor. Love the connection with Jeter, two – way respect…love it.
Jan 30, 2013 @ 15:57:36
Everyone had the same thought when they read this story: can this give the Yankees an excuse to get out of A Rod’s contract? What a stroke of good fortune that would be. But, it’s never going to happen. At worst, A Rod gets suspended for a bit, but he’ll collect his pay once the suspension ends. There is no way they are ever getting out of this contract. The terms are too friendly to the players, and to the extent any disputes are arbitrable, the arbitrators will never give a player the “death penalty.”