Arod opts out!

[worldchamps]

Re: Arod opts out!

OR......is arod frantically trying to get a deal done before the Mitchell report comes out.....get the max $$$ he can, and get away from the NY media before they can blast him for being a cheater

he was too embarrassed to get award from Hank Aaron????


maybe????

[murderers_row]

Re: Arod opts out!

If he was worried about the Mitchell Report ruining his value, he would have resigned with the Yankees for a guaranteed $30M/year for the next 8 years!

The ink on that contract would be long dry by the time the roport is made public.

He's not worried a bit.

[BULBUS]

Re: Arod opts out!

"Why would you stay in NY when no matter what you do you will never be good enough? He could have hit .800 in the playoffs and led his team to a championship and Jeter would have got the credit."

THIS MAKES SENSE????? IF ONLY AROD DID THAT!

AROD HAD SEATTLE, TEXAS, AND BOSTON BOOING HIM WHEREVER HE WENT. NOW HE HAS YANKEE FANS BOOING. HE MAY BE THE BEST REGULAR SEASON PLAYER, BUT NOW HE IS THE MOST HATED TOO.

[Nathan]

Re: Arod opts out!

As an Arod fan you should know and realize already that his own personal stats are all that Arod cares about

Yes, the basic logic that "RBIs and home runs help your team" apply to everyone who has ever played baseball except Alex Rodriguez. I've been fighting with the Elias Sports Bureau and Stats, Inc. for years to get his statline changed from "home runs" to "team-damaging home runs" and "selfish, greedy RBIs", but apparently they're too busy switching Jeter's stuff over to "calm-eyed GIDP in playoffs" and "gritty clutchy strikeouts" and "team-helping amazing poor defensive ability".

[OaklandAsFan]

Re: Arod opts out!

Yes, the basic logic that "RBIs and home runs help your team" apply to everyone who has ever played baseball except Alex Rodriguez. I've been fighting with the Elias Sports Bureau and Stats, Inc. for years to get his statline changed from "home runs" to "team-damaging home runs" and "selfish, greedy RBIs", but apparently they're too busy switching Jeter's stuff over to "calm-eyed GIDP in playoffs" and "gritty clutchy strikeouts" and "team-helping amazing poor defensive ability".

Say what you want but history proves that all the numbers he puts up don't help the teams he are on one bit nor does he perform when it counts in the post season. He could care less if he has a ring or not all he cares about is being the 300million dollar man

[Nathan]

Re: Arod opts out!

Say what you want but history proves that all the numbers he puts up don't help the teams he are on one bit nor does he perform when it counts in the post season. He could care less if he has a ring or not all he cares about is being the 300million dollar man

That's absolutely absurd. Where would New York be without him this year? Maybe they get 85 wins (but probably not) and they most definitely finish out of the playoff hunt.

His playoff performances haven't been stellar, but then I can scrounge up a three-series sample of probably 40 HOFers for the sake of comparison.

And somehow I doubt when he was growing up and playing baseball with the other kids on his block, he was imagining "Alex Rodriguez, it's not the bottom of the 9th in the World Series. It's the top of the fifth inning on June 10 against Tampa Bay, because another hit kicks in a $500,000 bonus for the kid." Do you forget that he agreed to be traded to New York and then vacated his normal position in order to win?

[OaklandAsFan]

Re: Arod opts out!

And I am saying that it didn't matter to him where the Yanks finished the year he cared about his personal stats and thats it. He knew he was walking at the end of the year from the start and he showed off just how selfish he is by announcing it in the middle of game 4 of a blowout world series because he knew it would garner more attention than who actually won the series. He is a media savvy person and knew exactly what he was doing, "oopps I shouldnt have announced it when I did my bad" whats done is done he is selfish and like Bonds any team that has him on it will have such chemistry problems that they won't ever win.

oh yeah he took that move to 3rd because it put him in a larger market to sell himself and make himself more money in endorsements. he also wanted to get out of Texas where there were a bunch of children who didn't care about their stats as much as he did about his own. I could do a little research and find the article in the web when he left Texas about just how miserable he made the younger players on the team when he was there with his obsessiveness on his own personal stats if you like.

[Nathan]

Re: Arod opts out!

And I am saying that it didn't matter to him where the Yanks finished the year he cared about his personal stats and thats it. He knew he was walking at the end of the year from the start and he showed off just how selfish he is by announcing it in the middle of game 4 of a blowout world series because he knew it would garner more attention than who actually won the series. He is a media savvy person and knew exactly what he was doing, "oopps I shouldnt have announced it when I did my bad" whats done is done he is selfish and like Bonds any team that has him on it will have such chemistry problems that they won't ever win.

oh yeah he took that move to 3rd because it put him in a larger market to sell himself and make himself more money in endorsements. he also wanted to get out of Texas where there were a bunch of children who didn't care about their stats as much as he did about his own. I could do a little research and find the article in the web when he left Texas about just how miserable he made the younger players on the team when he was there with his obsessiveness on his own personal stats if you like.

Since it was Scott Boras who made the announcement, the entire first part of your post is invalid.

And since I can find just as many articles about "I feel bad for the guy since he's carrying the team and we all suck" coming out of Texas.

And third, STATISTICS MEASURE PRODUCTION. I really don't care what the motives are, if a guy hits a double then he's in scoring position (and may have brought a runner or two in to score). If he hits a home run, he has put runs on the board. If he turns a double play, he's taken out two baserunners. If a player decides that for every run he produces, he's going to start wiping his genitals with mink fur, I really don't care. If a pitcher decides that for every strikeout he gets, he's going to start chanting to the goddess Kali, I don't care. The game is won and lost on the field of play, and it takes a hell of a stretch to act like a game that is lost on the field is won in the clubhouse (or vice versa).

There's 300 million people in this country and I'm sure most have a good attitude. It doesn't change the fact that they're terrible baseball players. I've met Jim Caravello and Mike Specht and trust their knowledge about bats and think both are good guys, but I wouldn't want them swinging a bat in a real game no matter what their positive attitude may be (actually, Jim seems like he would slap a single over short and Mike could probably clock a double to right field....).

If having a good team-first attitude was vitally important, then how come none of the great motivational speakers won any championships? Heck, Matt Foley lived in a van down by the river!

[OaklandAsFan]

Re: Arod opts out!

At ths point I will just agree to disagree you obviously feel different about Arod than I do
I will however point out that your a crazy if you think that Boras didn't act with at least Arods knowledge if not a direct order by Arod to announce it then.

[suave1477]

Re: Arod opts out!

I read all these comments about the AROD situation and I agree to disagree with almost all of you and I found Nathans comments interesting. Especially how your defending a person by trying to throw a positive view angle on negatives and I commend you for that. But we all have to look at things realistically.

1) Is AROD one of if not thee greatest player YES
2) Does AROD play for himself YES
3) Did AROD really become such an unselfish player by moving to third NO - he has a brain and knew that was he only chance of getting on the team, where most likely he was gonna be given an easy ride to a ring and in a high market where he can get more endorsements. Plus one of limited amount of tems to pick up his salary from the Rangers.
4) Want to talk about stats how many errors did he make in 2006 at 3rd??? MY ALL TIME FAVORITE - how about he was #6 in the whole league to ground out balls into double plays (#6 in MLB) which means not only did he take himself out, he also took out his teamate from a chance to score.
5) 2007 so he stepped up his game, was it for the team NO - again he is smart and wanted to get his personal stock up, he knew his playing days as a Yankee was coming to an end and he knew he had to make himself more marketable then ever.
6) As far as teams he can go to there are many - Mets, Dodgers, Cubs, Red Sox, Giants, Angels and Tigers
6) AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST YOUR ALL COMMENTING ABOUT HIM OPTING OUT, LETS NOT FORGET HE CAN ALWAYS NEGOTIATE TO COMEBACK.

My realistic prediction is he wants a ring, but he wants to line his pockets, he wants in a team where he can shine and get his own stats up and he want's the limelight of the media but not as pressuring as being on the Yankees.
After that being said think about what teams can offer all that and you will get the team he is signing with.

[allstarsplus]

Re: Arod opts out!

11/14/2007 7:44 PM ET
Yanks, A-Rod close to multi-year deal
New contract would pay slugger as much as $290 million

By Barry M. Bloom and Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

A source said that the Yankees now have an open dialogue with Alex Rodriguez. (Frank Franklin II/AP)

NAPLES, Fla. -- The New York Yankees are getting close to re-signing third baseman Alex Rodriguez to a multi-year contract that would pay him as much as $290 million, multiple baseball sources told MLB.com as the owners gathered here Wednesday for the final quarterly meetings of the year.
Though one source cautioned that the Yankees "don't have a deal yet," the possibility of it happening was the main topic of conversation as committees met on Wednesday in preparation for Thursday morning's joint session of the 30 owners and/or their representatives.
The news came only hours after Rodriguez confirmed making direct contact with the Yankees with the hope of reviving his future in New York.

In a statement posted on AROD.com, Rodriguez's official Web site, he said that he had spoken directly with the Steinbrenner family and is taking part in continuing dialogue with the club.
"After spending time with [wife] Cynthia and my family over these last few weeks, it became clear to me that I needed to make an attempt to engage the Yankees regarding my future with the organization," Rodriguez said.

"Prior to entering into serious negotiations with other clubs, I wanted the opportunity to share my thoughts directly with Yankees ownership. We know there are other opportunities for us, but Cynthia and I have a foundation with the club that has brought us comfort, stability and happiness."

Randy Levine, the team's president who is in town for the meetings, declined to comment on the Rodriguez situation, saying only that he didn't want to "negotiate in the press."

But a baseball source at the meetings with knowledge of the negotiations said that the Yankees now have an open dialogue with Rodriguez. The source also denied a report published on Wednesday that the Yankees specifically told A-Rod that they would not negotiate with Scott Boras, his agent.

The source added that Rodriguez "reached out" to the Yankees, but that the team has "no right to tell anyone who should represent" any player.
A team, of course, can talk directly with a player as long as it doesn't try to circumvent his representation.

The Padres did just that last week with right-hander Greg Maddux, another Boras client, when the San Diego club and pitcher came to a verbal agreement on a one-year extension to his contract worth $10 million. The paperwork on the deal, said Padres general manager Kevin Towers at the time, was being handled by Boras.
Citing his comfort in New York, Rodriguez confirmed that he approached the Yankees through a third-party intermediary.

"I reached out to the Yankees through mutual friends and conveyed that message," Rodriguez said. "I also understand that I had to respond to certain Yankees concerns, and I was receptive and understanding of that situation.

"Cynthia and I have since spoken directly with the Steinbrenner family. During these healthy discussions, both sides were able to share honest feelings and hopes with one another, and we expect to continue this dialogue with the Yankees over the next few days."

The Yankees are apparently unconcerned that Rodriguez's overture could be a ploy to generate interest in the 11-time All-Star and probable 2007 American League MVP. While most clubs would love to add a player of Rodriguez's magnitude, teams with the financial wherewithal to realistically do it this offseason have proven scarce.

Even the Players Association released a statement last week saying it was concerned that teams were colluding against Rodriguez by sharing monetary information about his status, a strict abrogation of the Basic Agreement.

The Yankees originally backed away from Rodriguez after Game 4 of the World Series when Boras delivered word that Rodriguez had opted out of his contract and forfeited the remaining three years and $81 million on his deal.
At the time, Yankees senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner dismissed talk of pursuing A-Rod, saying, "It's goodbye." Yankees general manager Brian Cashman reiterated numerous times that the Yankees could not fiscally pursue Rodriguez if he opted out, citing the loss of a $30 million subsidy the Rangers agreed to pay when the Yankees acquired him prior to the 2004 season in exchange for second baseman Alfonso Soriano.
In fact, the makeup of the new deal, if it is signed, will probably have Rodriguez forgoing that money at the front end while the Yankees pay more per annum at the back end of the deal, a practice the club favors in its long-term contracts.

Rodriguez, 32, is the clear-cut favorite to be named AL MVP when the award is announced on Monday. It would be Rodriguez's third time bringing home the honor in his career, and the second in four seasons as a member of the Yankees.

Rodriguez led the Major Leagues in home runs (54), RBIs (156) and runs scored (143) in 2007, batting .314 with 24 stolen bases while helping the Yankees dig out of an early hole and attain the AL Wild Card before falling to the Indians in the AL Division Series. He also clubbed his 500th home run on Aug. 4 against the Royals, becoming the youngest player in history to reach that mark.

Barry M. Bloom is a national reporter for MLB.com. Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

[cohibasmoker]

Re: Arod opts out!

What happened to all those other teams who so desperately wanted A-Rod?

[OaklandAsFan]

Re: Arod opts out!

all 30 teams want Arod its the question of whether they can actually pay him. Only about 5 teams in the MLB could do that part.