Wow this is monumentally stupid on NY's part. It makes them look incredibly petty. I wonder if they're going to return their 2009 trophy since, ya know, A-Rod was a big part of their success and he was cheating.
All A-Rod talk here
- Thread starter CoRP
- Start date
Instead of a legal battle with an active player, it seems to me that it would make a lot more sense for the Yankees to pay most of ARod's salary (maybe 80% or so) and trade him. Make his salary palatable to a team and maybe even pick up a prospect. An added benefit would be the luxury tax savings on the part of the contract they don't have to subsidize.
No one wanted Barry Bonds and his baggage when he was a FA and he was much more of a sure thing to hit than A-Rod is now.
I think NY is hoping that he won't be physically capable of playing and then they can try to get back at least some of what they owe him via insurance. I'm guessing this will all become a lot more clear in spring training.
I think NY is hoping that he won't be physically capable of playing and then they can try to get back at least some of what they owe him via insurance. I'm guessing this will all become a lot more clear in spring training.
Yahoo!'s Tim Brown had a good take on the ridiculousness of the Yankees trying to not pay ARod this bonus:
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/yankees-refusing-to-pay-a-rod-home-run-bonus-a-joke-225307634.html
They can't pretend that the home run bonus is flawed because of the steroids, unless they are going to give back all of the other success they gained because of roided up players. Just stupid.
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/yankees-refusing-to-pay-a-rod-home-run-bonus-a-joke-225307634.html
They can't pretend that the home run bonus is flawed because of the steroids, unless they are going to give back all of the other success they gained because of roided up players. Just stupid.
I suppose there is always the hope that he gets injured if they keep him on the roster, and that insurance comes into play. Somehow I think he might produce enough to be worth more on the roster than some random callup anyway though.
Although it won't happen, I'm amused by the idea of the Yankees trying to injure ARod by asking him to play catcher or pitch.
jon abbey said:
It's probably not inside information at all, but one of my friends in baseball has told me that insurance rarely works like fans expect it will work. It's an odd system which only recoups a portion of the contract for the specific time a player missed while on the DL (no future time) and is, of course, no sure thing to get paid. Being "physically capable" of playing isn't the issue if his physical incapability just means he's bad - he also has to be demonstrably hurt, or the insurance claim will never get paid. Anyway, I have a hard time believing that without some serious injury, A-Rod is going to just accept going to the DL with the Hellenic Flu.
nattysez said:
It's $24 million, when factoring in passing each Mays, Ruth, Aaron & Bonds. At this point it's a far reach to think he'll even hit 60 homers over the next three years, but I'm sure the MFY are arguing that it's not just 6 mil.
What if those 20 hrs a year came with a 300 ish obp and sub 700 ops much like teixeiras 2014? That's not much value from a DH or immobile occasional 3b or 1b. Though I guess it's about replacement level and better than nothing.jon abbey said:
I can easily see him giving up on a good obp or situational hitting to chase the HRs at this stage.
Interesting thought. If A-Rod and Garrett Jones combine for 35 HRs primarily at DH and can effectively take some days at 1B, 3B and RF, then yes I would put a low .300s OBP in the 7 spot. I wouldn't be as exuberant as John Abbey, but that would be productive. If A-Rod needs 600 DH PAs to get to 20 HRs and can't play the field, then the .300 OBP is a problem. Of course if he's that low and getting that much time, it means someone is hurt.Lowrielicious said:
A-Rod initiated this meeting and is attempting to show remorse because he fears the Yankees will be successful in their attempt to block the milestone incentives. Surely the Yankees FO is smart enough to see through this charade. I wonder if he pretended to cry in the meeting.
Or maybe he apologized for all those home runs he hit and games he won, including helping to win a World Series?
I mean, I don't understand why any of this is news. Of course he is trying to bury the hatchet for his lawsuits from last year, but other than that I don't think any of it really matters. The Yankees can wish they didn't owe him money for any more years, but that has nothing to do with steroids - that has to do with being idiots when he opted out.
I hope he hits 40 homers this year.
I mean, I don't understand why any of this is news. Of course he is trying to bury the hatchet for his lawsuits from last year, but other than that I don't think any of it really matters. The Yankees can wish they didn't owe him money for any more years, but that has nothing to do with steroids - that has to do with being idiots when he opted out.
I hope he hits 40 homers this year.
I don't feel like looking it up and linking it, but yesterday's Post reported that A-Rod told Barry Bonds this winter that he was coming after his HR record. I guess the appropriate expression there would be "more power to you"?
http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/12324371/new-york-yankees-offer-alex-rodriguez-yankee-stadium-potential-site-public-apology
Today, I consider myself the _________ man on the face of the earth!
The making of a another classic moment in Yankee history.
Today, I consider myself the _________ man on the face of the earth!
A self incriminating press conference seems unlikely.
With the Yankees looking for any loop hole to void his current deal and bonus incentives, I'd be shocked if this ended up being a McGwire-like confession. His carefully prepared statement won't go into any details about what he took and when he took them.
This will be more of a Jason Giambi apology. "I'm sorry for the mistakes I've made...", without actually saying what those mistakes were. The comedy will be off the charts though.
With the Yankees looking for any loop hole to void his current deal and bonus incentives, I'd be shocked if this ended up being a McGwire-like confession. His carefully prepared statement won't go into any details about what he took and when he took them.
This will be more of a Jason Giambi apology. "I'm sorry for the mistakes I've made...", without actually saying what those mistakes were. The comedy will be off the charts though.
bankshot1 said:
So close, we were looking for "Today, I consider myself the luckiest centaur on the face of the earth!"
Heh, thumbs up on that one.
A-Rod holding a press conference in an almost entirely empty Yankee Stadium would be amazing, who even cares anymore. How great would it be if the media and the fans just didn't show up, on the off chance this actually happens? Just A-Rod and John Sterling and the YES cameras, hehehe...
A-Rod holding a press conference in an almost entirely empty Yankee Stadium would be amazing, who even cares anymore. How great would it be if the media and the fans just didn't show up, on the off chance this actually happens? Just A-Rod and John Sterling and the YES cameras, hehehe...
"The Yankees, sources said, also made it clear to Rodriguez that they plan on disputing his home run bonuses. Rodriguez, who has 654 career homers, can make a total of $30 million extra if he reaches five separate home run milestones, starting with tying Willie Mays' 660 homers for fourth place on the all-time list." http://espn.go.com/n...-public-apology
This is going to be fun to watch!
This is going to be fun to watch!
I can't wait to see the Yankee argument for disputing the HR bonuses. "yes, of course we benefited from all of those home runs, but he was cheating so they shouldn't count, but we weren't cheating so those runs should in no way effect our past record or anything of that sort." there's going to have to be some serious bending of logic and reality in this argument.
Andrew Marchand @AndrewMarchand 5m5 minutes ago
A-Rod releases statement to @ESPNNewYork. He says sorry to the fans. He will not have a press conference.
A-Rod releases statement to @ESPNNewYork. He says sorry to the fans. He will not have a press conference.
Sweet. A-Rod "takes full responsibility" but:
Does not admit to doing PEDs.
Does not promise never to do PEDs again.
Does not apologize to any of the folks he demonized at the arb hearing.
Does not explain why he did what he did - either the PEDs or the hearing.
Does not apologize to the fans (per se).
Does not apologize for being a bad role model to kids.
Does not apologize to his fellow players.
Also, there's no atonement. While it's not strictly necessary for an apology, usually people who feel bad about what they did try to correct it or compensate for it in some way. How much of a stretch is it for him to speak out against PED use? In, say, high school kids? Or kick some money to a charity or anti-PED program/group.
I'm sure he'd like to think the matter is "over" - but it's not.
This guy is just as out of whack as he ever was.
Does not admit to doing PEDs.
Does not promise never to do PEDs again.
Does not apologize to any of the folks he demonized at the arb hearing.
Does not explain why he did what he did - either the PEDs or the hearing.
Does not apologize to the fans (per se).
Does not apologize for being a bad role model to kids.
Does not apologize to his fellow players.
Also, there's no atonement. While it's not strictly necessary for an apology, usually people who feel bad about what they did try to correct it or compensate for it in some way. How much of a stretch is it for him to speak out against PED use? In, say, high school kids? Or kick some money to a charity or anti-PED program/group.
I'm sure he'd like to think the matter is "over" - but it's not.
This guy is just as out of whack as he ever was.
A couple of questions about Arod's marketing/HR incentive deal, that the Yankees are contesting.
If for example Arod passes May's 660 Hrs, and earns a $6 million payment would this payment be included in Yankee payroll for luxury tax purposes?
Do the Ys share the revenues associated with ARod's marketing deal with other MLB teams (like other souvenir/merchandise sales?)
How are these potential payments different from other performance-based structures that MLB does not allow (ie a bonus for making the AS team is ok, but payments for the # of HRs is not)
If for example Arod passes May's 660 Hrs, and earns a $6 million payment would this payment be included in Yankee payroll for luxury tax purposes?
Do the Ys share the revenues associated with ARod's marketing deal with other MLB teams (like other souvenir/merchandise sales?)
How are these potential payments different from other performance-based structures that MLB does not allow (ie a bonus for making the AS team is ok, but payments for the # of HRs is not)
They aren't different; they violate MLB Rule 3(b)(5) and properly shouldn't have been approved, just as Pujols's performance bonuses and a particular $2M performance bonus the Red Sox paid when they won the 2004 World Series the next year shouldn't have been approved.bankshot1 said:
The Commissioner's office has sometimes approved contracts that violate Rule 3(b)(5), presumably because hasn't always been in the interest of MLB and the MLBPA to enforce it.
