A-Rod Opts Out

Scott Boras has announced his client, Alex Rodriguez, has opted out of his contract with the Yankees to become a free agent.

Rodriguez loses the final $72 million in guaranteed salary in the contract, of which $21.3 million was to be covered by payments from the Texas Rangers to the Yankees, and becomes eligible for free agency. New York had said it would not attempt to re-sign A-Rod if he opted out.

Boras said during a telephone interview that Rodriguez made his choice because he was uncertain whether Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte would return to the Yankees.

“Alex’s decision was one based on not knowing what his closer, his catcher and one of his statured pitchers was going to do,” Boras said. “He really didn’t want to make any decisions until he knew what they were doing.”

Anybody surprised by this simply does not know Alex Rodriguez. The man is a phony whose loyalty is to money. It just so happens that he is a phony who plays baseball incredibly well. If his primary consideration was the status of his teammates, he might have waited the ten days he had after the World Series to see whether those situations could resolve themselves in that time. Had he wanted to remain a Yankee, he would have at least considered the astronomical extension the team offered him. This probably ends Alex’s Yankee career. The team was set to offer him an astronomical contract. He did not even consider it. That says all one needs to know about A-Rod’s desire to stay with the club.

There is no doubt about it. This hurts the Yankees. How could losing the most talented player in the game for a pair of Draft picks not? It is hardly a death blow to this team’s hope of contending. How much did A-Rod’s early explosion help the team win in 2007? Was it not when Bobby Abreu, Hideki Matsui, and Robinson Cano got hot when the Yankees turned their season around? A-Rod was not doing anything special during the torrid stretch back into contention this team went on immediately following the All-Star break. The Yankees never went to the World Series with him. They went to the Fall Classic six times in the eight years before Alex came to the Bronx. Those teams had Wade Boggs, Charlie Hayes, Scott Brosius and Aaron Boone at third base. They also had shutdown pitching, which the Yanks lacked in the A-Rod Era. Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, Ian Kennedy, and Chien-Ming Wang will likely change that within the next few years.

The Yankees are far from done. They can spend the money they would have spent on A-Rod to improve other areas of the club. Alex can go to Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, or somewhere else and set a new contract record. He can be the biggest star in town again. This is unfortunate for the Yanks, but they can and will survive this. They would have been fools to feel completely blindsided. There is likely a contingency plan in place.

O’Connor: George Knew Best on Ortiz

Ian O’Connor of the Bergen Record argues that George Steinbrenner knew better than Brian Cashman when the owner suggested signing David Ortiz prior to the 2003 season.

George Steinbrenner told Brian Cashman to get David Ortiz. You can rattle off all of Steinbrenner’s bad ideas, rewind Ortiz’s middling career in Minnesota and recall that the Yankees had no need for another lumbering lefty in a lineup already suffering a dearth of athleticism and speed.

But none of that deletes this ice-cold truth: Steinbrenner saw something in Ortiz that Cashman did not.

In hindsight, one can easily make this claim. With the benefit of it, we now know that Giambi would turn from arguably the most lethal hitter in the American League into an oft-injured albatross at his salary. We now know that superprospect, Nick Johnson, was traded for Javier Vazquez before the 2004 season. We now know that Ortiz would transform from decent hitter into superstar. The problem is that we knew none of these back then. There was no indication that any of these would happen back then. The Yankees were set at first base and designated hitter at the time. George’s obsession with Ortiz was most likely that Boston would sign him. Give the Red Sox credit for seeing something in Ortiz’s swing that they could utilize with the Green Monster. Blaming the Yankees for not signing a first baseman at a time when they already had a pair of really good ones is silly. One can only do it with the benefit of hindsight.

O’Connor was the reporter whom Steinbrenner talked to during the ALDS, revealing Joe Torre’s job was on the line in the series. He is becoming nothing more than a mouthpiece for ownership, not an objective journalist.

King: A-Rod’s Decision Impacted by Hire

George King reports that Alex Rodriguez could be swayed to either leave or stay in New York depending on who the Yankees hire as their new manager.

With the Yankees making plans to meet with Rodriguez and agent Scott Boras, Steinbrenner was asked if the session would take place before a manager was hired.

“It has nothing to do with the manager being named. I don’t think that’s important,” Steinbrenner said.

It might be more important than Steinbrenner believes. Rodriguez developed a strong relationship with Don Mattingly when he was the hitting coach and is very close to first-base coach Tony Pena. It’s not known how Rodriguez feels about Joe Girardi, who was the Yankees’ bench coach in 2005, Rodriguez’s second Yankee season.

It seems like King had a deadline to meet so he just came up with something on the spot. His hypothesis is based on a bunch of guesses he has made, not any information from reliable sources. Does George seriously believe that A-Rod’s status will have do do with anything other than money? This is the guy who went to a horrible Texas team because they were the only team willing to fulfill his demand of doubling Kevin Garnett’s record contract for American professional sports. This is the guy about to forsake $27 million over the next 3 years after making over $130 million in his career because he thinks he can make more. If the Yankees offer more than anybody else, Alex will stay. If they do not, he will leave. It is that simple. Like many athletes, A-Rod has proven that he is more loyal to dollar signs than anything else.

A Consensus?

Hank Steinbrenner says there is a consensus among Yankees management over who the next manager should be.

 But Hank Steinbrenner — publicly — made things sound less undecided.

“I can tell you at this point, the family and the baseball people are pretty much in agreement,” Steinbrenner said. “We’re close. Still a few details to work out. Do some more thinking on it. That’s about it.

“I think from the start, the guy that I was leaning towards and the guy (Cashman) was leaning towards, it’s the same guy. So his job wouldn’t be on the line if I tend to agree with him.”

This is something of a puzzling statement as most outlets reported Hank favoring Don Mattingly and Cashman favoring Joe Girardi. Regardless, there is going to be no announcement of a hire at least for a few days.

Earlier in the process, Cashman had told people he expected to name a manager by the end of the month, which will be Wednesday. Teams must get permission from Major League Baseball to make a major announcement during the World Series, and that would likely be granted only on an off day. So any public hiring would probably come Tuesday at the earliest — or Monday if the Boston Red Sox sweep the Colorado Rockies.

Major League Baseball is trying to prevent another story from upstaging the World Series, but this rule seems to do just the opposite. If the Yanks hired somebody, it would be a big story for about a day, and the focus would shift back to the series. The story would reach its conclusion. By not allowing the Yanks to announce their decision, Bud Selig is allowing the rampant speculation to continue constantly. This speculation will not end until the World Series is over, and somebody is hired. If the Yankees have made a decision, they should not have to wait to announce it. All it does is make fans wait and draw attention from the Red Sox and the Rockies.

Sloppy Reporting

Murray Chass of the New York Times criticizes Joe Torre for perceived hypocrisy, although his reasoning is slipshod at best.

In his interview with Costas, Torre expanded his views of the incentives.

“I don’t think incentives are necessary,” he said. “I’ve never needed to be motivated. Plus, in my contract, I get a million-dollar bonus if we do win the World Series. So that’s always been there. And, you know, as far as needing incentive to go ahead and win a ballgame, that I thought, I used the term insulting.”

Torre referred to a $1 million bonus for winning the World Series. He indeed had that in his last two contracts, which covered the last six years of his employment. In the 2002-4 contract, he was able to earn $200,000 for winning the division series, $300,000 for winning the league championship series and $500,000 for winning the World Series.

The 2005-7 contract eliminated the division series bonus but provided $400,000 for winning the league championship series and $600,000 for winning the World Series, the bonuses still adding to a maximum $1 million.

Obviously Torre did not object to those bonuses, did not reject them as insulting. He signed those contracts and readily accepted the incentives they offered. Even though the Yankees didn’t win the World Series in those six years, Torre earned $700,000 of a possible $3 million in the first contract but nothing in the second because the Yankees lost the division series each year.

Torre’s objection was that this time the Yankees told him that the incentives were to motivate them. In the past, they had been rewards for a job well done. Randy Levine even stated that this contract was a change to a performance-based model to motivate Joe. The incentives themselves were not what insulted Torre. It was the way in which they were presented.

We also don’t know why he was willing to discuss a one-year contract last spring but not accept one year now.

Yes, Torre was prepared to sign a one-year extension.

Torre went to Steve Swindal, who was then a general partner and a George Steinbrenner son-in-law in good standing, and General Manager Brian Cashman and told them he would like to manage the Yankees in the last year at Yankee Stadium.

Swindal, who had negotiated Torre’s existing $20.9 million contract ($6.7 million, $6.7 million, $7.5 million), said that idea was fine with him but would require Torre to take a pay cut. They were talking about a $4.5 million salary, apparently with no insulting incentives.

Joe has said that he did not want the stress of a lame duck year. That was the main reason he had an issue with a one year offer. Had he signed the deal he was negotiating with Swindal, he would have provided himself with more job security, taking away his lame duck status from the next season, 2007. The contract the Yankees offered last week would have given him a lame duck year in the next season, 2008.

Chass really did not think this article through. His points are only congent on the surface. They do not hold up to any analysis remotely in depth. He is normally a good writer, but he really laid an egg here.

A-Rod: Clutch Player of the Year

Alex Rodriguez has won the inaugural MLB Clutch Performer of the Year Award.

No batter in the Major Leagues hit more home runs to tie the game or put his team ahead, situations in which Rodriguez went deep 22 times. Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard and Houston’s Lance Berkman tied Rodriguez in that category.

This award is both well-deserved and amazing.  Entering this season, there might not have been an award A-Rod seemed less likely to win. Despite having plenty of success in big spots early in his career, Alex let a few members of the media get into his head. He started believing that he could not hit in the clutch and pressed in key at bats. This year he hit a game-winning grand slam against Chris Ray during the season’s first week, which seemed to take the weight of the world off his shoulders. He gained confidence in his own ability to hit in key spots and stopped pressing. The results were amazing. He hit countless big homers, none more memorable than his shot against Jonathan Papelbon on a Sunday night in Fenway Park. A-Rod drove an 0-2 fastball on the outside corner at the knees into a heavy wind and out of the park to win the game. Only a player both with A-Rod’s talent and level of focus could have hit a shot like that on a pitch like that against an elite closer to decide a big game. Alex was locked in to that degree all season in pressure moments. This is the first of what should be many awards.

The Great Jeter Speaks

The Great Jeter broke his silence on the Joe Torre situation, releasing a statement regarding the longtime manager’s departure from the team.

“Out of my great respect for Mr. Torre, I have refrained from comment until he had a chance to address the public.

In my eyes, Joe Torre is more than a Hall of Fame manager. He is a friend for life, and the relationship we have shared has helped shape me in ways that transcend the game of baseball. His class, dignity, and the way he respected those around him–from ballplayers to batboys–are all qualities that are easy to admire, but difficult to duplicate.

I have known Mr. Torre for a good majority of my adult life, and there has been no bigger influence on my professional development. It was a privilege to play for him on the field, and an honor to learn from him off the field.”

These are pretty bland comments from El Capitan. He is one of the few within the organization with the credibility to take management to task over what happened. Given his relationship with Torre, he could not have been very happy with the treatment. He could have been more vocal in expressing his dissatisfaction. With that said, anybody overly critical of this statement is foolish. People need to realize that everything does not fall to The Great Jeter to fix on this team. It was not his responsibility to help Alex Rodriguez a year ago when A-Rod was struggling to deal with pressure. It is not his job now to make managerial decisions. It might have been nice had he spoken up and been bluntly honest, but in reality it would have done little.

Giuliani Rooting for Boston

Former New York Mayor and noted Yankees fan Rudy Giuliani is rooting for the Red Sox in the World Series.

“I’m rooting for the Red Sox,” the Republican presidential contender said in response to a question, sparking applause at the Boston restaurant where he was picking up a local endorsement.

“I’m an American League fan, and I go with the American League team, maybe with the exception of the Mets,” he said. “Maybe that would be the one time I wouldn’t because I’m loyal to New York.”

Any Yankees fan pulling for Boston in this series is in no position to talk about loyalty to New York or anywhere at all.

Levine: Everybody’s Out to Get Me

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times writes that Randy Levine feels his biggest critics of his handling of the Joe Torre situation have scores to settle with him.

Case No. 1: Mike Francesa and Chris Russo. Levine said that the radio team at WFAN lit him up as the Yankees’ executive most responsible for offering Torre the contract he rejected, but that Francesa and Russo did not disclose that Levine has, in his role on the YES board, questioned the value of simulcasting their daily program on YES.

Case No. 2: Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated. Verducci wrote in a column on SI.com last week that under Levine, “the Yankees let corporate cowardice be their guide” and that “there is blood everywhere on Levine and the boys” over the handling of the Torre contract.

Levine questioned Verducci’s objectivity because he collaborated on Torre’s 1997 autobiography, “Chasing the Dream.” “They had a financial relationship,” Levine said.

Case No. 3: John Kruk of ESPN. Levine said that Kruk, an analyst on “Baseball Tonight,” singled him out Thursday for leading Torre to the exit — and that General Manager Brian Cashman did not agree with the move — but failed to mention that he and Torre share the same agent, Maury Gostfrand.

This guy is just amazing. There apparently can be no objective criticism of him. His critics go well beyong these four men, though. He has only provided circumstantial evidence at best that these opinions were less than genuine. Levine is doing what he does best, spinning to cover his own rear end.

Valentine Unlikely

The Associated Press reports that the Yankees are unlikely to interview Bobby Valentine to take over as manager.

Hank Steinbrenner said four or five people will be interviewed, but Valentine wasn’t on the list. Valentine, former manager of the New York Mets and Texas Rangers, currently is managing the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan.

“I would say at this point probably not. He’s certainly a smart guy, but probably not,” Steinbrenner said.

Valentine’s salary is reportedly $4,000,000 in Japan. That means luring him to back to the United States would likely take at least what the Yankees offered to Joe Torre and quite possibly more. The Yankees already have a public relations nightmare on their hands without offering a less accomplished manager what they were willing to give a Hall of Famer. This is probably for the best. Valentine is a good manager, but the Yankees have enough distractions to deal with during the season. They do not need a manager adept at creating more.