A-Rod Opts Out

PackPhanGirl · Post by **PackPhanGirl** » October 29, 2007 4:33 pm

NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez has opted out of the final three years of his contract with the Yankees and will become a free agent, likely ending his four-year stay in New York.

Rodriguez's decision was first reported by Sports Illustrated's Web site on Sunday evening. According to the report, agent Scott Boras sent word of the opt-out in writing and left phone and text messages for general manager Brian Cashman on Sunday.

Boras later confirmed the opt-out in an e-mail sent to the Associated Press. The decision was made public during Game 4 of the World Series.

Rodriguez, this season's likely American League Most Valuable Player, will be forfeiting the final three years and approximately $81 million on his record $252 million contract.

The Yankees have said numerous times that if Rodriguez opts out, they will not pursue him as a free agent, sentiments that were voiced earlier this month by both senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner and Cashman.

"Alex made the decision today," Boras told SI.com. "I thought we should notify the club."

Cashman did not immediately return a telephone message.

Yankees Senior Vice President Hank Steinbrenner reiterated the club's stance to the New York Daily News.

"We're not going to back down," Steinbrenner said. "It's goodbye."

The Yankees had been constructing what figured to be a lucrative contract extension in order to keep Rodriguez, who led the Major Leagues with 54 home runs, 156 RBIs and 143 runs scored this season, batting .314 while helping the team to the AL Wild Card.

According to the report, the Yankees were never able to present the offer. Through Boras, Rodriguez -- who had said numerous times during the course of the season that he "loves" New York and wants to stay -- turned down a request to meet with club officials.

"It's clear he didn't want to be a Yankee," Hank Steinbrenner told the Daily News. "He doesn't understand the privilege of being a Yankee on a team where the owners are willing to pay $200 million to put a winning product on the field.

"I don't want anybody on my team that doesn't want to be a Yankee."

Boras told the Web site that Rodriguez felt he could not make a decision to stay in his allotted time period -- technically, he had until 10 days after the World Series to trigger his opt-out -- since a number of situations remain unsettled for the Yankees.

The club has not yet named Joe Torre's successor, though either Joe Girardi or Don Mattingly is likely to be announced as the new manager early this week. Having conducted an interview process over three days last week in Tampa, the team has also not yet made significant progress with such key free agents as Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte.

"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 told the Associated Press. "He really didn't want to make any decisions until he knew what they were doing."

Following the Yankees' AL Division Series loss to the Cleveland Indians, Rodriguez and his wife, Cynthia, spent time at Boras' Newport Beach, Calif., estate for an information-gathering and strategy-planning session. Boras also visited Rodriguez last week in Miami as he mulled his future.

Rodriguez was named as the AL's Hank Aaron Award winner on Sunday prior to Game 4 of the World Series, but he was not present for the ceremony at Colorado's Coors Field. Commissioner Bud Selig said that Rodriguez had a scheduling conflict.

Rodriguez, 32, was acquired by the Yankees from the Texas Rangers on Feb. 16, 2004, with cash, in exchange for Alfonso Soriano and a Minor League player. The Yankees had said that pursuing Rodriguez as a free agent would not financially make sense because they would lose the approximately $21 million still owed to them by the Rangers over the final three seasons of the contract.

"If it's true, that's obviously good news from our standpoint," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. "But I'm going to wait to hear about it officially."

If indeed Rodriguez's Yankees career is over, he leaves New York having played in 629 games over four seasons with the Yankees, batting .302 with 173 home runs and 513 RBIs.

aeroparrot · Post by **aeroparrot** » October 29, 2007 4:41 pm

A-Rod was just jealous (and Boras too) that the attention wasn't on him but on the World Series victor.

popcornjack · Post by **popcornjack** » October 29, 2007 4:45 pm

PackPhanGirl wrote: "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 told the Associated Press. "He really didn't want to make any decisions until he knew what they were doing."

BUT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HE DID!!!!! HE MADE A DECISION BEFORE HE KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING!!!!!! WHAT A F***ING MORON!!!!!!!

aeroparrot · Post by **aeroparrot** » October 29, 2007 4:53 pm

popcornjack wrote:
PackPhanGirl wrote: "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 told the Associated Press. "He really didn't want to make any decisions until he knew what they were doing."
BUT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HE DID!!!!! HE MADE A DECISION BEFORE HE KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING!!!!!! WHAT A F***ING MORON!!!!!!!

I think it's ego. I have said it before, he has always made the team he was on "worse" (relatively speaking of course).

LIPH · Post by **LIPH** » October 29, 2007 4:56 pm

There's an article on espn.com that says Rodriguez is giving up $72 million that he's owed for the next 3 years and the Yankees are losing $21.3 million that Texas is paying for the same 3 years. But if Rodriguez is leaving and the Yankees aren't paying him anything, aren't they saving $50.7 million, not losing $21.3 million?

popcornjack · Post by **popcornjack** » October 29, 2007 5:10 pm

Technically, yes they're saving that money, but only until they start spending it on someone to replace him.

SharkOnLand · Post by **SharkOnLand** » October 29, 2007 5:16 pm

I wonder how much of that money they're gonna dangle in front of Mike Lowell....

popcornjack · Post by **popcornjack** » October 29, 2007 5:18 pm

SharkOnLand wrote:I wonder how much of that money they're gonna dangle in front of Mike Lowell....

All of it.

TommyBahama · Post by **TommyBahama** » October 29, 2007 5:22 pm

popcornjack wrote:
SharkOnLand wrote:I wonder how much of that money they're gonna dangle in front of Mike Lowell....
All of it.

Non...i'm guessing Lowell will be locked up soon!!!........and you take Boston out of the Bidding war for A-Rod.....there is nobody to drive up the price.....i don't see a whole lot of bidders for a contract of that amount...could he possibly make less then if he stayed a Yankee!!

SharkOnLand · Post by **SharkOnLand** » October 29, 2007 6:00 pm

TommyBahama wrote:
popcornjack wrote:
SharkOnLand wrote:I wonder how much of that money they're gonna dangle in front of Mike Lowell....
All of it.
Non...i'm guessing Lowell will be locked up soon!!!

I wouldn't be so sure of that. I bet the Yankees would be willing to OVERPAY for Lowell, just to get him out of Boston.

TommyBahama · Post by **TommyBahama** » October 29, 2007 6:14 pm

SharkOnLand wrote:
TommyBahama wrote:
popcornjack wrote:
SharkOnLand wrote:I wonder how much of that money they're gonna dangle in front of Mike Lowell....
All of it.
Non...i'm guessing Lowell will be locked up soon!!!
I wouldn't be so sure of that. I bet the Yankees would be willing to OVERPAY for Lowell, just to get him out of Boston.

i think Boston may over pay to keep him!!!...unless they are going after A-Rod...there are no 3rd basemen out there.....or 1st basemen if you wanted to move Yukes over there again!!!

MacPhin · Post by **MacPhin** » October 29, 2007 6:22 pm

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
there will be NO A-ROD in Boston. Lowell is too good. i heard that theo wanted to sign lowell right away. so help me god is they screw this one up. you will be able to hear me scream all the way to california if
1.) they lose him
0r 2.) A-Rod comes to Boston. Who f wants that head case.

just my 2 cents..

oh, we were at margaritaville orlando last night. john stevens ( the signer at the porch of indecision) informed us that we missed Roger Clemens. i said who cares. i hate that guy. he couldn't believe i said that. i guess he's a yankees fan. anyway, i said, the guy mailed it in at least 2 years before he left, said he never wanted to leave boston and lastly, "it wasn't about the MONEY"!! yeah, and i love the cold weather. this coming from a chick who used to love him and saw his 20 k againist seattle way back when.

Wino you know · Post by **Wino you know** » October 29, 2007 7:22 pm

I wonder who REALLY cares.

Not cares-REALLY cares.

I'd love to see him stay a Yankee, but if he wants to go, I don't REALLY care.
Really, I don't.

And I don't give a damn about Mike Lowell either.

PackPhanGirl · Post by **PackPhanGirl** » October 29, 2007 8:22 pm

LIPH wrote:There's an article on espn.com that says Rodriguez is giving up $72 million that he's owed for the next 3 years and the Yankees are losing $21.3 million that Texas is paying for the same 3 years. But if Rodriguez is leaving and the Yankees aren't paying him anything, aren't they saving $50.7 million, not losing $21.3 million?

so basically Texas is coming out on the better end of this deal,right?

PackPhanGirl · Post by **PackPhanGirl** » October 29, 2007 8:29 pm

oh yeah...isn't A-Rod's agent real aggressive? wonder who really made the decision to opt out? just wonderin?

I must say....I do have a very sad 8 year old A-Rod/Yankees fan, who has a lot of A-Rod/Yankees items...bless his heart

Post by **SMLCHNG** » October 29, 2007 8:45 pm

NO professional sport player is worth that many millions. PERIOD.

Wino you know · Post by **Wino you know** » October 29, 2007 8:57 pm

SMLCHNG wrote:NO professional sport player is worth that many millions. PERIOD.

Except Joe Shlabotnik.

Post by **SMLCHNG** » October 29, 2007 8:59 pm

Wino you know wrote:
SMLCHNG wrote:NO professional sport player is worth that many millions. PERIOD.
Except Joe Shlabotnik.

Ok. I'll give you that.

Wino you know · Post by **Wino you know** » October 29, 2007 9:01 pm

Thanks, Penny.

and Charlie thanks you too

Post by **SMLCHNG** » October 29, 2007 9:05 pm

Wino you know wrote:Thanks, Penny.
and Charlie thanks you too

Of course.

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