If the IF of Cabrera at 3b, Jeter at SS(with A-Rod no longer covering for him) and Cano at 2b becomes a reality look for Wang's ERA to rise by at least a run next year.
How can you say that? Boras got him the contract in Texas and Arod could have said " nah I don't wanna play for a loser" but he signed he contract because it was 250 million. Arod signed the contract not Boras. Boras negotiated to get the money but in the end it's Arod's fault he ended up in Texas. I seriously wonder if the fangs of the Yankee fans will retract should the Yankees decide they want to negotiate and resign Alex? I bet they sure would. I love how Yankee fans are spending half this thread trying to convince themselves that the Yankees are the only team that can give him the money he wants. Uhh Newsflash, the Angels and Red Sox could try to outbid each other for him, throw the Mets and Dodgers and Cubs in the mix and he won't need the Yankees to give him 30 million a year. Listening to Boras the other day it sounds as if he and Alex feel that Halnk don't give the apperance that they aren't going to be as commited to winning as the old man. I don't know but Boras says it's about winning and not the money, (which I don't buy) and if that's the case he is saying the Yankees aren't going to be commited to winning with these 2 guys running the show.
Pretty good article by Jeff Passan on where Arod ends up.... oh BTW his #1 choice is what I've been saying since the AS Break. http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_y...5IRvLYF?slug=jp-arod103007&prov=yhoo&type=lgn The midway is open and the carnival barker is walking down, shouting for everyone to step right up, because he's got the biggest and best prize. This is Scott Boras' style, like it or not, and no matter how much baseball teams want to ignore him and his client Alex Rodriguez, the best player in baseball, they can't. A-Rod is a free agent after opting out of the final three years of his contract with the New York Yankees and leaving $81 million on the table. With the Yankees reportedly ready to tack on another $150 million or so to his current deal, Rodriguez is certain that Boras, the agent everybody loves to hate, can snag him an all-time contract – perhaps upward of $300 million, besting his own record 10-year, $250 million deal with Texas in 2000. Seven major league franchises are worth less than $300 million, according to April's Forbes, which would seem to take them out of the running. And plenty of others wouldn't dare wade in that pool, knowing the deep end extends about 20,000 leagues. Here are 10 teams, in order of likelihood, that might make the leap. 1. Los Angeles Angels Why? There are about 50 good reasons. The Angels need a bat in the worst way. They can move Chone Figgins to any number of positions, opening up third base. Rodriguez would give them instant cachet in Los Angeles. Bartolo Colon's monster salary comes off the books this offseason. True bilingual star in a market lacking one. Everything fits. Why not? Publicly, owner Arte Moreno balks at devoting too much of his payroll to one player. If there's one player to splurge on, though, it's Rodriguez. Which makes the Angels the favorite. 2. Los Angeles Dodgers Why? Pretty much all the reasons the Angels need him. Oh, and they're about to hire Joe Torre, who has managed Rodriguez for the last four seasons. Why not? Four potential issues. First, though owner Frank McCourt has raised the payroll to about $108 million, the Dodgers still made the second most money in baseball aside from Florida last year, according to Forbes. Which is to say: In baseball terms, he's stingy. Next: After outfielder J.D. Drew opted out of his Dodgers contract after last season, general manager Ned Colletti stopped talking with Boras, his agent. They still aren't speaking. Also: Torre, fully aware of Rodriguez's drama-queen antics, might put the kibosh on. And: The Dodgers have Andy LaRoche, a top prospect, ready to fill the hole at third next season. 3. San Francisco Giants Why? They need a marquee name to replace Barry Bonds, if, in fact, they're serious about cutting ties with him. Pedro Feliz could move from third base to first. And with Bonds, Armando Benitez and Matt Morris off the books, they've certainly got the payroll flexibility. Why not? Actually, San Francisco probably is the best fit for Rodriguez. But with the Barry Zito contract looking like a seven-year bust, do the Giants really want to commit to another player for that long – and one who, in a few ways, mimics everything that was bad about Bonds? 4. Chicago Cubs Why? The Cubs spent $300 million on free agents last season, so what's another $300 million in one fell swoop? Ryan Theriot probably isn't the long-term solution at shortstop, and though Rodriguez likely could play there a few more years, he could move back to third at the end of Aramis Ramirez's contract in 2011 or to first when Derrek Lee leaves after 2010. Why not? Sam Zell, the new owner of the Tribune Company, will red flag any free-agent dabbling this offseason as he tries to sell the team. A potential $300 million liability, no matter how great the earning power, will probably not be worth it. 5. New York Yankees Why? He carried them last season, will probably win the American League MVP unanimously and, well, his departure creates a big hole at third base that they can't fill from within. Perhaps most important: They can pay him the most. Why not? The Yankees have spent so much time talking about how they wouldn't negotiate with Rodriguez if he opted out that even the slightest word of chatter between the two parties would make the Yankees look like fools. And Hank Steinbrenner, in his first months running the team, cannot afford that. 6. New York Mets Why? To stick it to the Yankees. And because with SportsNet New York turning into a television powerhouse, the Mets now rank third in total revenues behind the Yankees and Boston Red Sox, meaning they can afford him. Why not? Where does he play? David Wright moving to second base is laughable, and he and Jose Reyes' contracts are too good to move. And even though they could afford him, the Mets don't want their payroll rocketing into the Yankees-Red Sox stratosphere. 7. Detroit Tigers Why? The Tigers enjoy a great relationship with Boras, and while that never parlays into any kind of a discount, it at least gets them in the conversation. Why not? No room anywhere, unless the Tigers want to dump Brandon Inge, which, after last season, is wholly possible. Detroit traded for Edgar Renteria this week, so no longer do the Tigers need a shortstop to accommodate Carlos Guillen's move to first base. 8. Boston Red Sox Why? Mike Lowell's free agency creates a potential hole at third base, and, hey, the Red Sox have tried trading for A-Rod before. With Manny Ramirez's $20 million salary off the books following the 2008 season, Boston could afford A-Rod, too. Why not? They've got too good a thing going to inject a player who hasn't even made the World Series in any of his 12 full seasons. Anyway, Boston is going to need all the scratch it can put together to keep Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz and Jonathan Papelbon through their arbitration years. Yes, that's far down the road, but if Rodriguez really wants eight to 10 years, it's an important consideration. 9. Florida Marlins Why? Florida has been trying to get a new ballpark for years, and A-Rod – a Miami boy – would be the biggest chip yet. Imagine a lineup topped by these four: Hanley Ramirez, Dan Uggla, Miguel Cabrera, A-Rod. Wow. Why not? The Marlins are worth $244 million. And even if owner Jeffrey Loria profited $43.3 million last season, according to Forbes – 58 percent more than the next-best team – he has never shown any desire to spend it. Loria makes Scrooge look like a reckless spender. 10. Texas Rangers Why? They've done it before. Why not? They've done it before. I completely forgot Colon is now a free agent, the Dodgers won't spend the $$ neither will the Cubs. Regardless of what Passan says the Mets will spend the money should they feel Arod is an option although I still don't know about Reyes @ 2nd base. There are about 5 teams on this list you can cross off right away, Detroit, Chicago, Dodgers, Marlins and Texas. A more realistic list looks like this Anaheim Giants Red Sox Yankees Mets My bet is always gonna be the Angels but the Giants definately are a close 2nd reagrdless of the Zito trainwreck.
I said earlier that Arod is being led on a leash by Boras. If he can convince Hicks to pay 250 million dollars don't you think he can convince Arod to take it? Plenty of teams can give him the money. Very few can give him the protection in the lineup that the Yankees did. The teams that can won't be buying because they don't need him. The Yankees not committed to winning is laughable and in no way do I think Boras believes that. Hank has already talked about a 200 million dollar budget. The fact that they are moving to become younger in no way diminshes the fact they will spend where they can and wisely to put the best team they can on the field. I don't think you will see anymore over the hill aging superstars like you did in the last few years though.
I agree with the Angels. It won't be the Mets. Half their tickets would be sold to Yankee fans just so they could boo him off the field not to mention the press. If you thought they were bad before they would be merciless this time around. Boston is an outside shot but if they buy they will have a 200 million dollar payroll in a couple of years when they actually have to pay Beckett and Papelbon. SF is a definite possibility but they have the worst lineup in the history of MLB. Arod would probably get walked 200 times a year like Bonds did. However, it would be just like Boras to put him in SF where he can live in the cellar for the rest of his career. He did it once in Texas, why not again?
Jeter? That 2006 Gold Glove vacuum cleaner with range from bag-to-bag? I'm shocked you would say that . [/sarcasm] You're right, of course. But the reality of Cabrera's situation is intriguing only because we know with a fair amount of certainty that Florida will move him out before free agency; and with only two years before that hits, this is really the year where they'll be able to maximize their return. We also know that he'd prefer not to play for the Yankees ("too many rules," as he said), but they are certainly one of the teams that can pay what he will want. It's an intriguing name to throw early into the ring for hot stove discussion.
Nonsense, and hardly worth the time responding. I'll blame it on post-season haze, and trust that you were just arguing for the sake of arguing. Boras negotiated a contract which, years later at the end of its natural term, is STILL at the top of the market. He makes his cut, but he earns every penny. He doesn't "put" his clients anywhere, but his record of success has given his stable of players a justifiable level of confidence that they justifiably listen to him.
I highly doubt that, I think many of the fence sitting fans in New York would become Met fans and buy tickets to see the greatest living player. I don't think the press would be as hard on him either because as many Yankee like to say the Mets are 2nd class citizens. I read another post about the protection your right; no team can offer him the protection the Yankees can but others teams certainly have a good lineup. The Mets with Wright, Reyes, Alou and Delgado can. The Angels with Figgins, Vlad and Anderson. The Cubs with Ramirez, Lee and Soriano and how about a dark horse in Philly with Howard, Rollins and Utley?
Although there are varied Yankee fans that like to think the Mets can't afford a peanut sandwich, they actually have the most payroll flexibility to add AROD, IF THEY WANTED TO. In the year 2009, they start collecting 20 million dollars a year from CitiBank to have the new stadium called CitiField. Additionally, the following players come off their payroll this year: Glavine (10.5million), LoDuca (6 million), Valentine (4 Million) and Shaun Green (4 million). And next year, the following are coming off: Delgado (16 million), Pedro Martinez (11 million), and El Duque (6 million) Of course they have to replace those players, BUT it would be at a much lower costs. IF THE METS WANT AROD, thats the question, HE BELONGS TO THEM.
Teams that will reportedly not go after arod: Padres Tigers White Sox Phillies Blue Jays Yankees these are teams that i have read quotes from GM/upper management that said they are not going to participate in the arod sweepstakes. Im sure that there are more that i have missed, so feel free to add to the list. if anyone has discrepancies, point them out and ill check my sources.
The only viable teams that have been silent are Red Sox, Angels, Mets, and Dodgers. Whats interesting about the Mets, is that AROD and wife were looking at houses in Greenwich, CT. TWO MONTHS AGO, and wife Cynthia has expressed an interest in staying in NYC. Not a BAD lineup - Reyes, Beltran, Wright, AROD, Delgado, Alou, Castillo, catcher.
I heard that too but I don't believe it for a minute. Of course if he does pay Arod 30 million he will have to pay Vlad 20 or 25 in another couple of years. That's what he may be worried about.
The Cubs are totally out. Just plain forget them. They don't have an owner and won't have one until after Arod is long gone. The Mets don't need him as I said and while he wanted to play for the METS at one time he would never stay in NY after this.. The Phillies would never spend that kind of money.
How can you leave Beltran out of the protection line-up the Mets would have for AROD. I am sure it was an oversight.
This is getting funnier by the minute. Everyday Boras sounds like he is groveling more and more. Like I said earlier, I can only hope he made the biggest miscalculation of his career. Certainly sounds like a desperate man to me. The best part is whoever signs him now will have to pay at least 100 million more then the Yankees were willing to pay in order to give Boras what he wants. Imagine the owner who has to swallow that one and somehow justify it to himself and his fans? "Boras says Yanks are free to talk with A-Rod. Scott Boras says the New York Yankees could still negotiate with Alex Rodriguez if they wanted to. Boras maintained Wednesday that the Yankees should treat A-Rod the same way they deal with reliever Mariano Rivera and catcher Jorge Posada, who also are free agents. "Why is it that Alex is the only Yankee who can't become a free agent?" Boras said Wednesday. "That question was not answered, and we think it's a question that's going to be asked for years to come." http://www.sportsline.com/mlb/story/10443609
Don - I personally think AROD made a horrendous mistake by not letting the Yankees extend him for 5 years for 150 million. That being said, I still think the Yankees are going to be players in this before it is over.
