cards for A-Rod?
Then, of course, there’s his chase for the home run record. A-Rod’s 647 home runs leave him 115 shy of tying Barry Bonds for the all-time record, but he’s got some big names to get past before he thinks about Bonds. A-Rod is 13 homers behind Willie Mays, 67 behind Babe Ruth and 108 behind Hank Aaron. While the Yankees are in contention every year, the Marlins aren’t always so fortunate. It’s not hard to envision them selling tickets in August and September as people root on a local legend.
If the Marlins are looking to dump some of the large contracts they recklessly handed out last winter, the Yankees could assume the rights to Jose Reyes, though they would have to pick up a large share of the $114 million owed to A-Rod over the next five years in any situation.
Is this scenario likely? Probably not. But never say never.
LOS ANGELES
No, we’re not talking about the Dodgers. They’ve already made their share of rash decisions after trading for Hanley Ramirez, Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford this season.
But what about their neighbors to the south? The Angels made a big splash last winter with the signings of Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson, yet they still missed the postseason despite the addition of a second wild-card spot. Owner Arte Moreno loves big names, and although A-Rod isn’t the player he once was, he would still bring more attention to L.A.’s other team.
The Angels owe possible trade chip Vernon Wells $42 million over the next two years, making A-Rod’s $53 million salary during that time seem like a bargain. The Yankees would likely have to pick up a nice chunk of A-Rod’s contract to get the Angels to bring the circus act to Anaheim, though the Bombers know that will be the case with any team willing to take A-Rod.
A-Rod has always been fond of manager Mike Scioscia, constantly complimenting the brand of baseball he plays. Perhaps he’ll get his chance to play for him.
NEW YORK
Of course, it is possible that Cashman and A-Rod were telling the truth when they said they expected to be together again in 2013. With five years and $114 million remaining on his contract, A-Rod may prove to be an immovable player. And even if Cashman can find a taker, A-Rod has the ultimate control thanks to his no-trade clause.
A-Rod has confidence in himself. He believes he can get back to being the player he once was, though that will be difficult given the fact that he turns 38 next summer. He’ll be out to prove his critics wrong.
His numbers against lefties (.308/.410/.514) were outstanding, but he struggled badly (.256/.326/.391) against righthanders. Another interesting split was his stats as the designated hitter (.307/.371/.467) vs. third base (.258/.348/.416). Could the Yankees decide to make A-Rod a full-time designated hitter, doing their best to keep his body fresh while allowing him to focus fulltime on his offense?
In all likelihood, A-Rod will still be in pinstripes when spring training begins. Then again, the Rangers thought the same thing about him wearing their uniform eight years ago. Never say never.