The MLB.com article includes the following quote from A-Rod's agent: "We are not going to be negotiating during the season." To paraphrase, nothing to see here. Please disperse.
I know that the baseball media doesn't have much to write about now (besides the fact that Tony LaRussa is a moron). To fill column inches, they just rewrite old stories and print them as new again. This is a perfect example. There is no news here.
All the commotion seems to have been generated by ESPN and SI.com both reporting that the Yankees might be willing to negotiate with A-Rod and his agent, Super Satan (a.k.a. Scott Boras). Well whoop-de-doo! The Yankees are willing to negotiate... thats fine, and totally newsworthy until you realize that it wasn't the Yankees who were the stumbling block to a new contract in the first place! It was always A-Rod (and Super Satan) who said they won't discuss his contract until after the season at which time, hey guess what?! he can opt out! (See how this works?) Thats why all these articles are moronic. The Yankees have just about zero say in the matter, so whether or not they want to re-sign A-Rod right now makes no difference.
We further know that A-Rod isn't going to negotiate with the Yankees now because Super Satan is already in full prepare-for-opt-out-by-planting-ridiculous-salary-demands -in-media-to-make-them-sound-less-ridiculous mode. In case you haven't noticed, Boras is very busy putting it out in the media that A-Rod expects $30M per year in his next contract. Examples of this can be found here and here and here. Well, you say, Boras isn't quoted in those pieces. How do you know that he put that number out there? Let me answer your made up question with another question: Do you really think all those columnists came up with this $30M idea separately and on their own?
Despite all this, A-Rod still may not opt out of his contract. But if he doesn't, it'll be because the Yankees decided to re-work his current deal so that he'll be making a buttload more than he is due now. There is literally zero chance that A-Rod and Boras decide, 'New York is pretty neat, and all the Yankees are so nice... You know what? Lets just play out the rest of the contract here.' Its this thought process that it seems the NY media is laying in wait for.
Covering A-Rod's contract situation and whether or not he'll opt out is like covering me eating pizza and whether or not I'll end up with tomato sauce on my shirt. Well, duh. The pizza had tomato sauce, I was eating it, therefore I now have tomato sauce on my shirt. I can see the NY Post headline right now...
MattyMatty Spills Tomato Sauce On Shirt!
Also, A-Rod opts out of deal
Also, A-Rod opts out of deal
So, will A-Rod get $30M a year? I don't know, but its possible. Will he stay in New York? I don't know, but its possible. Will he decide not to opt out or re-work his deal? I do know and its impossible.
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In other Red Sox-related news, Tim Wakefield starts for the Sox tonight in the Fens. He is opposed by Roy Halladay and his Blue Jay teammates. Game time 7:05pm.
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