They don’t have to play him. And he may not be worth playing. but at the end of the day, they are paying him a ton of money, and it’s messing with their salary cap.
Salary cap? What's that?
He had a 10 year, $275 million contract that ends in 2017.
http://mlb.si.com/2014/01/11/alex-rodriguez-suspended-for-162-games/
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For the 38-year-old Rodriguez, it means the loss of an entire season and
$25 million in salary. The Yankees will gain $27.5 million worth of salary
relief for luxury tax purposes, since the average annual value of his deal
is what counts there. That will aid the team’s attempt to get below the
$189 million threshold to reset their luxury tax rate, but it leaves a
major hole in their lineup.
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