Posted on 10/29/2007 12:28:59 AM PDT by STARWISE
Alex Rodriguez opted out of his $252 million, 10-year contract with the Yankees on Sunday in what appears to be the end of his tumultuous career with New York.
Rodriguez's decision, announced by agent Scott Boras as the rival Boston Red Sox completed their World Series sweep of Colorado, makes the third baseman eligible to become a free agent.
Boras said he attempted to notify Yankees general manager Brian Cashman of the decision but couldn't reach him, so he left a voice mail.
"He was traveling and I was traveling," Boras said.
Rodriguez loses the final $72 million in guaranteed salary in the record contract, which he signed with Texas before the 2001 season. The Yankees lose $21.3 million in remaining payments from the Rangers, a subsidy agreed to at the time of his 2004 trade. New York has said it would not attempt to re-sign A-Rod if he opted out.
Boras said during a telephone interview that Rodriguez made his choice because he was uncertain whether Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte would return to the Yankees. Boras said it became clear that the others wouldn't make a decision by Rodriguez's deadline to opt out -- 10 days after the World Series.
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As a Royals fan I will shed no tears at his retirement.
ROFLMAO!
A Hall of Fame player marries a Hall of Shame agent and it makes him the highest paid player in baseball, but it doesn’t put in championship rings on his fingers.
So who’s going to get the Yankees into the playoffs now?
Same phrase Boston used when reefer-ing to Lenin... Stalin... Mao... Castro...
“Great news for the Yankees!”
Great news for the Rangers, they save 9 million that they would have had to pay if he had stayed.
I know, Rangers have never been accused of being smart.
A bunch of guys you never heard of. It is time for a youth movement in the Bronx. Give it to Girardi as a project. He might not make the Playoffs in 2008, but I bet he does by 2009.
Maybe now they can get back to the World Series.
Not likely. Without A Rod they are not likely to get to the playoffs. Besides that, they have THE HILLARY CURSE.
Is it any wonder there are so many Yankees haters? Not to me. Maybe if you sent the Steinbrenner family back to Cleveland where they came from, it wouldn’t be like that. The class guys like Torre get crap dumped all over them. Joe Girardi has my sympathy. I wonder if they’ll actually let him manage. Doubt it.
Girardi still has the albatross of George Steinbrenner hanging around his neck. And Brian Cashman. I still say they should take Manny Ramirez. Red Sox have been trying to dump him for a couple years. Perfect match.
The Steinbrenners just might take Ramirez off your hands. It sounds like something they would do. Exactly the wrong move, of course.
They need to re-build the 1996 Yankees, not the 2005 Yankees.
So...when he signs with any other team, will they keep him at 3rd base or will he ask them to put him at the shortstop position.
I recall Ripken was NOT happy when Davey Johnson moved HIM to 3rd and then put Mike Bordick at SS...so I was wondering if A-Rod felt the same way.
$25 million per year was obviously enough for him to swallow his pride and defer to Jeter in New York, but would he do the same any place else?
You might be right about the Hillary curse, but getting rid of A Rod will free some money to get some decent pitching.
Or anyone else.
since A-rod did not help Texas much - other than to draw 2 million a year...it IS all about MONEY, I doubt that a businessman from Dallas would buy A-Rods contract.
Not to be nasty to you but I don’t care where A-Rod plays or what team he plays for. He a A** H*** and I doubt the Red Sox would go after him.
You still have to be pretty good to get out of the first round, Yankme fan.
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