No, it hasn't worked out for the Yankees but it sure as hell has paid off for the BoSox. On a side note: one of the funniest moments in sports to me is whenever the Yankess and BoSox qualify for the playoffs and dump champagne on each other. It's like -- Ok, we get it. You didn't screw up. Now, go celebrate! And to respond to your statement that competitiveness exists in baseball, I agree. Look at what the Rockies and Marlins have done in recent history with small payrolls. Oakland with the original "moneyball" approach and others. There are ways to remain competitive despite the glaring disadvantage most teams face with the top dawgs shelling out their cash and forcing everybody else to essentially become bottom-feeders. Hopefully my Bucco's can find a way because let me tell you, 15 years of losing is nothing short of misery!
^^ every team in every sport celebrates a playoff berth with a champagne shower in the locker room.. why do the yankees and BoSox get called out for doing it too? double standard against big market teams, perhaps?
I hear ya. I just don't think this is merely a case of no one could affod A-Rod's asking price except the Yankees. Because not even the Yankees were willing to pay that asking price. He's getting far less than he orignally asked....and my understanding is he'll make less next year than he did this year because the Rangers' payments to the Yanks for taking on the contract went out the window when he opted out. It's why I'm not sure what we've seen with A-Rod is all that relevant. Because no one was going to pay him what he asked. So he tucked tail and went back....and I'm guessing that's a lot more on Boras than on him.
This isn't entirely true. There are plenty of examples in the NBA of players planning to leave via free agency, but then signing with their current team because they realize they can offer so much more money. Chris Webber with the Kings is a recent example - he was sent to move on, until he realized no one could offer him nearly as much money. This is the A-Rod situation in play now. And it wasn't the Yankees blowing away other offers - they are, apparently, offering less than they were a few weeks ago. It's that Boras is realizing A-Rod's not worth nearly as much as he originally thought. He had a fantastic season this past year, but keep in mind, last year he had a 0.915 OPS, 35 HRS, 120 RBIs. That's good, but it's not anything that a number of other players in baseball provide (Manny, Ortiz, Berkman, Chipper Jones, Soriano etc). It's not like he's a golf-glove 3B. Even just at 3B, there are plenty of people in that league - Cabrera, Wright, Aramis Ramirez, maybe Ryan Braun, etc. A-Rod is overall better than those guys, but not $15MM/yr better, and not 10-yr deal better.
MadMex - ESPN is reporting it will likely be a record setting deal in the $270 million range. No, that's not $350 million like Boras was initially demanding but will still be the largest contract ever given out in sports. There are maybe three teams in baseball with the stones to dish out that kind of money thus leaving his options rather limited, IMO. Major - C-Webb's situation was different. Officials from the Kings' organization were never quoted as saying if he opted out he was finished with the team. You got the impression that A-Rod and the Yankees had reached a point of no return until the Yankees dropped to their knees and realized they were about to lose the best player in baseball when they were every bit as willing to pay him the money he wanted in the first place. Plus, the Yankees are notoriously huge spenders and in the NBA you don't really have that problem due to the salary cap. Comparing this to anything in the NBA or NFL is very difficult, IMO. across110thstreet - It's a joke. It's like the big bully at recess celebrating and throwing a ticker tape parade for beating up some little kid and stealing his milk money. ...and hotballa - Yeah, being a Pirates fan is hard. Of course, we can't all be lucky and pay old man Roger Clemens $1 million a start or have the stones to be a Texans fan. Ahhh everybody has their weaknesses I guess.
They agreed to a deal. $275 million over 10 years, and could be more if he sets the HR record in pinstripes. =================================================== http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3112799 NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez and the New York Yankees have agreed to the outline of a $275 million, 10-year contract, a deal that potentially would allow him to earn millions more if he sets the career home run record. The amount of the guaranteed money was revealed by a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn't been finalized. A-Rod met Wednesday in Tampa, Fla., with the Steinbrenner brothers but the parameters of the deal were set in place last weekend. "Yeah, I could say that," Yankees senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner said. "The meeting was a final get-together. He wanted to make sure myself and my brother knew that he was sincere and serious." The Yankees still must draft the agreement with Rodriguez's agent, Scott Boras. Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
He got money upfront for opting out, almost half. Suppposely like 8-9 million for opting out. And 10 year 275 million is still the biggest contract in baseball history.
