O/T A-Rod $350M Contract...R U Kidding Me?

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Posted By: RAND

i just read that his agent told the Yankees not to even think about talking to him unless the contract was for $350,000,000 minimum. Does anybody else out there think this guy is rediculous?

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Ai6IHMVnR3l2AUaMTi3njpo5nYcB?slug=ap-yankees-rodriguez&prov=ap&type=lgns

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Posted By: Ed Ivey

I am a Yanks fan who has always thought that this guy is ridiculous. Team player - NOT.
Put him with the 1927 Yanks so he can learn. They had a bunch of egos who still bore the cement of team pride and legacy.

Ooops. I guess that's not possible.

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Posted By: davidcycleback

While he is widely disliked, one can't say Boras doesn't know what he is doing. People, including owners, complaining about how much his clients make proves that.

The problem for ARod is that most people expect an agent to act this way, as they understand an agent is a hired advocate. I'm sure Boras doesn't care whether fans or owners like him, as it's not in his job description. However, the fans also see the actions of the agent as reflecting upon his client, the player. While Boras may be fine with being painted as a villain-- in fact he might revel in it, as being a tough guy is good for negotiations--, I'm sure ARod doesn't want to be painted as selfish and money grubbing-- which he will be. Signing with Texas has already illustrated to many that for ARod it's about the money (And ARod's accompanying scripted 'sincere' proclamation that the Rangers were always the team he most wanted to play for demonstrate why the same people call him a phony). Despite the Yankees' lack of recent playoff success, their payroll, owner interest in winning and regular season records show that they are probably the best bet to be a World Series champ in the near future. And duly note that I am not a Yankees fan.

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Posted By: RAND

with guaranteed contract, who would put themselves out there for this kind of money when the guy could get injured?

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Posted By: dennis

thought i'd post the story from AOL,in case you missed it/or wanted to miss it.it's worth looking at just for the reader poll, i have never seen such a lopsided poll no matter what the question has been!
http://sports.aol.com/mlb/story/_a/a-rods-agent-asked-for-350-million/20071102201509990001

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Posted By: Jeff Prillaman (CavalierCards)

From the NYT:

“Since Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS — the night Boston began its epic comeback from three games down against the Yankees — (Alex) Rodriguez has come to the plate with 38 runners on base, over the span of 59 at-bats. He left every single one on base, going 0-for-27, right through the Yanks’ Division Series loss to Cleveland this month.”

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Posted By: Al C.risafulli

I want Boras to be my agent.

-Al

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Posted By: Marc S.

I would bet that 95% of baseball fans I know believe that every single baseball player is overpaid....it's just that A-Rod is at the top of the heap. At least he's playing, he has MVP's under his belt. There are numerous contracts out there in the tens of millions that are being paid out on the back-end by insurance companies because of player injury.

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Posted By: davidcycleback

I read an article about Boras and he has an interesting background. He has a law degree, doctorate in pharmacology and was a medical lawyer. He first represented minor league players while he himself was a minor league player.

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Posted By: fkw

Owners (like Steinbrenner) pay the foolish $$

Dont blame the player one bit.

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Posted By: Fred C

I'm sure the AGENT has nothing to do with this mess. AGENTS never fill their clients head full of crap. They never seem to stuff $100M of ego into the brain the size of a peanut (like A-rods). It must only be the player and owners...

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Posted By: Marc S.

how do we get to the conclusion that Alex Rodriguez is an uneducated dolt with a brain the size of a peanut...?! Amazing how unsubstantiated personal attacks abound...

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Posted By: David Davis

I wonder if Boras already has a plan to sue for collusion if no one gives in to his outrageous demands for A-Rod.

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Posted By: Fred C

Marc,

Are you serious? The bottom line is that baseball is a great game. I'm fortunate enough to be able to go to games. There are a lot of people that don't have that opportunity. A-rods just trying to get what he thinks is due to him (as all other players do) but A-rod does it on a much more "grand" scale. Lets face it, the more they have to pay the players, the less available the game is to those that can't afford it. No, I guess A-rod isn't a total nitwit because he's going after as much dough as he can. How much is enough? Lets drive the price of baseball games out of the reach of the fans and isolate the inner city youth that don't have ball fields to play on or the opportunity to enjoy this game. You know Marc, why don't you just chill out a bit. I guess it's hard to read between the lines sometimes. "Unsubstantiated personal attacks"? As if he really only has a brain the size of a peanut. Seriously... that is just too funny... please tell me how I "substantiate" that fact? Lets just say he may not be the brightest bulb in the box... A-rods very famous... why would someone as famous as him be seen with someone that isn't his wife? Yup, he's just a brainiac... have a nice day Marc...


Edited to add - David, that's too funny...

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Posted By: barrysloate

What if nobody is interested? What if Arod and Boras have reached the price point where nobody is willing to sign him for that amount? There's no denying his career numbers are huge, and the season he had in 2007 was off the charts.

But what if all 32 owners say enough is enough?

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Posted By: Paul

I know I'm naive, but I just don't understand A-Rod's values. Once you have already made $200M, shouldn't you pick your team based on factors other than the highest financial offer? Factors like, which team has players or a manager that you get along with, which team is likely to win, which city you like the best, etc. I'm not suggesting that he should pick his favorite city and then play for the major league minimum. But once you already have $200M, and you're going to sign another contract for at least $200M, what's the point in holding out for even more money and playing with a bunch of losers or backstabbers?

And I agree with Barry's suggestion that A Rod and his agent have made a financial mistake. I suppose there is a chance he can make more money elsewhere, but not a hell of a lot more. And he is taking a huge risk, I think, that no one other than the Yankees will be willing to guarantee his contract for a great number of years. When you add in the fact that some people will now root against him in his quest to overtake Barry Bonds because they actually like Bonds better, I just don't get it.

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Posted By: quan

The Yankees organization is just so full of it...it's a privilege to wear Yankees pinstripe....26 WS banners, Ruth>Gehrig>Joe D etc etc blah blah blah. Maybe A-rod doesn't really want to play there??? The man (will) win 2 MVPs in his 4 years there and still gets boo, his captain and SS never backs him up (while offering support for a roidhead), his manager shows him no respect. Why would he want to stick around while being underpaid and taking all the bs?

Some of the Yankees fan here are drinking some of that kool-aid also...with all the Yankees talk here maybe Brian can make another tab.

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Posted By: Brett

i'm betting theres a good chance that he used steroids like the rest of the league cough barry bonds cough

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Posted By: Paul

Quan, I didn't mean to suggest that it's great to be a Yankee. Maybe you're right and he doesn't really want to play there. But it sure sounds like he would have -- for the right price.

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Posted By: quan

paul maybe the tone of my last post was overly harsh. outside of new york (and maybe boston) the majority of people out there would love arod on their teams. the buzz in la this week was the dodgers getting torre, thus creating the illusion we might go after arod...and yes we've all heard about his reputation.

each mlb team this week just got a check for $30 million from sales at mlb.com so there are more teams that can afford arod than you think. now whether or not they want to spend the money that's another story...but if boras can get jd drew 55 mil with a bum shoulder he probably has a couple destination spots for arod in mind.

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Posted By: Dan Koteles

Boras is Hungarian, this explains why he is the best !

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Posted By: Anthony

Dan-
Egan!

If not of the owners agree to pay this price I'm sure they'll be fined for collusion. If someone does pay this price those $11 beers will be $25.

No wonder I've seen more minor league games than major league the last few years.

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Posted By: RAND

the only other player that I know of that made over 30M a year was Jordan. He deserved it. How can anybody pay 1 guy on a team of 9 players on the field and that's not a pitcher this kind of money for a long time? i really wonder who is going to sign on the dotted line for 35M X 10 years.....

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Posted By: anthony

i want to see every team pass on him and see if his price drops...maybe he can play in the independent league with the rest of the guys who cant drive in a run when it counts...

i will not attend any angel games if they pick him up, and i've been a huge fan for 30 years...i heard they were a front runner prior to the $350 mil figure came out

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Posted By: David Smith

The Cincinnati Reds are a PRIME example of what is WRONG with baseball today.

Ken Griffey Junior MADE the Mariners trade him to the Reds after the 1999 season. Then, the Reds signed him to a 9 year, $116.5 million dollar contract with MOST of the money defered to the years 2009 - 2024 at 4% interest.

KGJ had a KGJ-type year in 2000 and THEN proceeded to get hurt most of the following years. So, the Reds are on the hook for a big money guy who does NOT produce (but pouts and shows what a fragile ego he has). During this time, the Owners are making money hand over fist and DO NOT put that money back into the team, either by signing GOOD Free Agents, trading for players who could help (but are high priced) or by putting money into the farm system. Thus, the Reds ahve had seven straight losing season.s

This year, they sign Dusty Baker as Manager (at $3.5 million a year) and pick up the option of Adam Dunn for $13.5 million for 2008. The Reds REAL need is PITCHING but they use their money on a Manager who hurts Pitchers and prefers veterans over youth AND they bring back a guy who is a ONE TOOL player (power). If Dunn could not hit Home Runs, he would NOT be a Major Leaguer. Also, some of the Home Runs he hits are because he plays in a park that is easy to hit them in. Then there is the fact that he RARELY swings at outside Pitches and thus DOES NOT hit the ball to the opposite field.

So, my prediction (based on what the Reds have done so far) is that they are going to have yet another losing season in 2008. That hiring a Manager who's winning record is MOSTLY because of a CHEATER (Barry Bonds) is not going to help and that the expensive one tool player is NOT going to help much. All the while, the Owner is going to pocket over $20 million in profit like he did in 2006 and 2007.

David

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Posted By: Fred C

Paul,

Now that makes sense... he's got a gazillion dollars but there's two things he doesn't have which Jeter does... Class and a WS RING! Looking for that ring would be a priority to most, finding that "situation" which brings him closer to that goal would/should be any players goal. I bet you could ask a lot of great ex-players that don't have a WS ring what they felt was missing in their careers and that's what they would respond with.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't mind A-rod being on the home team because he does provide you with that means of getting to the post season. But, at the same time as was mentioned, I don't want to see the $11 beers turning into $25 beers and I'd hate to see the price of admission get jacked up to the point where going to games are the exception and not the rule.

Undeniably, he's one of the greatest hitters of his era and probably all time but in the court of public opinion he lacks vision and he's just "greedy"... oh yeah, that goes for his IDIOT agent also... ok, so now someone can challenge me for calling the most successful sports agent an idiot... sheesh...

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Posted By: Kevin Cummings

As a life-long Yankee fan, it was like a dream come true when the Yankees signed A Rod. Yes, they gave up Soriano, but I'd make that trade again in a heartbeat. What New Yorker didn't believe that Steinbrenner didn't just buy himself a few more championships.

Flash forward 4 years (and no championships) - I was still willing to cut A Rod some slack. He certainly had a magical year and while this post season wasn't stellar, at least it wasn't as abysmal as the last three. Maybe next year would be the year - he said he wanted to stay in New York. Maybe the regular season would finally carry over into the post season and the Yanks would bring home another World Series trophy.

Then - the announcement. Opt out my ass. It doesn't matter whether A Rod decided or Boras did. Neither one cares about Yankee tradition. Apparently, all A Rod cares about is the personal stats and the money. He could have hit .275 next year, but if he played big in the World Series and the Yanks won, he could have retired a hero. He doesn't deserve to wear the uniform. People in New York will remember Scott Brosius, Brian Doyle, Cecil Fielder, Chuck Knoblauch, Ricky Ledee, Jim Leyritz, Luis Sojo and Jose Vizcaino as guys who stepped up and played over their heads, even if just for a little while, to help the Yanks win a title. They will remember A Rod as a grand failure.

Good riddance. He can eat my shorts.


[Edited to change my Vizcaino faux pas.]

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Posted By: Randy Trierweiler

Here he is in his playing days.

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Posted By: Fred Y

Word out of Boston tonite is that Dice-K wants to renegotiate his contract for ARod-type money x 2 because he's proven he is a much more prolific RBI man when it counts!

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Posted By: SC

I think the explanation is very simple - ARod simply did not want to play in pinstripes. Let's face it - there is no way ARod was going to look good if he exercised his option, or squeezed anything out of the Yankees. Would he look better:

1) Opting out by saying he didn't want to play in NYC...which begs the reason why? Pressure? Teammates? Ownership? There isn't a good answer that doesn't involve giving the team and fans in general the bird.

2) Opting out by saying the money wasn't there to tie him up without exploring his options. I'm sure Boras knew there was no chance the Yankees were going to cough up $350M. But it gave the Yankees the chance to say no, instead of ARod walking without a talk.

By the way - while $350M is "rediculous"...it's not a number you couldn't talk yourself into. Consider:

2007 Highest MLB Salary - ARod $23M
1997 Highest MLB Salary - Belle $10M
1987 Highest MLB Salary - Schmidt $2.1M

What will a top 5 player cost in 2012? 2017? Going against ARod is he will no longer be playing his contract from 25-35 yo, instead from 32-42. Going for him is the record chases, especially the HR chase.

With the way revenue is growing in baseball, I would be shocked if ARod did NOT get a $300M+ contract over 10 years. Wouldn't shock me if he got the $350M either, with some creative accounting. Why not pay ARod $30M/year for the next 10 years, and then a 25 year personal services contract at $2M/year? There's lots of creative things you can do if you want to make a deal work.

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Posted By: Mike

The price increase of MLB salaries and vintage baseball cards are the result of the same theory: A player is worth what one stupid owner is willing to overpay. A baseball card is worth exactly what one stupid collector is willing to overpay. Two great examples are during the MLB Owners meeting, and during 10 cent listing week on Ebay.

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Posted By: davidcycleback

Owners who don't spend dumb money will tell you the problem is arbitration is based on the salaries of comparable players. If one dumb owner pays dumb money for one player, the other owners will be forced to pay more at arbitration.

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Posted By: David Smith

OK, so what if some dumb team signs A Rod for $350 million then the US bombs Iran, oil goes to $150 or $200 dollars a barrel and the economy tanks and either goes into a deep recession or even a depression?? Will a team be able to survive a contract like that or would they have to go bankrupt? If they went bankrupt, how would THAT affect them?? Could they continue on or would they have to relocate or be contracted??

Just wondering,

David

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Posted By: Brett

Boston should sing A-Rod and get rid of Lugo somehow. The Yankees hated Damon when he knocked them out of the 2004 playoffs, but they like him when he helps the team win. I think the Red Sox fans would like A-Rod if he helped them win games. Plus, it would piss off the Yankee fans.

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Posted By: arodrules

Stop hating the man because he's making twice more money than all of you combined.Why is it so terrible for a talented athlete to make 35 million a year and it's ok for some multinational corporate CEO to make 100 Million a year OR MORE? Some of your posts reek of ignorance .He is obviously smarter than most of you,and definately MUCH better off than ALL of you.If you want the best you gotta pay for it.That's why some Wall Street investment bankers make christmass bonuses of 100 million or better.Nobody seems to be villifying them like they do to Arod.Arod arrogant?I don't think so, but if he was atleast he has some vaild reason why he could be.Arod greedy?I am sure if anyone was in his position they would want the maximun amount they could get.We live in a capitalist world and that is how things function.DUH

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Posted By: Jerry Hrechka

They had tomake their announcement in the middle of a World Series Game. Couldn't wait even a few hours -ABSOLOUTELY NO CLASS.
I hope A-Rod gets every penny he wants but never plays on a winning team again.

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Posted By: Kenny Cole

I think the title of the post sums it up, but if you are unclear, let me try to help you.

CEO's make huge salaries and bonuses (deserved or not), because they run the company. Presumably, they are making decisions that make the company money. If they don't do that, the stockholders get unhappy and they eventually get fired, albeit with a nice severance package.

Arod is an EMPLOYEE. He is not a CEO. He is not the manager. He is not a team player. All he cares about is Arod. He is a clubhouse cancer. He is a really talented, self-absorbed *******. He doesen't deserve $350 million in any universe that I live in. He may get it, and if he does, the dumbasses who paid it will be wondering why they paid it when it is all said and done.

Hope I helped make that clear for you. Should you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Kenny Cole

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Posted By: davidcycleback

<< I am sure if anyone was in his position they would want the maximun amount they could get. >>

ARod's former teammate Ken Griffey Jr took a lower than market salary to sign with his hometown Cincinnati Reds. Unlike with ARod and the Rangers, fans believed Griffey when he said Cincinnati was his #1 choice. Beyond that it was his hometown, fans believed Griffey's words to be sincere specifically because he chose less money than he could have gotten with other teams.

Comparing players salaries to CEO salaries can backfire as an argument as the majority of baseball fans, and Americans, believe the highest paid CEOs are grossly overpaid. You aren't going to warm hearts showing how ARod's salary compares favorably to Wall Street banker.

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Posted By: barrysloate

Arodrules: It's not alright that corporate CEO's make $100 million a year.

Just because they take it, doesn't mean it's alright. Actually, I think it's a disgrace.

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Posted By: JimCrandell

A disgrace? Hey, this is America. If they create billions and billions of dollars in value for the owners of the company because of their actions and the stock goes up dramatically as a result of these decisions why shouldn't they make a lot of money. Thank God we live in a country where it is possible to make a lot of money through a system which benefits the owners of a corporation and a Board of Directors exercizes control.

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Posted By: barrysloate

Jim- how did I know that you would be the first to comment on what I said?

I agree it's really fantastic that the top 1% of America controls everything. That's what makes this country so great!

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Posted By: Anonymous

Barry,

The top 1% controls everything?--did not say that nor is it true.

Be careful--Leon will wipe this out--I just feel compelled to respond when you throw in your left-wing views into the threads--besides that I love ya!

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Posted By: barrysloate

I was thinking the same thing. Leon is probably sleeping late and hasn't seen this yet.

And my left wing has been hurting lately. I think I need to see a doctor.

And still friends, of course. Now let's get back to bashing A-rod!

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Posted By: JimCrandell

Yeah--that greedy son of a gun--how dare he!

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Posted By: barrysloate

Jim- you know I have no idea what I am talking about. I just need to vent.

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Posted By: David Atkatz

"A disgrace? Hey, this is America. If they create billions and billions of dollars in value for the owners of the company because of their actions and the stock goes up dramatically as a result of these decisions why shouldn't they make a lot of money. Thank God we live in a country where it is possible to make a lot of money through a system which benefits the owners of a corporation and a Board of Directors exercizes control."

Yeah, right.
These guys make obscene amonts of money, regardless of how well the company's stock does.
And if the stock really, really tanks, and they are forced out, they have golden parachutes worth hundreds of millions more.

"Create billions and billions of dollars in value for the owners of the company" WTF?

Remember Enron? Those guys created billions and billions of dollars in value for the owners of the company for quite some time, but they produced nothing of value for the consumer. All they did was raise consumer energy costs, and pocket the money.
When the company disappeared, virtually overnight, was there an energy shortage? Any problems turning on the lights?
Did anyone but the stockholders and ex-employees even notice it was gone?

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Posted By: JimCrandell

Barry,

The above is why you have got to stop these politically provacative posts

People get too worked up--I could respond to the above but this is a vintage sportscard board.

Barry and I apologize Leon

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Posted By: Peter_Spaeth

If someone has a workable alternative to capitalism, let's hear it. Until then, ARod will be able to command what a willing owner pays him, and CEO's will be able to command the salaries that boards of directors with fiduciary duties to shareholders approve.

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Posted By: barrysloate

But David does make a good point. And while I agree with him, I think I'll stay on the sidelines for now.

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Posted By: JimCrandell

Barry--no he doesn't--

You just can't resist can you