Which free agent would you spend alot of money on this offseason?

[geschinger]

I think you're spot on with the bolded part. Everybody wins if that subsidy remains in place (except Texas of course).

However I don't agree that the subsidy keeps him tied to the Yankees.

ARod could waltz into Cashman's office and tell him, "Brian, trade me here, here, or here, and include a 72 hour window to negotiate an extension, or else I'm opting out and you'll be left with nothing."

Pretty soon ARod's got a new team and an extension, the original contract is still in place (including the subsidy), and the NYY at least have a parting gift -- whatever players they can wrestle back in the trade.

IMO if ARod truly wants out, then that's the chain of events that he and Boras would set in motion.

Absolutely. If the Yankees cannot work out an extension it is both his and the Yankees interest to work out a trade. I'm not sure if baseball has any rules prohibiting it but in football at least teams have given permission to agents to seek out a trade.

[Sports Guy]

Absolutely. If the Yankees cannot work out an extension it is both his and the Yankees interest to work out a trade. I'm not sure if baseball has any rules prohibiting it but in football at least teams have given permission to agents to seek out a trade.

Its not in his best interest if/when he gets 30+ million a year.

[geschinger]

Its not in his best interest if/when he gets 30+ million a year.

He won't get 30 million. Even with the bubble noone has come anywhere close to what he's being paid now. He's not going to end up with significantly more unless it's a shorter <= 5 year contract. It just is not going to happen. Boras' commentary is about as meaningful as when he said that Jered Weaver was going to get a Prioresque $10m from whomever drafted him.

[Sports Guy]

He won't get 30 million. Even with the bubble noone has come anywhere close to what he's being paid now. He's not going to end up with significantly more unless it's a shorter <= 5 year contract. It just is not going to happen.

For what everyone is talking about, unless he has a bad second half or has some big time injury, i think he gets 30+ million and i certainly think he can get 25 million a year for 8 years.

Arte Moreno said a few months ago that AROD would get a 8/250 deal from someone.

[geschinger]

For what everyone is talking about, unless he has a bad second half or has some big time injury, i think he gets 30+ million and i certainly think he can get 25 million a year for 8 years.

Arte Moreno said a few months ago that AROD would get a 8/250 deal from someone.

If he's himself would consider doing something that dumb then by all means it would be in his best interest to get on the phone w/Cashman off him a prospect and offer ARod a 5 year $179m extension - split the subsidy savings w/him and bump him up to 8/260 or so.

From a baseball perspective it makes zero sense to pay him that much as if he's not going to have any drop off in his mid to late 30s.

[Oriole Baseball]

If he's himself would consider doing something that dumb then by all means it would be in his best interest to get on the phone w/Cashman off him a prospect and offer ARod a 5 year $179m extension - split the subsidy savings w/him and bump him up to 8/260 or so.

From a baseball perspective it makes zero sense to pay him that much as if he's not going to have any drop off in his mid to late 30s.

Players today are lasting longer than ever. I have no doubt barring injury A- Rod is still able to produce 30 HR's and a high average until age 40.

[Sports Guy]

If he's himself would consider doing something that dumb then by all means it would be in his best interest to get on the phone w/Cashman off him a prospect and offer ARod a 5 year $179m extension - split the subsidy savings w/him and bump him up to 8/260 or so.

But you are also assuming the Yanks would actually trade AROD.

Their next 28 games are against sub 500 teams.

They could certainly do enough this month to be buyers, not sellers.

Now, if they tank this month, at that point it would be worth it to trade AROD as you suggest.

However, Boras made it clear that they won't negotiate with the Yanks during the season.

Not sure if you saw this article:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2933639

From a baseball perspective it makes zero sense to pay him that much as if he's not going to have any drop off in his mid to late 30s

.

You are assuming teams will use intelligence and common sense here...Huge assumption.

[geschinger]

Players today are lasting longer than ever. I have no doubt barring injury A- Rod is still able to produce 30 HR's and a high average until age 40.

Some are although they may have had some help from substances players aren't supposed to be able to utilize going forward. *cough* Barry Bonds *cough*.

I think he has as good a chance of being washed up and a shell of his former self by 37 than he has of being productive at 40.

[geschinger]

But you are also assuming the Yanks would actually trade AROD.

Their next 28 games are against sub 500 teams.

They could certainly do enough this month to be buyers, not sellers.

Now, if they tank this month, at that point it would be worth it to trade AROD as you suggest.

However, Boras made it clear that they won't negotiate with the Yanks during the season.

Not sure if you saw this article:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2933639

Of course, but over the next few weeks I think it'll become clear to them whether or not they have a legitimate chance to get back into it or not and maybe even whether or not an extension is possible.

You are assuming teams will use intelligence and common sense here...Huge assumption.

That is true, I very well may be underestimating the stupidity of many an owner.

[DrungoHazewood]

From a baseball perspective it makes zero sense to pay him that much as if he's not going to have any drop off in his mid to late 30s.

Since when did free agent contracts make any sense? Players are routinely paid $10M, $15M, $20M a year in anticipation of their age 33-40 seasons being similar to their age 28 season. And it works out pretty much never. Why should ARod be any different? At least he has a reasonable chance of making that contract look almost, sort-of, kind-of decent.

[geschinger]

Since when did free agent contracts make any sense? Players are routinely paid $10M, $15M, $20M a year in anticipation of their age 33-40 seasons being similar to their age 28 season. And it works out pretty much never. Why should ARod be any different? At least he has a reasonable chance of making that contract look almost, sort-of, kind-of decent.

One would think that at some point owners would stop doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results. It's hard to understand how they could be so blind to how big a disaster ARods last big contract was for the team that signed him. I just can't imagine teams will be lining up to make an even worse decision w/the same player.

[SteelerG]

With MASN in pocket, I would do the following:

1) Sign AROD 8/240m.

2) Trade Burres, Penn, Ray and Gibbons (eat all of K) to Texas for Texeira - provided we get 72 hr to negotiate and he agrees to 5/75 deal.

3) Sign Carlos Zambrano 6/100m.

4) Sign Andruw Jones 5/65.

Lineup:

Roberts

Jones

Rodriguez

Texeira

Tejada

Markakis

Mora

Hernandez

Payton

Rotation:

Bedard

Zambrano

Guthrie

Loewen

Cabrera

[AZRon]

One would think that at some point owners would stop doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results. It's hard to understand how they could be so blind to how big a disaster ARods last big contract was for the team that signed him. I just can't imagine teams will be lining up to make an even worse decision w/the same player.

You can buy most of the players

You can buy some of the players

You can buy 1 of the players

You can buy none of the players

The Rangers made no mistake in buying ARod.

The Rangers's mistakes were in their other moves and in their failure to eat those mistakes and replace them with lower/cost players.

[Fan4Life]

For what everyone is talking about, unless he has a bad second half or has some big time injury, i think he gets 30+ million and i certainly think he can get 25 million a year for 8 years.

Arte Moreno said a few months ago that AROD would get a 8/250 deal from someone.

How many teams do you see being able to absorb $30 mil a year in one player?

[Fan4Life]

With MASN in pocket, I would do the following:

1) Sign AROD 8/240m.

2) Trade Burres, Penn, Ray and Gibbons (eat all of K) to Texas for Texeira - provided we get 72 hr to negotiate and he agrees to 5/75 deal.

3) Sign Carlos Zambrano 6/100m.

4) Sign Andruw Jones 5/65.

Lineup:

Roberts

Jones

Rodriguez

Texeira

Tejada

Markakis

Mora

Hernandez

Payton

Rotation:

Bedard

Zambrano

Guthrie

Loewen

Cabrera

When you're finished printing and spending money, how much is our team payroll? I count $86 Mil on 5 players. That's almost what we're paying now for 25.