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Alex Rodriguez retiring effective 08/11

Started by hog.goblin, August 07, 2016, 01:48:34 pm

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hog.goblin

Can't say I'm sad.  Love seeing him fall short of 700, even though they'll never count, I always feared one day the steroid era players might be forgiven or justified by future generations

onebadrubi

I think that's exactly why the Yankees benched him, albeit maybe asked to do so, but either way I think it's fitting for Arod to have to go out like that.

 

EastexHawg

There is definitely something odd about the fact that the Yankees just quit playing A-Rod.  Before he went on the disabled list eary in the season he really started hitting, with something like three homers in his last five games.  One of them was the longest shot he has hit in years.  Then, when he came off the DL, he hardly got any at-bats.

As recently as a couple of weeks ago he was still in the top five on the club in HRs and RBI, despite getting so few plate appearances.  His lack of production has been discussed all season long, but it's pretty hard to produce from the bench.  Meanwhile, the Yankees have kept running Mark Texeira and Justin Hicks out there almost every day despite the fact that they have both been hitting under .200 all season.

And why would you arrange to have him quit in the second week of August?  Why not at the end of the season?  They're still going to pay his contract regardless.  There's more to this than meets the eye.

I'm not so sure he's really retired.  I bet if someone gives him a shot next year he will take it and go to another team.

Dropkick

Actually being released as opposed to retiring. Big difference $.

hog.goblin

Yep, if someone will get a chance he will be on a team next year hitting his 700th HR

The question is whether a team will want that.

onebadrubi

Quote from: Dropkick on August 10, 2016, 12:47:52 pm
Actually being released as opposed to retiring. Big difference $.

Aren't they having to pay out his full contract which is this year and next?

The more I think about this I definitely think the Yankee's are protecting "baseball's heritage" by doing this.  They do not want A-Rod hitting that 700 mark as a yankee. 

Dropkick

Quote from: onebadrubi on August 10, 2016, 12:51:58 pm
Aren't they having to pay out his full contract which is this year and next?

The more I think about this I definitely think the Yankee's are protecting "baseball's heritage" by doing this.  They do not want A-Rod hitting that 700 mark as a yankee. 
Yes paying it all. If he retired he would forfeit $.

EastexHawg

Quote from: onebadrubi on August 10, 2016, 12:51:58 pm
Aren't they having to pay out his full contract which is this year and next?

The more I think about this I definitely think the Yankee's are protecting "baseball's heritage" by doing this.  They do not want A-Rod hitting that 700 mark as a yankee. 

Barry Bonds is the all-time home run leader.  What exactly is there to protect? 

If anything, they may have feared that if they played him he might start hitting again and they would be "stuck" with him again next year.  Otherwise it makes no sense to basically force a guy into semi-retirement when you are still obligated to pay him through the end of next year. 

clutch

Quote from: EastexHawg on August 10, 2016, 06:49:13 pm
Barry Bonds is the all-time home run leader.  What exactly is there to protect? 

If anything, they may have feared that if they played him he might start hitting again and they would be "stuck" with him again next year.  Otherwise it makes no sense to basically force a guy into semi-retirement when you are still obligated to pay him through the end of next year. 

What they are doing is getting themselves out of an incentive bonus I bet. I'm betting that there is a hefty payday for reaching 700. Only thing that makes sense considering that baseball contracts are guaranteed and they are going to have to pay him regardless unless he voluntarily retired.

hog.goblin

$6 Million dollar bonus if he had hit 700 in a Yankee uniform

EastexHawg

Quote from: hog.goblin on August 10, 2016, 09:34:06 pm
$6 Million dollar bonus if he had hit 700 in a Yankee uniform

If that's what they are doing it's frankly pretty chickenpoop on the Yankees' part.  "We're going to sit a player because we're afraid he may hit too many home runs."  If that's the case, just release him and let him try to catch on with someone else.

clutch

Quote from: hog.goblin on August 10, 2016, 09:34:06 pm
$6 Million dollar bonus if he had hit 700 in a Yankee uniform

That's what I figured. They are trying to cut all the costs of his contract that they can.

EastexHawg

Quote from: clutch on August 11, 2016, 07:21:14 am
That's what I figured. They are trying to cut all the costs of his contract that they can.

Is it cheaper to coerce him into quitting than to just release him and let him see if someone else will give him a shot at playing?  Probably their worst nightmare is that he would sign on as DH with another team an have another season like last year...30 HR, 80-90 RBI.  That would blow up the narrative that he has nothing left so that's why they didn't let him get at-bats over the last three months.

A-Rod has 9 homers and 29 RBI in 217 at-bats this year.  Project that out over the 523 ABs he got last year and it would come out to 22 homers and 70 RBI.  Those aren't great numbers, but they may have led the Yankees this year.  Plus, it's hard for a player to get his timing down and get in a groove when he gets ABs so infrequently.  Stick him in the lineup every day and he might get it going.

What's especially odd about the timing of this is that the explanation all year for why A-Rod was sitting the bench was that Carlos Beltran needed the at-bats at DH because of his injuries.  Now that Beltran is gone...what's the explanation now?

 

hog.goblin

The powers that be don't want him to hit 700.  I can't think of any other rationalization.

clutch

Quote from: EastexHawg on August 11, 2016, 11:54:31 am
Is it cheaper to coerce him into quitting than to just release him and let him see if someone else will give him a shot at playing?  Probably their worst nightmare is that he would sign on as DH with another team an have another season like last year...30 HR, 80-90 RBI.  That would blow up the narrative that he has nothing left so that's why they didn't let him get at-bats over the last three months.

A-Rod has 9 homers and 29 RBI in 217 at-bats this year.  Project that out over the 523 ABs he got last year and it would come out to 22 homers and 70 RBI.  Those aren't great numbers, but they may have led the Yankees this year.  Plus, it's hard for a player to get his timing down and get in a groove when he gets ABs so infrequently.  Stick him in the lineup every day and he might get it going.

What's especially odd about the timing of this is that the explanation all year for why A-Rod was sitting the bench was that Carlos Beltran needed the at-bats at DH because of his injuries.  Now that Beltran is gone...what's the explanation now?

I'm not saying it's smart or the right thing to do. I'm just trying to think of the reasoning behind it. I think they are betting that nobody else will pick him up. That's the only way it makes any sense to me. I definitely think the lack of at bats this season is for that reason. They don't want anyone else to pick him up, so they don't want him to find a rhythm.

I'm not sure how the incentives work, I wonder if the Yankees would still have to pay it if he hits 700 as a part of a different ball club? Or even worse, what if he got picked up right away, and finished the year around 710-715? Would a team give him the chance to come back next season hoping that he had another 30 hr year in him as a DH? That would leave him awfully close to the 762 mark. The powers that be in MLB would have a meltdown.

GolfNut57

Y'all do realize that even after his last game tonight ARoid won't just be sitting home counting his millions don't you? He is going to finish out his contract as a "Special Advisor" in the Yankee organization. They want to use him to mentor some of the younger players they have in the minors. They aim to get some value for their money, even if it means hiding him in a closet.
"Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated; it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It is at the same time rewarding and maddening – and it is without a doubt the greatest game mankind has ever invented." Arnold Palmer.

hog.goblin

Quote from: GolfNut57 on August 12, 2016, 05:45:20 pm
Y'all do realize that even after his last game tonight ARoid won't just be sitting home counting his millions don't you? He is going to finish out his contract as a "Special Advisor" in the Yankee organization. They want to use him to mentor some of the younger players they have in the minors. They aim to get some value for their money, even if it means hiding him in a closet.

And sounds much better than having him hit 4 more HRs

clutch

Quote from: GolfNut57 on August 12, 2016, 05:45:20 pm
Y'all do realize that even after his last game tonight ARoid won't just be sitting home counting his millions don't you? He is going to finish out his contract as a "Special Advisor" in the Yankee organization. They want to use him to mentor some of the younger players they have in the minors. They aim to get some value for their money, even if it means hiding him in a closet.

"Special Advisor" sounds a lot like sitting at home counting his millions to me. You really think they want a guy that they pushed out the door mid-season to be mentoring their up and comers?

clutch

Apparently Miami is thinking about signing A-Rod after Stanton's season ending injury.

hog.goblin

Quote from: clutch on August 14, 2016, 06:37:39 pm
Apparently Miami is thinking about signing A-Rod after Stanton's season ending injury.

What position would he play?

clutch

Quote from: hog.goblin on August 14, 2016, 07:55:04 pm
What position would he play?

I don't know. I wonder if maybe they would try him at 1B in place of Johnson. Johnson is only hitting like .220 something and has like 4 homeruns. The article I read never said what position they would play him, just that they were considering bringing him in since Stanton went down. He's not going to take Prado out of the lineup, that's for sure. Not sure if Prado has ever played any 1B either.

onebadrubi

Miami wants the publicity that New York is trying to not give A-rod the chance to get.

clutch

Quote from: onebadrubi on August 15, 2016, 12:46:53 am
Miami wants the publicity that New York is trying to not give A-rod the chance to get.

Probably be a nice draw in his hometown. They need something to fill seats there.