The $21 million the New York Yankees are paying Alex Rodriguez for 2017 won’t be for anything on the field.
Ever since the New York Yankees and Alex Rodriguez came to that mutual decision for him to retire last July, there’s been speculation that he was going to come back at some point in 2017. That the special adviser job he has with the Yankees isn’t really much of anything.
Well maybe, just maybe, we can put that all to rest now.
“Alex is enjoying his time off and looking forward to heading to spring training to work with the young guys as he has said all along,” Ron Berkowitz, A-Rod’s spokesman, told the Daily News Wednesday
Well, who are we kidding? It’s A-Rod. He’ll take batting practice with Gleyber Torres and Greg Bird during Spring Training, hit two opposite field homers, Matt Holliday will pull a hamstring and we’ll hear for a week how maybe, just maybe, he can come back.
“He’s certainly invited to participate in spring training,” said Cashman. “But Alex is also free to do as he pleases, if he wants to try and keep playing. We welcome the opportunity for him to impact our young players at spring training. Alex would work directly for Hal (Steinbrenner). All the parameters have been vocalized and they remain the same from last year. He’s got a life to live too, and I’m sure he’s going to have a lot of opportunities in broadcasting, in business. People will be tugging him in a lot of different directions.”
Rodriguez in 44 games last year hit .200 with just a .598 OPS, nine homers and 31 RBI in 65 games last season.
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Rodriguez was excellent as a part of Fox’s broadcast coverage of the playoffs last year. The guy just flat out knows baseball and he can be a great sounding board for guys like Torres, Jorge Mateo and other Yankees prospects as they continue their development and the Yankees continue their youth movement.
Until we get through Spring Training without him playing, I think the speculation is going to be there. Though in a market where guys like Luis Valbuena, Brandon Moss and Chris Carter can’t get a contract as of yet, why would someone sign a 41 year old who can’t turn on a fastball, other than a money grab, sideshow act?
I don’t think A-Rod would want to do that and I don’t think a team should either.
Hopefully this will be the last time we talk about this, but hey, it’s a month until the Super Bowl. There’s plenty of time.
