Touchy subject Torre hasn't discussed opt-out clause with A-Rod
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Yankees manager Joe Torre hasn't spoken with Alex Rodriguez about the opt-out clause in the New York third baseman's contract.
Rodriguez, a two-time AL MVP, is entering the seventh season of his 10-year, $252 million contract, a deal he signed with the Texas Rangers. He can opt out of the agreement after the season and become a free agent.
"I hope he doesn't add that to everything he has to deal with at this point in time. It's tough enough playing this game without looking for the finish line to soon," Torre said before Wednesday night's game against Minnesota.
"Whatever the result is at the end, you have to make a decision. I'm sure he's going to be asked on a daily basis about what's going to happen at the end. I know it's not going to be easy for him to say I'm not thinking about it."
Rodriguez told reporters Tuesday night that he wanted "100 percent stay in New York. Period." In an interview earlier Tuesday on WFAN radio's Mike and the Mad Dog program, Rodriguez indicated the fans reaction this season could be a determining factor.
"The fans are a pretty good indication on a daily basis on how they feel about you," Torre said. "But again, they're here to enjoy themselves. They're not here to necessarily make you feel good about yourself. They're going to give you an instant reaction to how you're doing."
Torre believes many of the questions involving A-Rod would subside if he joined the likes of former Denver quarterback John Elway, who won a Super Bowl late in his Hall of Fame career.
"I think a big portion of all the questions that are being asked would go away," Torre said. "Elway, to me, was a perfect example of a Hall of Famer that always had a but attached to his name."
