SAN FRANCISCO -- George Steinbrenner and other top Yankee decision makers are in agreement: They like Alex Rodriguez very much and now plan to try to do what they can to keep him in pinstripes. And if that has to mean an extension for A-Rod, so be it.
It has been suggested in many circles that Rodriguez is very likely to opt out of the remaining three years and $81 million on his record $252-million contract, and he may still do so. However, the Yankees will still have first crack at keeping A-Rod, and despite a previously stated intention not to extend him, word now is that they will be willing to negotiate if that's what it takes to keep him -- which shouldn't be such a surprise, considering his monstrous first half.
If the Yankees dare try playing hardball now, they understand that A-Rod will turn his unusually beneficial opt-out clause into mega free-agent dollars elsewhere, which is the one thing the Yankees truly can't afford. It is expected that as a free agent A-Rod would have a chance to sign yet another deal for $200 million, or perhaps even more.
Taking a page out of the Yankees' spring strategy not to commit, A-Rod, himself an astute businessman, isn't about to give away his intentions. Upon hearing after Tuesday night's All-Star Game about the apparent shift in the Yankees' thinking, Rodriguez said, "Cool .... I love the Yankees,'' and he left it at that.
A-Rod has suffered through some bad publicity this year, thanks to the New York tabloids, but has seemed more comfortable than ever in the big city and has genuinely appeared to enjoy this season (except for the losing part); he has also thrived like never before, with a league-high 30 first-half home runs and 86 RBIs, plus a .317 batting average, all of which explains why the Yankees have decided they want him back so badly. They also need him: The Yankees will enter the second half with a surprisingly mediocre 42-43 record despite A-Rod's audacious first-half numbers.
Even beyond their tremendous revenue streams, the Yankees possess a slight financial edge in retaining A-Rod, in that Texas owner Tom Hicks has committed to pay $29 million of the $81 million remaining on the current contract, but only if he remains with the Yankees; if A-Rod opts out, Hicks will save the $29 million, giving him a strong rooting interest here. If A-Rod opts out, he is also almost surely gone from the Yankees, since they'd no longer have the benefit of the $29 million Hicks gift.
In assessing A-Rod's chances to stay, know that he generally enjoys the big stage and the benefits that come with an enhanced chance to win from New York's $200 million payroll. Rodriguez has surely thrived at Yankee Stadium, and he is believed to prefer to remain in the American League. There's an extra benefit to the Rodriguezes being on the East Coast, as they're not too far from their hometown of Miami. None of the other potential suitors can provide all those benefits, though perhaps the rival Red Sox come closest.
Of course, with almost countless riches available on the free-agent market, there can be no certainty that Rodriguez will stay in New York. While Rodriguez has spoken only positively about New York -- particularly here at the All-Star game -- when he signed with Texas he went for the best financial package, and he knows that if stays with the Yankees he'll never know whether another team would have bid more later.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told SI.com on March 21 that the Yankees didn't intend to chase A-Rod or get into a bidding war, saying, "He has a significant contract as it is. So I don't anticipate any dialogue regarding an extension,'' then making similar statements in other new outlets the following day.
While Cashman's comments were interpreted to mean that the Yankees wouldn't be enhancing A-Rod's current deal, Cashman's words technically provided some leeway. Cashman declined to discuss A-Rod's situation when asked about it on Tuesday, mentioning his intention not to repeat the media firestorm that his quotes caused last time.
There's also the possibility that the Yankees' thinking simply has changed. And if it has, A-Rod's responsible for that. When Cashman spoke back in March, Rodriguez was coming off his worst season ever. But this week A-Rod came to San Francisco as the consensus best player in the game after a monster first half that has caught the attention of not only his bosses but all of baseball. Should A-Rod rebuff the Yankees' overtures, he'll have several suitors, including possibly the Angels, Dodgers, Giants, Cubs, White Sox and Red Sox. There's even speculation that Texas and Seattle may want him back.
Whether he stays or goes, the price will be high. It's hard to predict how high, but it's hard to imagine A-Rod taking a pay cut from his currently contracted $27 million 2008 salary. His existing contract calls for him to have the option to ask out after '08 and '09 if the Yankees don't raise his pay "by the greater of $5 million or $1 million above the largest salary of any position player,'' which could give him reason to set the asking price at $32 million.
In any case, the Yankees can't afford to let him leave now.
