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 Here is the official word from ESPN....
New York Magazine reported on Sunday that the Yankees third baseman could end up with the Chicago Cubs next season with a blockbuster contract that includes an ownership stake in the team.
That is probably enough to pique your interest and begin thinking about multiple championships around Wrigley Field. Well, I hate to be the party pooper, but this isn't going to happen. Sorry.
Ok, now you are going to want reasons. There is a rule in baseball that is called....tampering. It means that teams are not allowed to contact, talk to or even talk about players that are on other teams when it comes to possibly acquiring those players through Free Agency. It's just not allowed. That's why the Dodgers and Angels never speak a word about A-Rod even though you know they are going after him this Fall/Winter. But wait, you say....it's not an official Cubs Organization representative that is in these talks with A-Rod's agent (Scott Boras) as the article stated....
According to the magazine, Rodriguez's agent, Scott Boras, has already
identified the leading candidate to buy the Cubs and has begun
negotiations on a mega-deal. The publication's sources say that the
deal could reach $30 million per year over 10 years, with part of the
contract deferred toward an eventual stake in the franchise.
Well, do you really think Bud Selig is going to let Scott Boras, or any prospective owner(s) make a deal like that before A-Rod officially becomes a free agent? Nope, me either. It's just not going to happen. He'll throw out any bidder that is attempting to do that. Funny thing is....the men that are bidding on this team more than likely already know about the 'tampering' rule and are abiding by it. It's an interesting loophole, but one Mr. Selig is sure to close up rather quickly.
Here is what I think is really happening. The Cubs are on the verge of going to the playoffs and we all know they are going to be all over ESPN, CNN. Al-Jazeera, etc. until they are knocked out. People are going to start jumping on the bandwagon and it probably won't be long until Hillary Clinton is using her Cubs fandom as a way to get into the White House. Scott Boras is just trying to ride that wave and get the name of his client out there as much as possible, while at the same time...planting a seed of doubt in the Yankees braintrust in the hopes that they'll re-sign him before the season is over and probably, before he picks up his AL MVP Award. He's using the Cubs and their popularity to do that right now. He wants A-Rod re-signed by the Yankees, and now is when his market value is going to be the highest....Why?
Because we all know how A-Rod plays in the playoffs. Nice try at some great time Mr. Boras, but I'm onto you.
Boras has always been a master manipulator. Whether it has been through interviews of his master handbooks of all his clients that show that they are better than Babe Ruth even dreamed to be....he knows how to work the system. I think that is what he's doing now, so everyone should just relax for the time being.
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2008 Cubs Preview
I actually wish this was a ploy to get the Yanks to move now, but the Yanks have already said they would renegotiate during the season, A-Rod and Boras said no thanks.
I also don't think $30M/year is going to get the job done. A-Rod is going to make $32 million in 2008 and $35 million in 2009 under his current deal. The Yanks are offering him several years tacked onto the end of that contract (at pretty much the same price per year), but it's contingent on A-Rod not opting out (because Texas still pays something like $12M of his deal per year over the next two years). They've said that if he opts out, they won't be involved in the free agency bidding.
I believe he has something like 2 days after the season ends to decide if he's going to opt out or not. I don't think he opts out unless (a) He really, really wants out of NY, or (b) someone says they're going to give him upwards of $40 million/year.
I think you are right on, but as a side note, how Bill russellian would it be if the shortstop was part owner. talk about your motivators
I had my numbers wrong, it's actually $27 million in 2008, then a minimum of $32 million in 2009 and $37 million in 2010.
Ownership would be a huge motivator, but I don't think Selig would let it stand.
No way Selig lets this go. I've read where he's called the Red Sox front office just on the rumor of talking to JD Drew before his contract was up.
I think it's just a ploy by Boras...I wouldn't be surprised to read that the report was wrong in the next couple of days because the Cubs Management will shoot it down immediately so they don't get in trouble.
There are also comments in the ESPN article about there being a rule in baseball that prevents a player from being a team owner or having it written into their contract that part of their salary is future partial ownership. Yet another obstacle in the ridiculousness of this story. Gives us all another reason to despise Scott Boras. This isn't a distraction that the Cubs or Yankees deserve at a point in the season when they're starting to focus on playoff victories.
Yeah, I had read that too Royal Hoosier, but I hadn't done any research on it myself so I didn't write about it. I thought possibly the Lakers had done something like that with Magic at one point, but it did seem bizarre for baseball.
"This isn't a distraction that the Cubs or Yankees deserve at a point in the season when they're starting to focus on playoff victories."
I couldn't agree with you more. Excellent point.
WHY THE HECK WOULD A-ROD GO ON THE STUPID CUBS. MAYBE A-ROD DID GET A GREAT DEAL BUT I THINK HE IS HAPPY WITH NYY. I DON'T THINK HE WOULD EVER BETRAY THE YANKEES LIKE THAT.
YANKEES RULE!!
It sucks that there is a bunch of intelligent conversation with real stats and real opinions and then some idiot comes in shouting about how the Yankees rule.