We all assumed it was a foregone conclusion that Alex Rodriguez was gone from the Yankees, but now it looks like the door may be open to A-Rod returning, if only a tiny bit. The New York Post wrote this morning:
Maybe it is just wishful thinking or part of a negotiating strategy, but in recent days the Yankees began to hear some buzz that Rodriguez was interested in engaging the organization in conversations. Until yesterday, [Hank] Steinbrenner had dismissed Rodriguez since his agent, Scott Boras, announced during Game 4 of the World Series that his client was opting out of the final three years of his contract. Upset that Rodriguez would not even return his calls or negotiate with the club, Steinbrenner said the Yanks were moving on without Rodriguez, and the organization was unified behind that strategy.But yesterday when reached by The Post, Steinbrenner was more non-committal.
"Whether something did happen or not," Steinbrenner said of a Rodriguez return, "I am not going to comment on that situation."
The loss of Joe Torre, and the potential losses of free-agents like Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera, were supposed to be factors in A-Rod's decision to leave. But now Posada has been re-signed, and it looks like Rivera will be too. And Hank Steinbrenner has said that the team is at least looking into the possibility of trading for Johan Santana and/or Miguel Cabrera. If the Yanks load up to that degree, would A-Rod suddenly warm to the idea of returning, even if there were potentially better offers out there?
Maybe it's the cynic in me, but I have to believe that A-Rod is only out for money. If the Yanks offer him the best deal he'll be back - if not, he'll be playing elsewhere. And then there's the question of whether the Yankees should even want him back. If they can pick up someone like Cabrera to play third, and bolster their rotation with a guy like Santana, then the heck with A-Rod. Let him toil away on the West Coast, reunited with Torre, or teaming with Vlad Guerrero to create an epic one-two punch.
Whatever A-Rod decides to do, I hope he does it quick. Cause I'm sick of the guy. I wish he'd do us all a favor and go to Japan.
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