For the better part of my childhood, it always appeared to me the Yankees’ primary baseball strategy was to throw a bunch of money at whatever moved.
In 2004, for instance, the team paid someone named Jaret Wright $24 million over three seasons to pitch for them. Wright dealt with injuries and posted a 4.99 ERA with the team before being traded to Baltimore.
Two years later, the Yankees spent $20 million and a $26 million posting fee on Kei Igawa, who would go on to make exactly 13 starts for the team.
Those are just two examples of the Yankees’ spending strategy, and while the team has cut down somewhat, they still have large sums of money owed to players like Alex Rodriguez.
Rodriguez signed a 10 year, $275 million contract with New York in 2007 after opting out of a deal he signed with Texas that paid him $252 million deal before a trade sent him to the Bronx.
Now, more than seven years later, the team still owes the 39-year-old $61 million on the 2007 contract, a deal that includes an interesting clause.
According to the New York Daily News, A-Rod has a marketing clause in his contract that pays him $6 million once he hits six more home runs to tie Willie Mays at 660. After that, Rodriguez is paid an additional $6 million for every player he passes until he breaks Barry Bonds’ record.
The Yankees do not want to pay that bonus anymore, and I agree with the reasons why.
Rodriguez sat out the entire 2014 season after being suspended for violating baseball’s drug policy and while he was away from the game, his lawyers attacked baseball, claiming the Yankees forced him to play hurt during the 2013 playoffs.
Rodriguez’s lawyer used the phrase “rolling him out like an invalid” in 2013 to describe what the Yankees did, which is always a great way to gain public sentiment in your favor.
Now, the Yankees are on the attack. They claim Rodriguez signed the deal under false pretenses, and while I can not say for certain if that is the case, I can say they are completely right for at least trying to stop the potential payments.
Rodriguez cheated. He admitted he cheated during a meeting with the Drug Enforcement Agency last year, and there is no earthly way any fan anywhere considers Rodriguez in a positive light given all that has come out since his suspension.
The Yankees can’t possibly market a player like that, so why should they still pay him for marketing that would arguably hurt the team more than help it? They have already said Rodriguez won’t be the starting third baseman, and the only way he could even make the team is a designated hitter.
While I don’t think the Yankees will actually win any case in which they try to withhold the payment, I could be wrong. It’s not like I have any legal experience.
However, I do know baseball, and I know Rodriguez definitely can’t hold up his end of the bargain. And I also know there’s a more than decent chance this doesn’t even matter, as Rodriguez hasn’t played baseball in almost two years. He’s nearly 40 years old.
None of those factors add up to a successful season for Rodriguez, so the Yankees may not even worry about the payment, even if they are forced to stand by the contract.
Still, it’s nice to see the Yankees trying to take money back for a change instead of spending it on whatever they want.
