A-Rod Leaving Yankees - Good/Bad for who?
With today's announcement that Alex Rodriguez is opting out of the remainder of his contract and that the Yankees will not resign him under any circumstance, who do you think benefits the least/most from the situation and where do you think Alex ends up?
I'd have to say I think Alex benefits the most because he can go somewhere else to play another 10 years without the constant criticism of having to carry the entire franchise of over-hyped players. Granted he'll most likely have to carry the load wherever he goes but he won't have other players competing for the stardom to nearly the degree they do in NY. There's a difference in carrying the team and carrying the Yankees.
I think the Yankees lose because they lose one of their most prized assets after canning their once-prized coach. As a team that hasn't been dominant for quite some time, one has to wonder how big of an overhaul they'll have to go through before getting to where the NY fans are happy (as if they ever could be). They're a lot like Nebraska football - nothing is good enough and they'll make drastic change after drastic change to the point they doom themselves.
Due to the projected $300-350 million contract that he's seeking, A-Rod will obviously have to go to a major market team. I'd venture to guess that the Angeles, Cubs, Red Sox or Mets would be the most likely places with the Cubs having an excellent chance if they can pull together the necessary funds. I love the Red Sox and would hate to see them tie-up that kind of cash on one player but they've shown in the recent past that they're more than willing to fork over the money if necessary. I also love the Cubs and could see a move for A-Rod as the right move at the right time. They need some offense without sacrificing defense and A-Rod could provide a big boost to an otherwise mediocre hitting team. Chicago would be a great fit for A-Rod and they could get the money if they were really interested in competing for the long-term. It might not seem like the Cubs would pay out that much money but I think they owe it to the long-time fans to at least give it all their attention and effort.
With today's announcement that Alex Rodriguez is opting out of the remainder of his contract and that the Yankees will not resign him under any circumstance, who do you think benefits the least/most from the situation and where do you think Alex ends up?
I'd have to say I think Alex benefits the most because he can go somewhere else to play another 10 years without the constant criticism of having to carry the entire franchise of over-hyped players. Granted he'll most likely have to carry the load wherever he goes but he won't have other players competing for the stardom to nearly the degree they do in NY. There's a difference in carrying the team and carrying the Yankees.
I think the Yankees lose because they lose one of their most prized assets after canning their once-prized coach. As a team that hasn't been dominant for quite some time, one has to wonder how big of an overhaul they'll have to go through before getting to where the NY fans are happy (as if they ever could be). They're a lot like Nebraska football - nothing is good enough and they'll make drastic change after drastic change to the point they doom themselves.
Due to the projected $300-350 million contract that he's seeking, A-Rod will obviously have to go to a major market team. I'd venture to guess that the Angeles, Cubs, Red Sox or Mets would be the most likely places with the Cubs having an excellent chance if they can pull together the necessary funds. I love the Red Sox and would hate to see them tie-up that kind of cash on one player but they've shown in the recent past that they're more than willing to fork over the money if necessary. I also love the Cubs and could see a move for A-Rod as the right move at the right time. They need some offense without sacrificing defense and A-Rod could provide a big boost to an otherwise mediocre hitting team. Chicago would be a great fit for A-Rod and they could get the money if they were really interested in competing for the long-term. It might not seem like the Cubs would pay out that much money but I think they owe it to the long-time fans to at least give it all their attention and effort.
