A-ROD- Coming back to Yanks with tail between legs?!

[Dane96]

Reports on ESPN radio and the Daily News are that A-Rod has held two or three secret talks to come back to the Yankees for 10 years and 275m, a 75m loss reflecting the 21m a year subsidy the Yanks lost on the opt out.

The kicker:

BORAS CAN NOT BE PART OF THE DISCUSSIONS.

Hank Steinbrenner has not "ruled" out A-Rod returning according to the NY POSt.

Interesting if this holds true:

1) I know 275m is huge...but for A-Rod to have to come BACK to the Yanks (3rd party is doing the talking) then he is arguably humbled.

2) Scott Boras is effectively fired. Though he would most likely get paid by A-Rod, or even just be fired with a settlement, if A-Rod does this...he has fired him.

3) This has hurt Boras in a big way. He overvalued A-Rod and clearly did not have the 350m deal he thought he would. Moreover, if A-Rod signs with the Yanks under these terms, other players will think twice about using Boras because, quite frankly, no other team in the league has the $$$ the Yanks have for FA's.

Additionally (and key to this), the Yanks seem to NEVER want to deal with Boras again.

Boras insulted baseball with the announcement...and overvalued A-Rod. Not smart moves.

I am torn. One part wants him back because of the talent. The other part says "f off...you hired the monster...he made you look greedy (you are) you lose."

The final part feels he is on his kinees now...and is getting what he deserves...let him back.xsmhx

[UNHWildCats]

this seems like a Boras stunt to help jack up the price since it isnt what he thought it was going to be. No way A Rod is going anywhere without Boras being in on the negotiations.

[TheValleyRaider]

I am torn. One part wants him back because of the talent. The other part says "f off...you hired the monster...he made you look greedy (you are) you lose."

Yeah, if this is true, that's kind of where I am

A-Rod really blew it if he was looking for the big money. The Yankees pulled off a big steal when they said they wouldn't negotiate with him if he opted out. Once that happened, and the real big money team wasn't negotiating, Boras wasn't able to use them as a threat to other teams, which is what would have really driven up the contract. Apparently David Wright was told he's staying at 3rd Base, so that could very well put the Mets out of the A-Rod running too, further damaging the possibility of the $300 Million Man.

Remember, Boras works for A-Rod, and does what A-Rod tells him to do. The fact that Boras is very good at what he does (getting the most money possible for his clients) doesn't change the fact that A-Rod is still calling the shots on these negotiations. I find it very hard to believe that the Yankees would be negotiating with him now, that he'd want to come back at this point, or that he'd be willing to do it without Boras. Still, I suppose, money talks...

[Dane96]

Valley Raider, very well stated-- UNHWILDCATS...take note!

As for Boras- He will get his money, via A-Rod paying him or a settlement. I can think of a litany of arguments that each side could use to say the other breached the contract.

[bluehenbillk]

If A-Rod comes back to the Yankees, which I personally don't think will happen, it will be the best thing to happen for the Red Sox this offseason.

[Cobblestone]

Good let the Yanks keep him. Sox need to get Lowell signed.

Travis needs to update the record on his Celtics banner.

[Seahawks Fan]

The Yanks should just move on. They don't need A-Rod to win. Boras miscalculated this situation. xnodx

[appfan2008]

I would love to see arod get all the money he can but i dont think he will get his 350m but i dont think 300m is out of the question yet

[HIU 93]

This was in the Post, right?

The New York Post- 206 years of bad journalism.

[UNHWildCats]

I think Boston will eventually offer a 5-7 year guaranteed deal over $30 per and have the additional 3-5 years as perfomance based that can have a value upto the guaranteed years. Like 15 MM guaranteed and $5 MM bonuses for 35 HRs and another $5MM for 40 HRs something like that so hes still getting the full vlaue if hes still operformaing at a top level in the later years.

[UNHWildCats]

This was in the Post, right?

The New York Post- 206 years of bad journalism.

Daily News actually still a bad paper xcoolx

[Dane96]

This was in the Post, right?

The New York Post- 206 years of bad journalism.

Stop quoting Public Enemy (believe NWA used it as well)- I have that album too. xthumbsupx

It is in the NY Daily News...and has yet to be denied by all parties-- Huge indication this is going forward. Not unprecedented: Bernie and Andruw jones...did the same to Boras.


I hate Arod and am torn on this. He is, unfortunately, the best ball-player on the planet.

BTW-- The Post sucks for EVERYTHING but Page 6 and Sports- Sports is usually right on the money!

[Dane96]

I think Boston will eventually offer a 5-7 year guaranteed deal over $30 per and have the additional 3-5 years as perfomance based that can have a value upto the guaranteed years. Like 15 MM guaranteed and $5 MM bonuses for 35 HRs and another $5MM for 40 HRs something like that so hes still getting the full vlaue if hes still operformaing at a top level in the later years.



xnonono2x xoopsx

You think A-Rod signs for this--- You are nuts. HE can get a better offer from about 8 teams.

[danefan]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3109894

[Gil Dobie]

Yankees need A-Rod more than A-Rod needs the Yankees. xlolx

[Seahawks Fan]

Yankees need A-Rod more than A-Rod needs the Yankees. xlolx


They need each other. If A-Rod could get a better deal he is out of here. Gross miscalculation of the market by Boras. Not a Yankee fan, but I like the way they handled his. Very well done.

[danefan]

I'd be interested to see ARod's contract with Boras. I don't really know how agency contracts are worded, but I wonder if Boras is guaranteed his cut of ARod's contract even if Boras doesn't negotiate it. I wouldn't be surprised.

[Seahawks Fan]

I suspect Boras gets his cut. But I like the way the Yankees stood up to him and put him in his place. Quite sure that if A-Rod had negotiated with the Yankees before opting out of his contract he would have been better off than what he will ultimately wind up with. Remember, the old contract included the Rangers subsidy. Yankees did a good job with this. Boras did not.

[UNHWildCats]

I suspect Boras gets his cut. But I like the way the Yankees stood up to him and put him in his place. Quite sure that if A-Rod had negotiated with the Yankees before opting out of his contract he would have been better off than what he will ultimately wind up with. Remember, the old contract included the Rangers subsidy. Yankees did a good job with this. Boras did not.

Its actually a violation of the collective bargaining agreement to bar an agent from negotiations.

Boras is advising A-Rod through the negotiations but is not present at the face to face negotiations.

[HIU 93]

If A-Rod comes back, then I will lose all respect for him.

[danefan]

Its actually a violation of the collective bargaining agreement to bar an agent from negotiations.

Boras is advising A-Rod through the negotiations but is not present at the face to face negotiations.

I think its a violation for an organization to bar an agent from negotiations. However, I do believe that a player can elect to negotiate without an agent if he chooses to do so. Which is apparently what is happening here.

[Seahawks Fan]

If A-Rod comes back, then I will lose all respect for him.

And others might say if A-Rod comes back, they will lose all respect for the Yankees. xcoffeex

[Dane96]

Its actually a violation of the collective bargaining agreement to bar an agent from negotiations.

Boras is advising A-Rod through the negotiations but is not present at the face to face negotiations.

Actually, it is NOT. That was a wrong assessment of the Players Association attorney.

The rules stipulate, that once a player designates a player-agent, the teams cannot negotiate with another player-agent. IN this instance, the Union will argue that A-Rod was acting as his own player-agent. In fact, this is a faulty argument because A-Rod is not a registered player agent.

This is the exact reason Scott Boras sat out both the Andrew Jones and Bernie Williams deals.

Additionally, agents may or may not be third-party benificieries of the contract...and it would be hard to argue that they have rights under the CBA as they are not signatories to it.

Finally, even if in violation, A-Rod would argue Boras breached his contract-- and would have unreal evidence (the World Series announcement) that Boras did not use best efforts. Boras would counter that A-Rod did not give him the opportunity-- They would settle.

All this is moot-- The Yanks wanted to meet A-Rod face to face without Boras and said...this is OUR DEAL...take it or leave it. Once A-Rod agreed to the general terms, Boras would then hammer out the little details-- the legalese, have you.

Hank and Hal both stated they dont care at this point if A-Rod has Boras in his corner. They got what they wanted.

I have a copy of the CBA if you want to see it. The Fox reporter should have read it before allowing a general quote from the Players Union to serve as the heart of his article.

[danefan]

http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3111624&name=olney_buster&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fesp n%2fblog%2findex%3fentryID%3d3111624%26name%3dolne y_buster



Well, not exactly the same offer. The Yankees have insisted on deducting, in their face-to-face negotiations with Rodriguez, about $21.3 million from the final amount -- the number of dollars in subsidy that the Yankees lost from the Texas Rangers when Rodriguez opted out of his current contract. Call it the Boras Tax, if you will.


But in the years ahead, A-Rod will have to live with the consequences of his own decisions and his own actions, and will continue to get booed. Meanwhile, if Boras draws the industry's standard rate of 5 percent, he will get about $14 million of Rodriguez's new contract.



Rodriguez continued to get hammered in today's papers: George Vecsey writes that the Yankees should just say no (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/15/sports/baseball/15vecsey.html?_r=1&ref=sports&oref=slogin). Hank Steinbrenner's stance caught A-Rod off guard (http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2007/11/15/2007-11-15_hank_steinbrenners_stance_caught_arod_bo-1.html), writes John Harper, and A-Rod was so mad that he considered suing Boras. A-Rod felt the wrath of fans (http://www.nypost.com/seven/11152007/sports/yankees/rodriguez_heard_voices_of_fans_286667.htm), writes Mike Vaccaro.

[appfan2008]

And others might say if A-Rod comes back, they will lose all respect for the Yankees. xcoffeex

I think a lot of respect will be lost in this whole situation either way... he has already turned this into a pr nightmare

[Gil Dobie]

Looks like A-Rod and the Yankees have agreed to terms. xthumbsupx

10 years, $275 Million Smackers !

[bluehenbillk]

As a Red Sox fan I'm happy not to have to worry about the Yankees winning a WS for the next decade.

[OB55]

Looks like A-Rod and the Yankees have agreed to terms. xthumbsupx

10 years, $275 Million Smackers !

If I had a tail, I'd put it between my legs in public bare naked for that sort of consideration. xnodx

[CollegeSportsInfo]

If A-Rod comes back, then I will lose all respect for him.

I don't know what to think right now. I was content with him leaving, like many Yankees fans. I really want to find out the whole story of what happened if he does sign. Boras asks for a $350 offer just to talk, other teams knowing the price range publicly say they are still interested, and then he could be signing a $275 million contract with the Yankees ($75 million less than the $350 Boras price)? It is a strange situation. When all the facts come out, I'd be interested to see if this was 100% a Boras F-up or 100% A-Rod wanting to remain a Yankee, or whatever percentage of both it really is.

A-Rod is a great player, probably the greatest. But I'd rather have a team with guys like Brosius at 3rd, Chad Curtis and O'Neil in the outfield. All solid players who have the ability to step it up in October when it counts.