Yankees, A-Rod back in talks

[Clarence the Blue Puppet]

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7446926?MSNHPHMA

 

FOXSports.com, Updated 15 minutes ago

 

Alex Rodriguez may yet return to the Yankees. But if he does, it won't be in the way anyone thought.

 

The Yankees, who have maintained publicly that they would not negotiate with Rodriguez after the soon-to-be three-time MVP opted out of his contract during Game 4 of the World Series, have been discussing a new deal with A-Rod's camp for the last few days, the New York Daily News reported on its web site, citing a source with knowledge of the situation.

 

But these aren't your normal negotiations.

 

The Yankees, who lost $21 million worth of contract subsidy from the Rangers when Rodriguez opted out of the last three years of his contract, do not want A-Rod's agent involved in the process at all.

 

"We will not negotiate with Scott Boras," a Yankees source told the Daily News. "He cannot be in the room."

 

Friends and advisors of Rodriguez in his native Miami have been advising him to dump Boras, a source told FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal. Rodriguez has staunchly rejected the idea, the source says. While it is possible for him to speak to the Yankees without Boras, it is doubtful that he would act without any advice from his longtime agent.

 

The other catch in a potential deal? A-Rod would appear likely to make less money per year than if he had signed the five-year extension in the neighborhood of $140 million that the Yankees were rumored to have offered their former third baseman. According to a high-ranking Yankees source, the team would be willing to bring Rodriguez back on a below-market contract that would make up for the money lost by the opt-out, the newspaper reported.

 

It was Rodriguez who apparently contacted the Yankees, not the other way around, the Daily News reported. He did so through a third-party intermediary. "He went to them," said the source. However, A-Rod would have to have person-to-person talks with Hank and Hal Steinbrenner before a deal could be made, the newspaper said.

 

Another indication that the Yankees haven't ruled out Rodriguez: They are talking to free agent Mike Lowell not just about replacing Rodriguez at third base, but also about playing first, major-league sources tell Rosenthal.

 

Lowell, 33, has been unable to reach an agreement with the Red Sox, who offered him a three-year deal believed to be in the range of $38 million to $40 million. After Lowell became a free agent, a source said the Yankees were "all over" Lowell. The Red Sox would lose two options at third if the Yankees signed Lowell to play first and kept Rodriguez, perhaps leading them to increase their pursuit of the Marlins' Miguel Cabrera in a trade.

 

If the Yankees do get serious about bringing back Rodriguez, the "below market" notion would of course be a relative term. One source told the Daily News that he expected Rodriguez to take a deal in the 10-year, $275 million range, numbers that are "below market" for only one player on the planet.

 

Another source told the newspaper he believes Rodriguez is also concerned about rehabilitating his image.

 

"Most of this is about Alex trying to salvage his image," the source told the newspaper. "He's upset over the way this whole thing has played out and the way he's being portrayed now, because of Boras."

 

If they could get both Lowell and A-Rod...that would be amazing.

[Lubeck]

If they could get both Lowell and A-Rod...that would be amazing.

 

Indeed. Plus it would really hurt Boston.

 

I was going to be pissed off at the Yankees for backing down from their "If he opts out we want nothing to do with him." stance, but if it is true they have said no Boras in the room then I can at least accept that....plus Arod has gotten a taste of free agency and I think suddenly that contract offer from the Yanks he rejected looks a lot better.

[Clarence the Blue Puppet]

Indeed. Plus it would really hurt Boston.

 

I was going to be pissed off at the Yankees for backing down from their "If he opts out we want nothing to do with him." stance, but if it is true they have said no Boras in the room then I can at least accept that....plus Arod has gotten a taste of free agency and I think suddenly that contract offer from the Yanks he rejected looks a lot better.

 

 

Indeed. I think it's quite promising too that A-Rod approached the Yankees and not the other way around. I've got my fingers crossed.

[Herc]

of course they are still in the a-rod running. they currently don't have a right handed power bat and boras wasn't stupid enough to seriously believe that the yanks would let a 27 mil subsidy be the breaking point in a 300+ million dollar contract

[MakeMeSomeFoodHo]

supposed to be just about a done deal.......10 years, 275 mil

[Ditto]

Screw Arod! Go after Lowell. The few rbi’s we lose, we’d more than make up for with Lowell’s defense. Arod wanted to walk, let him walk! What wrong? Not enough GMs banging on his door?

[MakeMeSomeFoodHo]

Screw Arod! Go after Lowell. The few rbi’s we lose, we’d more than make up for with Lowell’s defense. Arod wanted to walk, let him walk! What wrong? Not enough GMs banging on his door?

I seriously cant tell if youre being serious or sarcastic....Mike Lowell is awful...740 OPS outside Fenway

[gateb]

supposed to be just about a done deal.......10 years, 275 mil

I bet 29 teams told him to fuck off if he's seriously negotiating withour Boras.

 

Wow.

[Ditto]

I seriously cant tell if youre being serious or sarcastic....Mike Lowell is awful...740 OPS outside Fenway

I'm serious. This being Arod's best year, how many games do you think he actually won for us? A dozen, maybe? That seems to be the educated guess. Give me Lowell playing defense and his 100 rbi's and save the money for a pitcher. Besides, it's not how much you hit, but when you hit, and Lowell doesn't seem to mind hitting when it's needed.

[so-cal dub]

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7446926?MSNHPHMA

If they could get both Lowell and A-Rod...that would be amazing.

Fuck Lowell. He's a product of Fenway, he wont have nearly the numbers playing with us. Just look at his Home vs. away stats.

 

Arod on the other hand I would love to have back, but not for more money. I cant see him signing a deal lower than what was originally offered and I cant see him canning Boras. The guy has a voice, he should use it.

[MakeMeSomeFoodHo]

I'm serious. This being Arod's best year, how many games do you think he actually won for us? A dozen, maybe? That seems to be the educated guess. Give me Lowell playing defense and his 100 rbi's and save the money for a pitcher. Besides, it's not how much you hit, but when you hit, and Lowell doesn't seem to mind hitting when it's needed.

I understand what youre trying to say and I dont mean to sound like a know it all asshole, but youre dead wrong here.

 

Lowell has a ops of 740 outside of fenway park...that isnt just bad for a corner infielder, its atrocious. Lowell would not have anywhere close to the porduction a-rod will give us...and alex is a very good fielding 3rd baseman...lowell is just a bit better...but the hitting differential outweighs the fielding differential by light years. A-rod won way more than 12 games for us this season..in fact, if the yankees had lowell instead of arod last season....youd be looking at a 4th place team. Lowell is also old. He is just a really bad fit for the yankees....plus we just gave posada and insanely stupid deal...the yankees have some bad contracts coming off the books at the end of 08...but they just added anohter with posada and looks like rivera too...lowells contract will be an albatross no matter where he signs...no thanks

 

 

Lowell- good for red sox, horribly wrong for yankees

 

[Ditto]

I understand what youre trying to say and I dont mean to sound like a know it all asshole, but youre dead wrong here.

 

Lowell has a ops of 740 outside of fenway park...that isnt just bad for a corner infielder, its atrocious. Lowell would not have anywhere close to the porduction a-rod will give us...and alex is a very good fielding 3rd baseman...lowell is just a bit better...but the hitting differential outweighs the fielding differential by light years. A-rod won way more than 12 games for us this season..in fact, if the yankees had lowell instead of arod last season....youd be looking at a 4th place team. Lowell is also old. He is just a really bad fit for the yankees....plus we just gave posada and insanely stupid deal...the yankees have some bad contracts coming off the books at the end of 08...but they just added anohter with posada and looks like rivera too...lowells contract will be an albatross no matter where he signs...no thanks

Lowell- good for red sox, horribly wrong for yankees

Yeah, I have to concede, except for the 12 games, of course. I also don’t like the way he gives up on balls hit in the hole too often like he’s afraid to look foolish if they went off his glove or something. I’ll root for him, root for him to win a triple crown and even Maris’ record, but he’ll remain my least favorite Yankee.