Cano May Not Be in an Empire State of Mind

Robinson Cano insists that he wants to remain a member of the New York Yankees, but according to media reports, he and the only team he has ever known are about $80MM apart in contract talks.

Cano is the first big name client in rapper Jay-Z's entertainment agency, Roc Nation Sports. Cano had formerly been represented by uber PITA Scott Boras. Rumors spread like wildfire towards the end of the 2013 regular season and beyond that Cano wanted a 10-year, $300MM deal.

Cano recently denied that he had ever made such a contract demand, but that doesn't mean the people at Roc Nation Sports didn't spread that rumor. (Or possibly the Yankees). The Yankees reportedly put a 7-year offer on the table in the neighborhood of $160MM to $175MM, but the offer could be pulled if an agreement can't be reached with Cano in quick fashion.

The All-Star second baseman's demands actually aren't that far off of the 10-300 rumor. A 9-year contract worth $250MM - $260MM is supposedly what's on Cano's Christmas wish list. The Yankees might aqueous to the amount per year or a close compromise, but I don't see then going past the seven year offer.

What Cano and Jay-Z don't realize is that Cano is not in the same class as Miguel Cabrera,  Alex Rodriguez in his pre-cheating days, or a younger Albert Pujols. He's not going to bring fans out to the ballpark. He's a great hitter, but not elite. There are no .350 batting averages, 1.000 OPS seasons, or 40-50 home runs. He's one of the top fielders in the game, but other than possibly Ozzie Smith, fans don't pay good money to see a guy play defense.

Complicating matters is the A-Rod suspension hearing and eventual decision. The Yankees need to know whether they need to count $27.5MM or $2.5MM for A-Rod towards the 2014 luxury tax. The Yankees could possibly circumvent some of the issue by back-loading Cano's contract.

Another comlpication is Roc Nation Sports itself. Trying to play with the big boys, RNS wants to make a big splash with Cano's contract. But they could do more harm than good if they hold on to their contract demands for too long.

One final thing that should really be cleared up....Jay-Z is completing wrong in thinking "...I made the Yankee hat more famous then a Yankee can." That's more delusional than Cano's contract demands.

BD Spring Training Report: Twins “Liri” To Deal Francisco | Baseball Digest

BD Spring Training Report: Twins “Liri” To Deal Francisco | Baseball Digest

Trade rumors concerning Minnesota Twins pitcher Francisco Liriano began at the trade deadline last season, continued throughout the hot stove season, and are still being bandied about during spring training. The latest chatter has the New York Yankees inquiring about the left-handed starter with big time potential and a surgically repaired elbow.

First reported by USA Today columnist Bob Nightengale on Jim Bowden’s radio show, Brian Cashman reportedly contacted Twins’ GM Bill Smith about Liriano’s availability. Later reports had a rumored Yankees offer of pitching prospect Ivan Nova and light hitting/good glove infielder Ramiro Pena. Needless to say, rumored or real, the Twins would not ship Liriano for that minor of a package.

Both teams should be wary of how they proceed. Liriano underwent Tommy John surgery, which caused him to miss all of 2007 and limited him to 76 innings in 2008. Liriano struggled mightily in 2009 as he tried to regain his form- he pitched to a nearly 6 ERA and allowed 21 home runs. Last season, Liriano finally started to look like the 2006 version of himself. He averaged over nine strikeouts per nine innings, recorded a 3.62 ERA, and allowed less than a hit per inning.

But there are some details that should be pointed out. First, Liriano threw a career-high 191-2/3 innings (nearly 55 innings more than his prior top innings count) and seemed to wear out in September. His post-season performance against the Yankees was nothing to write home about either (5.2 IP 4 ER 6 H 3 BB 7 K). And his regular season ERA was more than a full point higher on the road than in his spacious home ballpark (Target Field).

Liriano complained of shoulder soreness and a tired arm shortly after reporting to spring training a few weeks ago and his initial bullpen sessions were cancelled. Manager Ron Gardenhire downplayed it as tendinitis, but the Twins have to be concerned about their pitcher with the nastiest selection of pitches. Part of the reason for the early spring issues was that Liriano did not consistently do his off-season strengthening exercises. As Scott Miller of CBS Sports pointed out, that showed a lack of maturity.

There is talk that Minnesota will wait until the July trade deadline gets closer to have a better gauge of the market (Minnesota has Liriano under control for another season, so they may not be in a rush to do anything as well), but if the Twins do move Liriano, they are better off moving him sooner rather than later. Shoulder injuries and any necessary surgeries are much trickier and take longer to come back from than elbow injuries. Liriano’s shoulder may not be a serious issue at all, but buyers should beware of what they may be purchasing/giving up prospects for in return for the 27-yr old.

The Washington Nationals should finally get a look at Chien-Ming Wang on a mound. The Taiwanese hero and two-time 19 game winner with the New York Yankees is scheduled to pitch in a minor league intrasquad game on Friday. Not so good news for his teammate Cla Meredith who will have to undergo Tommy John surgery today.

Twins beat writer Joe Christensen tweeted this morning that Justin Morneau is making progress in his recovery from concussion symptoms, but was still not cleared by doctors on Tuesday to participate in any exhibition games.

Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett who took a baseball to the head and suffered a mild concussion on Monday has been cleared to resume baseball activities.

Scott Boras has one less big name client- Mark Teixeira. There was no reason given for the dismissal.

Indians GM Chris Antonetti told the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Paul Hoynes that he does not expect outfielder Grady Sizemore to be ready for opening day (April 1). “It’s still a possibility,” said Antonetti. “But I’d say it’s less likely than more likely that he’ll be ready for the start of the season. We’re hopeful it will still be near the start of the season. Whether that’s a few days or a few weeks, we just don’t know yet.”

Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos assured fans that GM Andy MacPhail is “…not going anywhere.” MacPhail’s contract expires at the end of the 2011 season. “Andy and Buck [Showalter] are a great combination,” Angelos told the Baltimore Sun’s Peter Schmuck.

Breaking News: Manny and Dodgers Reunited

ESPNdeportes.com's Enrique Rojas is reporting that the LA Dodgers and Manny Ramirez have agreed to terms on a two year deal. No financial terms were disclosed.

Scott Boras, Ramirez's agent, did not return a phone call to confirm or deny the information.

UPDATE 8 AM 3/4 - Scott Boras denied any deal last night, but it is believed the two teams are now very close. Manny flew to LA last night.

UPDATE 4:05 PM 3/4 - It's for real this time; Manny Ramirez has reached agreement with the Dodgers on a 2 year, $45 million deal. It includes a clause to opt out after one year.

Boras the Puppet Master

Manny Ramirez has rejected the Dodgers latest offer. $25 million guaranteed for one year, with a $20 million player's option for a second year. And Manny said, nah.

Though it would significantly damage their offense, the Dodgers should just say, it was nice knowing you, and move on. They're only bidding against themselves right now.

Scott Boras, Manny's agent, is waiting for something to happen this spring. Specifically, a major injury to a big time hitter. That's the best scenario for Manny to get the four year deal he is seeking. Desperate times call for desperate, and sometimes panicky, measures.

The Giants are said to be monitoring the situation and they certainly aren't afraid to make bad deals (Barry Zito, Aaron Rowand).

Perhaps Manny sits out the start of the season and a team, such as the Mets, gets off to a slow start due to lack of production from the corner outfielders (a very real possibility). Would they then make an "offer you can't refuse" to the Man-child?

Apparently, Boras is willing to wait and see.

A-Rod's Associates Coming to Life

Alex Rodriguez is way off base if he thinks he can just move on now after admitting steroid use and holding a press conference. A-Rod's nefarious cousin was revealed yesterday by the NY Daily News to be Yuri Sucart. But that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Angel Presinal was banned from all MLB clubhouses after he was caught with a bag of steroids at a Toronto airport in 2001. At the time, he said they belonged to Juan Gonzalez. Now comes word from the Daily News that Presinal was a regular companion of A-Rod's in 2007. That's right, A-Rod's best season as a Yankee and in his contract year.

The source said Rodriguez avoided being seen in public with Presinal.

"He was around Alex in 2007," the source said of Presinal. "Every hotel they went to, he stayed in the same room with Yuri. You would never see Alex with [Presinal]. They would meet in one of their rooms."

Presinal was not around A-Rod and the Yankees during the 2008 season, the source said, but Sucart remained a constant presence around Rodriguez, at home and on the road.

"Yuri is his driver," the source said. "He takes care of him all the time. His clothes, his food; he's with Alex every day."

Brian Cashman was quick to clarify that the Yankees had no association with Presinal, while A-Rod's agent, Scott Boras, declined to comment.

MLB already wants to talk to A-Rod as they did with Jason Giambi after his PED revelation, but now it's possible that the US government could be calling A-Rod in for a meeting.

You just get the feeling this is going to get a whole lot uglier.

Is Half a Confession Better than None?

In listening to Alex Rodriguez's "confessional" with Peter Gammons yesterday, you definitely got the impression that where there's smoke there's fire. While on the one hand he admitted to steroid use from 2001-2003 ("that's pretty accurate" left the door open for more revelations), A-Rod was more apologetic for being naive rather for actually taking an illegal substance.

Possibly more damaging to A-Rod's reputation, was his accusation that SI.com reporter Selena Roberts was stalking him, and in fact had been cited by the Miami police for trying to break into his home. Peter Abraham of the Journal News reported last night that no such citation took place nor are there any police records of any such incident.

We were also left with the impression that A-Rod is still not speaking the entire truth. A truth that may never come out. We're sure that Bud Selig will want to meet with Rodriguez, just as he did with Jason Giambi, to clear the air. A-Rod will also be quizzed about Roberts accusation that MLBPA COO Gene Orza tipped him off to a 2004 random drug test.

And of course this has the chance to get even uglier, even "zooier". Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD) wants to conduct another dog and pony show in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which still is NOT supposed to deal with these issues. With nearly 600 thousand workers laid off in January, somehow we think Congress should be working on other things.

Even President Obama was quizzed about A-Rod's failings during his first press conference last night, stating that he was "disappointed" at the news. We wonder too if the President realizes just how little common sense A-Rod has.

Ah, this is only beginning of what is to be a very long baseball season in the Bronx.

All's Quiet on the Eastern Front

The weekend has come and gone, and no word from Alex Rodriguez or Scott Boras about Saturday's steroid revelation. No word from the Yankees either.

Boras did say he hadn't spoken yet with A-Rod, because his client was out of the country. Huh? Miami is out of the country? Boras would not comment until he got together with Rodriguez.

Union head Donald Fehr would not comment either. But one has to wonder why were the test results not destroyed. The union should have immediately gotten rid of any and all results. The fact that they didn't is reprehensible and a violation of the player's trust.

The drama queen A-Rod strikes again.

3rd Night of Hanukkah or Christmas Comes Early

It doesn't matter how you slice it. Whatever holiday you celebrate, you've gotten this season's big ticket items. CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and now you can add your very own Mark Teixeira. Big Tex is coming to town on the wings of an 8 year, $180 million contract. Sticker shock? Nah. Small peanuts for a big cash(ew) team.

The Washington Times had reported earlier today that there was to be a decision today on Teixeira's future. Most thought the Red Sox would be inking him to a new deal despite owner John Henry's claim that the Sox were back away. Teixeira's current team, the Angels, decided a new deal was too rich for their blood and had pulled out of the running. Fringe teams like the Nationals and Orioles were thought to have offered, or were preparing to offer, a mega-deal.

But when it came right down to it, the Yankees played it slowly and wisely (as it turns out). They figured out who the real competition for Teixeira's services were, and how much money would be involved. Then they waited for some of the players to drop out and dropped some more millions on the pile.

The Yankees now have an incredible lineup, one even stronger than the nine they wrote in every day in 2007 when they scored runs (until the playoffs) like there was no tomorrow. Buster Olney was on with ESPN radio's Max Kellerman and the two speculated that Teixeira would bat in front of Alex Rodriguez with Hideki Matsui likely to be in the 5-spot.

Why? Tex should clearly bat cleanup to serve as protection for A-Rod not the other way around. A-Rod needs someone to take the pressure off of him and Matsui, nor anyone else in the lineup, will do that.

What about the outfield and DH? The Yankees now have Johnny Damon, Xavier Nady, Melky Cabrera, Brett Gardner, Hideki Matsui, and Nick Swisher for 3 spots in the outfield and 1 spot in the lineup as DH.

The time has come to trade Hideki Matsui. We love Godzilla, and he's been an effective run producer, but his body and defense have deteriorated as has his power. If you are going to have Swisher, you might as well use him. He's not a good defender, so you can give him the bulk of at-bats at DH, throwing some time to the aging legs of Johnny Damon. We could see the Yankees waiting to deal Matsui until closer to the season opener to be sure that Jorge Posada is healthy and ready to be in the lineup every/almost every day.

Swisher can occasionally player either of three outfield positions to spot players some rest. The season could open with a Gardner/Cabrera platoon in center field. You don't need a mega-watt star at every position. Mike Cameron is definitely NOT needed or necessary. Gardner/Cabrera could battle for time in the 9-hole in the lineup. If both continued to suck, you can look elsewhere, perhaps a veteran who would come cheap via a trade.

The lineup we would put out there:

Damon
Jeter
A-Rod
Teixeira
Nady
Posada
Cano
Swisher
Gardner/Cabrera

Happy Holidays!

3rd Night of Hanukkah or Christmas Comes Early

It doesn't matter how you slice it. Whatever holiday you celebrate, you've gotten this season's big ticket items. CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and now you can add your very own Mark Teixeira. Big Tex is coming to town on the wings of an 8 year, $180 million contract. Sticker shock? Nah. Small peanuts for a big cash(ew) team.

The Washington Times had reported earlier today that there was to be a decision today on Teixeira's future. Most thought the Red Sox would be inking him to a new deal despite owner John Henry's claim that the Sox were back away. Teixeira's current team, the Angels, decided a new deal was too rich for their blood and had pulled out of the running. Fringe teams like the Nationals and Orioles were thought to have offered, or were preparing to offer, a mega-deal.

But when it came right down to it, the Yankees played it slowly and wisely (as it turns out). They figured out who the real competition for Teixeira's services were, and how much money would be involved. Then they waited for some of the players to drop out and dropped some more millions on the pile.

The Yankees now have an incredible lineup, one even stronger than the nine they wrote in every day in 2007 when they scored runs (until the playoffs) like there was no tomorrow. Buster Olney was on with ESPN radio's Max Kellerman and the two speculated that Teixeira would bat in front of Alex Rodriguez with Hideki Matsui likely to be in the 5-spot.

Why? Tex should clearly bat cleanup to serve as protection for A-Rod not the other way around. A-Rod needs someone to take the pressure off of him and Matsui, nor anyone else in the lineup, will do that.

What about the outfield and DH? The Yankees now have Johnny Damon, Xavier Nady, Melky Cabrera, Brett Gardner, Hideki Matsui, and Nick Swisher for 3 spots in the outfield and 1 spot in the lineup as DH.

The time has come to trade Hideki Matsui. We love Godzilla, and he's been an effective run producer, but his body and defense have deteriorated as has his power. If you are going to have Swisher, you might as well use him. He's not a good defender, so you can give him the bulk of at-bats at DH, throwing some time to the aging legs of Johnny Damon. We could see the Yankees waiting to deal Matsui until closer to the season opener to be sure that Jorge Posada is healthy and ready to be in the lineup every/almost every day.

Swisher can occasionally player either of three outfield positions to spot players some rest. The season could open with a Gardner/Cabrera platoon in center field. You don't need a mega-watt star at every position. Mike Cameron is definitely NOT needed or necessary. Gardner/Cabrera could battle for time in the 9-hole in the lineup. If both continued to suck, you can look elsewhere, perhaps a veteran who would come cheap via a trade.

The lineup we would put out there:

Damon
Jeter
A-Rod
Teixeira
Nady
Posada
Cano
Swisher
Gardner/Cabrera

Happy Holidays!

Yankees Going out for Some Tex-Mex?

SI's Jon Heyman is reporting that Scott Boras is now in talks with the Yankees and Angels for free agent first baseman Mark Teixeira. This comes after Red Sox owner John Henry said Boras' contract demands (notice we didn't say Teixeira's demands) were too high - believed to be $184 for 8 years.

The Angels were previously thought to bid $165, but are probably willing to up the ante. The Yankees, meanwhile, were thought to be debating whether to go after Teixeira or Manny Ramirez. (You know where we stand on that topic).

The Yankees may be waiting for the final numbers to fall into place before coming in with a big bid like they did with Johnny Damon prior to the 2006 season. Just keep Mike Cameron out of My Pinstripes.

Yankees Going out for Some Tex-Mex?

SI's Jon Heyman is reporting that Scott Boras is now in talks with the Yankees and Angels for free agent first baseman Mark Teixeira. This comes after Red Sox owner John Henry said Boras' contract demands (notice we didn't say Teixeira's demands) were too high - believed to be $184 for 8 years.

The Angels were previously thought to bid $165, but are probably willing to up the ante. The Yankees, meanwhile, were thought to be debating whether to go after Teixeira or Manny Ramirez. (You know where we stand on that topic).

The Yankees may be waiting for the final numbers to fall into place before coming in with a big bid like they did with Johnny Damon prior to the 2006 season. Just keep Mike Cameron out of My Pinstripes.

The New Whipping Boy

He's still raking in the dough, but Scott Boras isn't being looked upon too highly by some of his current and former clientele of late.

We won't regurge the whole Alex Rodriguez contract biz again, but A-Rod did mention yesterday that he hasn't spoken to Boras since that whole fiasco. The two were once thick as thieves.

Now the mouth that roared II (Schilling would be the mouth that roared I) is taking shots at Boras. Gary Sheffield needs to have a chip on his shoulder and he's decided what that should be this year.

It all stems from Sheffield's contract negotiations with the Yankees prior to the 2004 season. Sheffield ended up negotiating the contract himself and he was not pleased with the outcome.

"Can you explain why (Miguel) Tejada gets six years, (Vladimir) Guerrero gets five years and I get three? He cost me two years of a contract because he was trying to tarnish my name,'' Sheffield said in 2004. "The whole year in Atlanta, I had to get the players' association to stop him from writing me threatening letters saying, 'Either you let me do your contract or I'll be forced to sue you.' That's a threat and harassment.''

Since Boras was still under contract when Sheff signed the deal in late 2003, he wants a cut of the money.

"Nothing happens. Then, he comes back, `I want some more money.' That's basically the way he's acting,'' Sheffield said. "I don't know why. It's probably personal with him. But when it's done, it's going to be personal with me.''

Grievances have been filed and depositions given (another deposition will take place on Feb. 28) and the case should be resolved soon. Sheffield hasn't been able to comment on the proceedings, but vowed not to hold his tongue when it's over.

"It ain't going to be pretty,'' he said. "No fine is going to be big enough. No suspension is going to be long enough."

"Total hell,'' he said, referring to his time as a Boras client. "I shouldn't have ever introduced myself to him. Period. Bad person.''

Kenny Rogers also fired Boras this past winter when the agent tried to negotiate with teams other than the Tigers. That was in direct conflict to the pitcher's wishes.

One more Sheff note- earlier this week he said he missed playing for the Yankees. Aw, how sweet. We can't speak for everyone, but we don't miss you.

The New Whipping Boy

He's still raking in the dough, but Scott Boras isn't being looked upon too highly by some of his current and former clientele of late.

We won't regurge the whole Alex Rodriguez contract biz again, but A-Rod did mention yesterday that he hasn't spoken to Boras since that whole fiasco. The two were once thick as thieves.

Now the mouth that roared II (Schilling would be the mouth that roared I) is taking shots at Boras. Gary Sheffield needs to have a chip on his shoulder and he's decided what that should be this year.

It all stems from Sheffield's contract negotiations with the Yankees prior to the 2004 season. Sheffield ended up negotiating the contract himself and he was not pleased with the outcome.

"Can you explain why (Miguel) Tejada gets six years, (Vladimir) Guerrero gets five years and I get three? He cost me two years of a contract because he was trying to tarnish my name,'' Sheffield said in 2004. "The whole year in Atlanta, I had to get the players' association to stop him from writing me threatening letters saying, 'Either you let me do your contract or I'll be forced to sue you.' That's a threat and harassment.''

Since Boras was still under contract when Sheff signed the deal in late 2003, he wants a cut of the money.

"Nothing happens. Then, he comes back, `I want some more money.' That's basically the way he's acting,'' Sheffield said. "I don't know why. It's probably personal with him. But when it's done, it's going to be personal with me.''

Grievances have been filed and depositions given (another deposition will take place on Feb. 28) and the case should be resolved soon. Sheffield hasn't been able to comment on the proceedings, but vowed not to hold his tongue when it's over.

"It ain't going to be pretty,'' he said. "No fine is going to be big enough. No suspension is going to be long enough."

"Total hell,'' he said, referring to his time as a Boras client. "I shouldn't have ever introduced myself to him. Period. Bad person.''

Kenny Rogers also fired Boras this past winter when the agent tried to negotiate with teams other than the Tigers. That was in direct conflict to the pitcher's wishes.

One more Sheff note- earlier this week he said he missed playing for the Yankees. Aw, how sweet. We can't speak for everyone, but we don't miss you.

I'm Alex Rodriguez

In what was a clear case of additional damage control, Alex Rodriguez sat down for an interview with 60 Minutes' Katie Couric. The interview, which aired last night, was filmed shortly after the release of the Mitchell Report, and its accompanying circus. Even C-Rod made a brief appearance.

A-Rod took the opportunity to flatly deny the use of any illegal substances, as well as deny ever having seen anyone else using steroids or HGH. There aren't too many people outside of Jose Canseco who think that A-Rod has been cheating.

He also talked about he "stunk" during post-season play and how it was "unacceptable".

Then we got down to the brass tacks of why this interview was granted. A-Rod talked about how shocked and mortified he was, when while watching the World Series, he heard FOX's Ken Rosenthal announce that A-Rod would be opting out of his Yankees' contract. He took the opportunity to again apologize to the Red Sox and Rockies for what occurred.

A-Rod did admit that ultimately he was responsible since it was his agent/attorney that took these actions. However, he also stated that he did not know that the Yankees were interested in retaining him prior to opting out. It's hard to imagine this intelligent person not knowing what was going on in the world around him.

"When I realized things were going haywire, at that point I said, 'Wait a minute, I've got to be accountable for my own life. This is not going the way I wanted it to go.' So I got behind the wheel."

Rodriguez also talked about his strained relationship with Boras, and the lack of communication that is currently taking place between them. He then talked about how he, on the advice of Warren Buffett, approached the Yankees himself to apologize, and to see if they were still interested. And the rest is history.

Some people will come away from this interview thinking A-Rod was sincere. Others will believe it is just more of the too slick PR approach that has created a bad taste in the mouths of his colleagues and baseball fans. We think there were parts of both, but unfortunately more of the latter.

You can view pieces of the interview on the official 60 Minutes website.

I'm Alex Rodriguez

In what was a clear case of additional damage control, Alex Rodriguez sat down for an interview with 60 Minutes' Katie Couric. The interview, which aired last night, was filmed shortly after the release of the Mitchell Report, and its accompanying circus. Even C-Rod made a brief appearance.

A-Rod took the opportunity to flatly deny the use of any illegal substances, as well as deny ever having seen anyone else using steroids or HGH. There aren't too many people outside of Jose Canseco who think that A-Rod has been cheating.

He also talked about he "stunk" during post-season play and how it was "unacceptable".

Then we got down to the brass tacks of why this interview was granted. A-Rod talked about how shocked and mortified he was, when while watching the World Series, he heard FOX's Ken Rosenthal announce that A-Rod would be opting out of his Yankees' contract. He took the opportunity to again apologize to the Red Sox and Rockies for what occurred.

A-Rod did admit that ultimately he was responsible since it was his agent/attorney that took these actions. However, he also stated that he did not know that the Yankees were interested in retaining him prior to opting out. It's hard to imagine this intelligent person not knowing what was going on in the world around him.

"When I realized things were going haywire, at that point I said, 'Wait a minute, I've got to be accountable for my own life. This is not going the way I wanted it to go.' So I got behind the wheel."

Rodriguez also talked about his strained relationship with Boras, and the lack of communication that is currently taking place between them. He then talked about how he, on the advice of Warren Buffett, approached the Yankees himself to apologize, and to see if they were still interested. And the rest is history.

Some people will come away from this interview thinking A-Rod was sincere. Others will believe it is just more of the too slick PR approach that has created a bad taste in the mouths of his colleagues and baseball fans. We think there were parts of both, but unfortunately more of the latter.

You can view pieces of the interview on the official 60 Minutes website.

A-Rod Seals the Deal

Lost in yesterday's hoopla was the finalization of Alex Rodriguez's contract. He held a brief news conference afterwards, with the prerequisite that he would not answer any steroid related question. He did try to do some damage control to his image, which took a hit in the days following the end of the season and during the World Series.

"I was very angry about the whole situation," Rodriguez said. "I was very upset. I voiced that to (Boras). The one time we spoke I conveyed that message."

"That (announcement during the World Series) was handled extremely poorly," Rodriguez said. "It was my understanding that the letter wouldn't go public until a day or two after the World Series concluded. The whole thing was distasteful and very inappropriate."

"It (the criticism) almost seemed like a nightmare," he said, "and I don't know how I got there."

While Rodriguez took the blame upon himself, saying, "I take that bullet," he also pointed to Boras.

"When I realized that our goals were not aligned," Rodriguez said yesterday, "that's when I had to step in and get my voice heard."

"If he (Hank Steinbrenner) hung up on me, I wouldn't have been surprised," Rodriguez said. "I thought that my career was over with the Yankees.

"It was important for me to make that call to close a chapter or open a chapter. I needed to express to Hank how important the Yankees were to me. ... I'm glad I made that phone call, or I wouldn't be here today."

Source

Whether he's sincere or not, it was important that A-Rod said what he did. Now he has to get it done on the field to justify his big new contract.

A-Rod Seals the Deal

Lost in yesterday's hoopla was the finalization of Alex Rodriguez's contract. He held a brief news conference afterwards, with the prerequisite that he would not answer any steroid related question. He did try to do some damage control to his image, which took a hit in the days following the end of the season and during the World Series.

"I was very angry about the whole situation," Rodriguez said. "I was very upset. I voiced that to (Boras). The one time we spoke I conveyed that message."

"That (announcement during the World Series) was handled extremely poorly," Rodriguez said. "It was my understanding that the letter wouldn't go public until a day or two after the World Series concluded. The whole thing was distasteful and very inappropriate."

"It (the criticism) almost seemed like a nightmare," he said, "and I don't know how I got there."

While Rodriguez took the blame upon himself, saying, "I take that bullet," he also pointed to Boras.

"When I realized that our goals were not aligned," Rodriguez said yesterday, "that's when I had to step in and get my voice heard."

"If he (Hank Steinbrenner) hung up on me, I wouldn't have been surprised," Rodriguez said. "I thought that my career was over with the Yankees.

"It was important for me to make that call to close a chapter or open a chapter. I needed to express to Hank how important the Yankees were to me. ... I'm glad I made that phone call, or I wouldn't be here today."

Source

Whether he's sincere or not, it was important that A-Rod said what he did. Now he has to get it done on the field to justify his big new contract.

A-Rod, Yankees Get Closer

The once unthinkable is getting closer to becoming reality. Hours after stories broke that A-Rod had approached the Yankees about returning, reports are that the 2 sides are very close to a new deal. Sources have told mlb.com that a deal that could earn A-Rod close to $290 million could be completed at any time.

It was also reported earlier in the day that the Yankees demanded that Scott Boras not be a part of the negotiations, but a source later said that the requirement was untrue.

Source

A-Rod, Yankees Get Closer

The once unthinkable is getting closer to becoming reality. Hours after stories broke that A-Rod had approached the Yankees about returning, reports are that the 2 sides are very close to a new deal. Sources have told mlb.com that a deal that could earn A-Rod close to $290 million could be completed at any time.

It was also reported earlier in the day that the Yankees demanded that Scott Boras not be a part of the negotiations, but a source later said that the requirement was untrue.

Source

Player's Union Balks at A-Rod

The player's union reacted quickly to word that Alex Rodriguez was negotiating without Scott Boras.

"That clearly is a violation of the Basic Agreement," Michael Weiner, the general counsel of the players' union.

This isn't the first time the player's union got involved in an A-Rod negotiation. When Boston and Texas were trying to work a trade for A-Rod prior to the '04 season, the union shot down A-Rod's attempt to restructure his contract.

Source