Official Position on: Alex Rodriguez
October 17, 2007 at 6:25 pm | Posted in Alex Rodriguez, Official Position | 18 CommentsFirst off, quick site business: Big doings around here lately. Thanks to our friends at BaseballThinkFactory linking to the Pierre article, we broke our one-day high for hits the other day. On that same thread, we also broke the site record for comments, mostly by our blue-blooded brethren at the Big Blue Wrecking Crew.
So powered by CHJ stealing my thunder, and with apologies in advance for the shoddy Photoshopping…
There’s a chance that one of the ten best players of all time may be available this offseason, at the peak of his abilities. Not only that, he perfectly fits the Dodgers needs – he’s a third baseman, which is a hole that we just have had an impossible time filling, AND he’s a fantastic power hitter, which is without question the biggest issue in this lineup. Plus, he’d just cost money, not our tasty tasty prospects. The Dodger online fan presence is already drunk with possibilities, most of them along the lines of “let’s do it!”
Sounds great! Sign me up?
Well, no.
Because the first “Official Position of MSTI.com” is:
SAY NO TO A-ROD IN 2008.
“MSTI, are you drunk?”, people might say. And while the answer is “yes”, that’s besides the point.
The problem I have with going after A-Rod has absolutely nothing to do with his work between the lines. He’s fantastic. Astounding. He’s going to break a whole lot of records in the coming years, and there sure isn’t anything wrong with having your team’s uniform be the one people see in the video clips for years to come. The problem I’m seeing here is how much cold hard currency it’s going to take to sign him up, and whether it’s actually worth it.
It’s not that I have a problem with him being the highest paid player in the game; I don’t. But the numbers being thrown around? Ungodly. Bora$ is actually throwing numbers out there like 12 years and $360 million dollars. (Side note: is it even possible to read that sentence without doing a Dr. Evil voice? I tried my hardest and couldn’t come close.) That’s $30 million a year, and by all estimates that’s the low end.
Let’s say the Blue give him $30 million per year. That’s one quarter to one third of the payroll tied up in one player. Now, A-Rod has been a remarkably durable player in his career. But all it takes is one foul ball off the toe, one wild pitcher that wonks him on the wrist, or one awkard step of the thousands he takes each season, and the Dodgers are now essentially a team with a $70 million payroll and a gaping hole in the order and at 3B they can’t afford to fill. Even worse, while he might actually be worth that much now, what happens when he’s 38, 39, and 40 and is still owed that much? That has disaster written all over it.
If we’re spending $30 million a year on free agents, I think I’d much rather have 2 excellent $15 million players than one sublime $30 million player. I think I’d rather give Andruw Jones $17 million a year to play CF, $10 million to some other team to take Juan Pierre and his remaining $35 million off our hands, and $3 million to throw a parade celebrating that Juan Pierre is off our hands.
Hey, there’s nothing wrong with spending big-time money on a free agent. If this is a big-market team, let’s act like one, especially because one of the ancillary benefits of having so many young players up is that they all make relatively little. But for the numbers and years being tossed around? Count me out.
I’d be willing to give him six years, no more. And while I think it’s obscene to even offer this much, I’d do $27 million a year, just because there’s no way he’s not getting a raise from his curent $25. 6/162? That’s a lot of coin. And it’s not going to be anywhere near what he’ll actually get.
That said, if he does end up in LA, I reserve the right to be thrilled when he’s killing the National League and we’re in 1st place.
- Mike Scioscia’s tragic illness 
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Yer killing me, MSTI. ARod is cheap at the price! Hell, he signs and I am buying 3 or 4 sets of season tickets – right there, the Brand makes money.
In all seriousness, I doubt that Boras will get this 12 years or $30 million per year. It already looks like Snidely Whiplash ain’t having any and it looks like the Beaneaters will do their worst to keep Lowell. I am thinking that six years will get the deal done and I doubt it gets higher than $30 million per year.
It just doesn’t look like there will be that many well-heeled shooters ready to go after ARod. No Cubs, No Halos, No Red Sox…right now, if Cashman can be taken at his word, it will be us and the Tigers.
Comment by grabarkewitz— October 17, 2007 #
no player is worth the amount that Boras wants. The Dodgers are a great team with a core of awesome young players. I agree MSTI, 27 million is a good price. But, from the looks of it, the Yankees have him and we’ll be stuck with LaRoche.
Comment by James— October 17, 2007 #
Couple of things, MSTI:
1. There’s only on number you should be concerned about: 20. That’s the number of years since the last Dodger World Series victory! (And the last playoff series victory as well I think).
2. It ain’t your money.
3. Your measly little 15 million a year won’t even get you an Andruw Jones coming off a bad year. In a few years, 15 million may not even get you a Juan Pierre. Furthermore, the drop-off in quality from ARod to ALL OTHER AVAILABLE PLAYERS is significant.
4. Reread 1 – 3, then reread them again, then bang your head against a wall until you come to your senses!!!
PS. Tommy wants ARod!
Comment by shmolnick— October 18, 2007 #
Grabs – you’d really buy 4 sets of season tickets? Wish I had that kind of money to drop! You may be right about the lack of viable suitors keeping the price down, though.
James – I don’t think we’d be “stuck” with LaRoche, remember he was just as highly touted if not more than many of our other prospects. He’s barely had a shot in the majors to prove anything.
Shmol! I can’t disagree with either of the first two, except that while it may not be my money, it does matter to me in the sense that if we give too much of it to one player, we could be really stuck if anything goes wrong with that player. I’d rather have more payroll flexibility; you’ve seen how much JP’s deal is putting us in a bind and he’s only making $9 million/year.
Comment by Mike Scioscia's tragic illness— October 18, 2007 #
sorry. stuck sounds like a harsh word, just like Loney, I think he’d develop into an excellent third baseman, because in his short time there, he showed brilliance at the position.
Comment by James— October 18, 2007 #
i should’ve said, just like Loney at first base
Comment by James— October 18, 2007 #
In regards to James’ point, I wouldn’t be unhappy if LaRoche was the fallback option, but we all know that Griddle will run Nomar out there every day until it is obvious that he is done – I figure the first of September should do it in Griddle’s pea-sized mind.
Getting ARod saves Griddle from himself. I wish it wasn’t so, but we all know that Griddle is like a spoiled brat – he will never do the right thing.
Of course, if Babu can move Nomar and take away the temptation from Griddle to play him, I would be happy to see LaRoche play third if that is our real option.
Comment by grabarkewitz— October 18, 2007 #
Exactly! Only the presence of another veteran will prevent Grady Little from trotting Nomar out there every day. ARod is that veteran, in my humble opinion. I also have concerns about LaRoche’s back.
Comment by shmolnick— October 18, 2007 #
Unfortunately, I do agree with you both about Griddle’s love for Nomar. That could be a big problem.
Just to restate, I’d LOVE ARod on the team in a baseball sense, he’d completely change the lineup. Could you imagine a 2-5 of Turtle, Loney, ARod, Kemp? Drool-central.
It’s just that I’m not willing to give him $30m/year for the next decade. It’s unreasonable to think he’ll never get hurt or decline, and when he’s 37 and we still owe him $150 million more, that’s a big problem.
Make him the highest paid player in history? Sure. But not by THAT much.
And what I should have added to the article was the impact that’d have on everyone else. What if Loney continues to be a star, what happens when he’s a free agent in a few years? Even if we offered him $10 million a year, what if he says “i’m more than 1/3 the player Arod is”.
Comment by Mike Scioscia's tragic illness— October 18, 2007 #
So A-Rod will cost at least 30 million, and most will say you rather spread that money to other players. Well to that I say 30 million also gets you a Pierre, a Nomar, and a Wolf. And considering that’s about what available in this off-season, I’ll take one A-Rod over that.
Comment by Throwdeuce— October 18, 2007 #
A-Rod kisses babies and rainbows and … what?
Oh, sorry, wrong player.
Let him stay in New York.
Comment by Rob McMillin— October 18, 2007 #
Speaking of rookies, I’d love to see Chin Lung Hu take the job of Furcal.
Comment by James— October 18, 2007 #
Hu’s that, James?
Comment by Vin Scully— October 19, 2007 #
Here’s the broken record again saying that with a $21.3M built in advantage compliments of Texas, the Yankees will sign A-Rod to an extension that will blow $30M per annum out of the water.
On the other hand, if that does not happen (10% chance) AND McCourt is willing to raise payroll over $125M, then I would definitely see what ScOttBOraS wants for the best player on the planet.
Comment by SamAdams— October 19, 2007 #
haha. the guy that will take Furcal’s job.
Comment by James— October 19, 2007 #
Say MSTI, can I continue my Ian Snell and Jason Bay mancrush over here? If ARod ain’t having any, I would be happy with Snell and Bay on our roster….if only we could lose Pierre.
Comment by grabarkewitz— October 21, 2007 #
[...] news on the horizon. In the meantime, how much have things changed since this time last year? On October 17th, we said that we didn’t want to see Alex Rodriguez coming to LA, and on October 19th we [...]
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