Sunday, October 28, 2007

A-Rod Offer May Be Even Weaker Than We Heard

Now the NYTimes says the Yankee extension will be between $130 mil and $140 mil. They say they're giving a raise because A-Rod is at $25 mil this season. Scott Boras says a raise has to start at $32 mil+ because if A-Rod is still here in a year, that's what his contract demands. Boras is right. If I get $10 mil this year and $20 mil the next three years in my contract, do I really think I'm getting a raise if you lock me in at $12 mil? Of course not. Worse, the Yankees reportedly won't be even letting A-Rod brag he's getting the highest single season salary in baseball history. Nope the Yankees think A-Rod in his prime and with MVPs two out of the last three seasons and regular season stats this year among the all-time best is worth LESS than broken down, over the hill Roger Clemens who got $28 mil (prorated) for winning six games and demanding the moon in concessions. This is NOT a "wow" offer. A-Rod will opt out. And I love the Daily News argument that the Mets should jump at A-Rod. Bill Price wildly overexaggerates the impact one player can have on the bottom line (he seems to be quoting directly from the Scott Boras prayer book) but taken with a grain of salt, his argument about how great a fit A-Rod would be is compelling. The Mets already said they weren't interested, but they could always change their mind.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

My guess is they know they don't have a chance of getting him for that much, but Boras is starting so high that they have to start that much lower in hopes of arriving in the middle at a fair price.

Michael in New York said...

Well, I think the Yankees are sincere in saying they won't sign him if he opts out. Why eat $30 mil just to sign a guy that couldn't even bother to hear your offer?