The Official New York Yankees Thread

JonnyPistachio

Exit strategy for A-Rod
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/alex ... egy-013013

The Yankees probably cannot void Alex Rodriguez’s contract, and they might not even need to try.

A-Rod just might void himself.

Specifically, Rodriguez might find a doctor who says he is suffering from a career-ending injury, collect the $114 million remaining on his contract and never play again.

The scenario would not be the same as retirement — if Rodriguez retired, he would forfeit all of his money.

The Yankees, though, would be almost entirely off the hook — they would collect from insurance up to 85 percent of the money that Rodriguez is guaranteed, but only after he missed a full season, according to major league sources.

The Orioles received similar benefits when Albert Belle was unable to play again due to a degenerative hip condition in 2000.

Harold Reynolds, an analyst on MLB Network, first suggested that Rodriguez's career might end in such fashion after the Yankees announced in December that A-Rod would undergo his second hip surgery in four years.

On Tuesday, in the wake of an explosive Miami New Times report indicating that A-Rod used performance-enhancing drugs from 2009 to ’12, a high-ranking major league executive outlined the same plan.

A public relations firm for the New York Yankees third baseman issued a statement denying the allegations, but the matter remains under investigation by baseball and government agencies, according to sources and reports.

Rodriguez, 37, is not expected to return from surgery on his left hip until at least July. He underwent surgery on his right hip in March 2009. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman already has said that there is no guarantee that the third baseman will return this season.

The party line is that A-Rod will work his hardest to make a full recovery, just as he did after his previous surgery. But the landscape is different now — much different if Rodriguez indeed was using three substances banned by baseball, as shown by records obtained by the Miami New Times from Anthony Bosch’s anti-aging clinic.

The three substances are human growth hormone (HGH), synthetic testosterone and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). Baseball recently announced it will institute in-season testing for HGH and enhance its efforts to detect testosterone.

Now back to A-Rod’s escape hatch.

If Rodriguez used PEDs from ’09 to ’12 — after admitting that he used them from ’01 to ’03 — it would stand to reason that he is uncertain of his ability to perform without “assistance.”

Expanded testing, at least in theory, would make using PEDs a greater risk. Rodriguez also would face greater scrutiny, even ridicule, from fans and media. How eager would he be to return to such an environment, particularly if he had a fully paid out?

A-Rod can attempt to go through his rehabilitation, then make the case that he is physically unable to perform. A doctor surely could make such a diagnosis quite plausible, given the weakened condition of Rodriguez’s two hips.

A legal fight could ensue, with the insurance companies contending that either A) Rodriguez could still play or that his use of PEDs contributed to his physical deterioration. But good luck trying to win either case.

For the Yankees, there would be no better way out.

Is there an athlete more reviled than A-Rod? Check out our list of the top 10 most hated sports figures.
The team can’t even discuss voiding A-Rod’s contract until after baseball completes its investigation of his link to Bosch. If discipline is warranted, it will be administered by baseball in the form of a suspension, not by the Yankees.

At that point, the Yankees could explore whether Rodriguez violated his contract, perhaps by lying to team doctors, perhaps by seeking outside medical care, perhaps by buying illegal substances. But they still would face an uphill fight in trying to void the deal, receiving significant pushback from the players union.

Better A-Rod should void himself.

Better for the Yankees, and maybe better for A-Rod, too.

Bronx Bombers

Even if he's found to have done it i seriously doubt the yanks will ever be able to get out if his deal just because he violated the drug policy. The union would never allow this so really our only hope is that he doesn't recover from the hip and is forced to retire but that's probably wishful thinking with that fucking egomaniac.

Wobbie

JonnyPistachio wrote:

A-Rod just might void himself.

:shock: :shh:

Cliffy6745

I find it pretty amusing that the whole world is suggesting Arod commit insurance fraud. Like a insurance company on the hook for $114 million isn't following this

JonnyPistachio

Cliffy6745 wrote:

I find it pretty amusing that the whole world is suggesting Arod commit insurance fraud. Like a insurance company on the hook for $114 million isn't following this

Yeah I know, I thought the article was funny. So crazy all the scenarios people will imagine... And we all know Arod is gonna stick it out as long as he can, its too easy to pick up girls right next to the dugout!

Cliffy6745

JonnyPistachio wrote:

Cliffy6745 wrote:

I find it pretty amusing that the whole world is suggesting Arod commit insurance fraud. Like a insurance company on the hook for $114 million isn't following this

Yeah I know, I thought the article was funny. So crazy all the scenarios people will imagine... And we all know Arod is gonna stick it out as long as he can, its too easy to pick up girls right next to the dugout!

Ha, yeah, going to be interesting to say the least. I find the outrage out there amusing.

Cliffy6745

PRONK!

Could put up decent numbers if he can stay healthy as a part time DH.

push me and i will resist

Cliffy6745 wrote:

PRONK!

Could put up decent numbers if he can stay healthy as a part time DH.

Come on cliffy. Pronk stay healthy. HAHAHAHA
Idiot cashman should have kept Chavez

Cliffy6745

push me and i will resist wrote:

Cliffy6745 wrote:

PRONK!

Could put up decent numbers if he can stay healthy as a part time DH.

Come on cliffy. Pronk stay healthy. HAHAHAHA
Idiot cashman should have kept Chavez

Ha, yeah, true. Nothing really left out there though. Assume it's a minor league deal or at least really cheap

Yeah, I would have liked Chavez, but he got a good salary and seems like he wanted to play close to home. More power to him.

polaris_x

http://www.rotoworld.com/player/mlb/1981/alex-rodriguez

Bronx Bombers

push me and i will resist wrote:

Cliffy6745 wrote:

PRONK!

Could put up decent numbers if he can stay healthy as a part time DH.

Come on cliffy. Pronk stay healthy. HAHAHAHA
Idiot cashman should have kept Chavez

Chavez isn't exactly the most durable player either, I like the move its worth a shot.

push me and i will resist

Bronx Bombers wrote:

push me and i will resist wrote:

Cliffy6745 wrote:

PRONK!

Could put up decent numbers if he can stay healthy as a part time DH.

Come on cliffy. Pronk stay healthy. HAHAHAHA
Idiot cashman should have kept Chavez

Chavez isn't exactly the most durable player either, I like the move its worth a shot.

I know he's not the most durable, hasn't been in years. But what he did the last 2 seasons in New York, coming off the bench and playing a solid 3rd bag. I'd take that again over a DH only type player. The revolving DH is the way to go with this team,

Newch91

So where is DS?

The Juggler

Newch91 wrote:

So where is DS?

...surely somewhere taunting afraud.

Wobbie

Brian....feel free to poach kershaw from the d*dgers

Yanks eye potential monster 2014 FA class
January, 30, 2013
Jan 30
By Jim Bowden | ESPN.com

The New York Yankees have been relatively inactive this offseason, but that doesn’t mean general manager Brian Cashman hasn’t been busy.

Fans might wonder why their team, which has historically used free agency to fortify its roster, would limit spending and hold off on signing the big free agents this year and instead just bring back veterans such as Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera and Hiroki Kuroda after the Yankees’ disappointing 2012 campaign. But Cashman has been adamant to get his payroll below $189 million by 2014, and for good reason.

Most important is the Yankees’ luxury tax goes up to 50 percent for every dollar over $189 million in 2014. The Yankees are the only team in baseball in that situation, because they’ve been over the threshold limit three times in a row. If they stay under the $189 million in 2014, they won’t pay a tax that year and they get to restart their luxury tax history. By restarting that history, the tax rate reverts to just 17.5 percent the next time they exceed it, which we should all expect to be 2015.

As the Yankees get below the luxury tax threshold, Cashman will have lined up his team for a possible bonanza free-agent haul – specifically starting pitchers -- in 2014 and perhaps 2015. The timing could not be better for the Yankees over the next two years. Here are several reasons why it should surprise no one if the Yankees blitz the 2014 offseason with a major spending spree.

While the 2013 free-agent class will be flush with quality starting pitchers, it has as much uncertainty as potential because most of the players are either coming back from injuries or in decline. The class still will be well-represented with a pair of St. Louis Cardinals aces in Adam Wainwright (who's likely to re-sign) and Chris Carpenter, and two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum, who’s coming off the worst year of his career. A few pitchers with questionable injury history, such as Josh Johnson, Matt Garza and Dan Haren, will also likely make it to free agency.

However, consider the 2014 class. The top five reads like an All-Star Game rotation: Justin Verlander, Clayton Kershaw, Felix Hernandez, James Shields and Brett Anderson, who has the potential to be a Cy Young candidate someday. That’s three of the best starters in baseball and two more who are pretty close, all eligible for free agency. (The A's hold a 2015 option for Anderson, so he might have to wait a year.)

So, imagine the Yankees with a reset tax history and cleared payroll ready to rebuild their starting rotation. They could do it in one offseason. Or perhaps two? The 2015 class is almost as loaded with pitching as 2014's, headlined by David Price, Cliff Lee, Johnny Cueto and Yovani Gallardo.

The Yankees have had one of their worst offseasons in some time with the departures of Nick Swisher and Russell Martin, not to mention Alex Rodriguez’s hip surgery and latest PED saga. When was the last time the Yankees headed into spring training not knowing who would start at two everyday positions? That’s where the Yankees find themselves now at both catcher and DH. They lack depth in the farm system and major league roster to fill those positions from within, a shortcoming that is made worst by the fact that they play in the deepest division in the game.

The farm system is missing top-of-the-rotation-caliber starters and lacks enough talent to exchange for the best on the trade market. Therefore, the Yankees will probably have to turn to the free-agent market after 2014 and 2015 to build the rotation up to World Series caliber.

It’s belt-tightening time for both Yankees front office and fan alike. However, should Cashman and the Yankees be able to reset that tax history, the 2014 and 2015 shopping sprees should be pretty exclusive, as the Yankees will be one of the very few teams that will be able to afford the massive average annual salaries ($25 million to $30 million) Verlander, Kershaw, Hernandez and Price will command.

Some members of these two free-agent classes will undoubtedly be signed to extensions and never sniff free agency; however, several still will reach the open market. Outside of CC Sabathia, there could be a complete turnover in the Yankees’ rotation in the next year and a half, with the Yankees perched in the catbird seat.

Bronx Bombers

Doubtful you see more than one of them Verlander, Kershaw,King Felix ever hit free agency. You have to think king felix has to be really tired of playing with a bunch of losers all these years but he's also the one I'd be most leery about.

Wobbie

Bronx Bombers wrote:

Doubtful you see more than one of them Verlander, Kershaw,King Felix ever hit free agency. You have to think king felix has to be really tired of playing with a bunch of losers all these years but he's also the one I'd be most leery about.

unfortunately, the fucking d*dgers have plenty of money these days.

but they still suck

Bronx Bombers

imalive wrote:

Bronx Bombers wrote:

Doubtful you see more than one of them Verlander, Kershaw,King Felix ever hit free agency. You have to think king felix has to be really tired of playing with a bunch of losers all these years but he's also the one I'd be most leery about.

unfortunately, the fucking d*dgers have plenty of money these days.

but they still suck

Yeah that's the guy I want too

Bronx Bombers

imalive wrote:

Brian....feel free to poach kershaw from the d*dgers

Yanks eye potential monster 2014 FA class
January, 30, 2013
Jan 30
By Jim Bowden | ESPN.com

The New York Yankees have been relatively inactive this offseason, but that doesn’t mean general manager Brian Cashman hasn’t been busy.

Fans might wonder why their team, which has historically used free agency to fortify its roster, would limit spending and hold off on signing the big free agents this year and instead just bring back veterans such as Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera and Hiroki Kuroda after the Yankees’ disappointing 2012 campaign. But Cashman has been adamant to get his payroll below $189 million by 2014, and for good reason.

Most important is the Yankees’ luxury tax goes up to 50 percent for every dollar over $189 million in 2014. The Yankees are the only team in baseball in that situation, because they’ve been over the threshold limit three times in a row. If they stay under the $189 million in 2014, they won’t pay a tax that year and they get to restart their luxury tax history. By restarting that history, the tax rate reverts to just 17.5 percent the next time they exceed it, which we should all expect to be 2015.

As the Yankees get below the luxury tax threshold, Cashman will have lined up his team for a possible bonanza free-agent haul – specifically starting pitchers -- in 2014 and perhaps 2015. The timing could not be better for the Yankees over the next two years. Here are several reasons why it should surprise no one if the Yankees blitz the 2014 offseason with a major spending spree.

While the 2013 free-agent class will be flush with quality starting pitchers, it has as much uncertainty as potential because most of the players are either coming back from injuries or in decline. The class still will be well-represented with a pair of St. Louis Cardinals aces in Adam Wainwright (who's likely to re-sign) and Chris Carpenter, and two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum, who’s coming off the worst year of his career. A few pitchers with questionable injury history, such as Josh Johnson, Matt Garza and Dan Haren, will also likely make it to free agency.

However, consider the 2014 class. The top five reads like an All-Star Game rotation: Justin Verlander, Clayton Kershaw, Felix Hernandez, James Shields and Brett Anderson, who has the potential to be a Cy Young candidate someday. That’s three of the best starters in baseball and two more who are pretty close, all eligible for free agency. (The A's hold a 2015 option for Anderson, so he might have to wait a year.)

So, imagine the Yankees with a reset tax history and cleared payroll ready to rebuild their starting rotation. They could do it in one offseason. Or perhaps two? The 2015 class is almost as loaded with pitching as 2014's, headlined by David Price, Cliff Lee, Johnny Cueto and Yovani Gallardo.

The Yankees have had one of their worst offseasons in some time with the departures of Nick Swisher and Russell Martin, not to mention Alex Rodriguez’s hip surgery and latest PED saga. When was the last time the Yankees headed into spring training not knowing who would start at two everyday positions? That’s where the Yankees find themselves now at both catcher and DH. They lack depth in the farm system and major league roster to fill those positions from within, a shortcoming that is made worst by the fact that they play in the deepest division in the game.

The farm system is missing top-of-the-rotation-caliber starters and lacks enough talent to exchange for the best on the trade market. Therefore, the Yankees will probably have to turn to the free-agent market after 2014 and 2015 to build the rotation up to World Series caliber.

It’s belt-tightening time for both Yankees front office and fan alike. However, should Cashman and the Yankees be able to reset that tax history, the 2014 and 2015 shopping sprees should be pretty exclusive, as the Yankees will be one of the very few teams that will be able to afford the massive average annual salaries ($25 million to $30 million) Verlander, Kershaw, Hernandez and Price will command.

Some members of these two free-agent classes will undoubtedly be signed to extensions and never sniff free agency; however, several still will reach the open market. Outside of CC Sabathia, there could be a complete turnover in the Yankees’ rotation in the next year and a half, with the Yankees perched in the catbird seat.

Why would they put cliff lee as a option for 2015 why the hell would we want him at that point.

Bronx Bombers

The Yankees apparently found their latest designated hitter Thursday, closing in on a one-year deal with the former Cleveland Indians slugger Travis Hafner. He has agreed to an incentive-laden deal with the Yankees with a base salary close to $2 million.