Last night, I saw on Twitter the big news: that Alex Rodriguez is going to be holding a press conference on Sunday morning at Yankee Stadium, with Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi as special guest stars. And the Yanks are mum on what it’s all about.
So that means that speculation is running wild. Is Alex retiring? Is he being released (designated for assignment)? Have they come to a mutual agreement to buy out his contract? Will he try to play elsewhere? Is he going to be a coach?
My friend Paul Francis Sullivan — aka Sully Baseball — interviewed me last night for his podcast. We’re doing a before-and-after podcast for Monday, talking about what we think could happen to A-Rod, and then what actually did happen to him. Sully and I both think Alex is being DFAed and will try to get on with another team. After all, he’s only four homers away from 700, and it seems like he’s going to want to try to reach that. Sully thinks A-Rod would go to Miami, with Barry Bonds as his hitting coach, Ichiro as a teammate, and Don Mattingly as a manager. (And Kit Kat destroyer Giancarlo Stanton as a teammate; I joked that I have no problem with PEDs in MLB, but I do with people eating Kit Kats the wrong way.) And I think Seattle so he could end his career where it all began.
Then our friend Jason Keidel joined us in the podcast. Jason thinks Rodriguez is retiring. So we’ll see in a few hours who was right!
Squawker Jon and I joked last night that maybe the announcement is that A-Rod is planning on buying the New York Daily News. But now that Rodriguez nemesis Bill Madden is no longer there, Alex would hire him back and then fire him again. Heh.
If this is the end for Alex, whether in Yankeeland, or for his career, I’d like to thank him for 2009, for the memories, and for always being great copy. While he certainly was his own worst enemy and did a lot of dumb things, he’s been a model citizen since coming back from his season-long suspension, and can leave knowing that he has redeemed himself with a great 2015, bringing the team to the playoffs. I hope there is a plaque for him one day in Monument Park. If known PED user Andy Pettitte can be honored by the Yankees, why shouldn’t A-Rod?
I also think Alex has been getting a raw deal as of late, not even getting the chance to pinch-hit. He’s become the designated Yankee scapegoat again. Meanwhile Aaron Hicks is supposed to be the next Jackie Bradley, Jr., according to Brian Cashman. Oh, please.
In closing, if Alex is gone, who will be the focus of the negative attention in Yankeeland? Who will be the designated Yankee scapegoat? Jacoby Ellsbury, come on down! Your contract looks worse and worse, and still has over four more years!
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