The Trade that Just WILL NOT Die.. part 3...

[SirFozzie]

And the Evil Empire Gets into the act.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Now it's the New York Yankees who are trying to trade for Alex Rodriguez.

The American League champions began preliminary discussions with the Texas Rangers this week on a deal that would bring A-Rod to the Bronx for second baseman Alfonso Soriano, a high-ranking baseball official said Saturday.

While the talks began Wednesday night, it's still too early to tell whether they will lead to a deal, the official said, speaking to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. Rodriguez has a no-trade clause but has said he would be amenable to a deal to the Yankees, the official said.

Rodriguez, the AL MVP, would be moved from shortstop to third base by New York, seeking to fill the hole created when Aaron Boone hurt a knee last month in a pickup basketball game, an injury that will require surgery. Derek Jeter, the Yankees' captain, would remain at shortstop.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman wouldn't discuss Rodriguez but said New York always is exploring opportunities.

[Pyser]

the ny post says the yanks would give up Jose Contreras as well as Soriano and minor-league stud catcher Dioner Navarro.

[JeeberD]

I hate the Yankees.

[chinaski]

<b>i hate the yankees</b>

[BishopMVP]

Rodriguez, the AL MVP, would be moved from shortstop to third base by New York, seeking to fill the hole created when Aaron Boone hurt a knee last month in a pickup basketball game, an injury that will require surgery. Derek Jeter, the Yankees' captain, would remain at shortstop.
I third the hatred of the Yankees, but I didn't think they were this stupid. Then again, their defense next year could be the worst in baseball.

[Honolulu_Blue]

I hate the Yankees. But then again, I have come to hate the Yankees Lites aka, The Boston Red Sox. They are the Mini-Me to the Yankee's Doctor Evil. This will send them reeling more than it will help the Yankees, so on an Evil scale:

A-Rod to Yankees:
Yankees: +2
Red Sox: -2.5

Evil is harmed by .5.

Winner: Good.

(This doesn't make any sense to me either. I should just stick to hockey)

[Huckleberry]

The idiocy of leaving Jeter at shortstop makes me laugh.

[Fonzie]

The idiocy of leaving Jeter at shortstop makes me laugh.

Indeed. That's the only redeeming quality of this proposed trade.

[BishopMVP]

To be honest, that even makes me question the validity of the rumor. A-Rod to the Yankees? I could see it. Leaving Jeter at SS and moving A-Rod to 3B? I don't buy it for a minute. Makes me wonder about the source.

[The_herd]

To be honest, that even makes me question the validity of the rumor. A-Rod to the Yankees? I could see it. Leaving Jeter at SS and moving A-Rod to 3B? I don't buy it for a minute. Makes me wonder about the source.

Noone wants to hurt Jeter's feelings. Thats what its come down to IMO. I also believe the Yankee's see Jeter at short as almost symbolic and they don't want go through a season or 4 with Jeter pouting about playing short.

[General Mike]

To be honest, that even makes me question the validity of the rumor. A-Rod to the Yankees? I could see it. Leaving Jeter at SS and moving A-Rod to 3B? I don't buy it for a minute. Makes me wonder about the source.
George is afraid to anger the Golden Child by asking him to change positions. ARod won't approve the trade anyway so it doesn't really matter.

[BishopMVP]

Noone wants to hurt Jeter's feelings. Thats what its come down to IMO. I also believe the Yankee's see Jeter at short as almost symbolic and they don't want go through a season or 4 with Jeter pouting about playing short.
I always saw Jeter as the type of player who would be willing to move if it's best for the team. Especially if it's for someone as good as A-Rod who he is friends with. I guess I could see the Yankess saying this until the deal is consummated, so if it doesn't go through, there is no risk, but if the trade does go through and Jeter stays at SS, I will laugh my ass off.

[kcchief19]

I think A-Rod would play for Tampa Bay if he thought it mean getting out of jail to play for a contender. So far, it sounds like the sides are amenable, and money shouldn't get in the way like it did for Cheap Sox, who could have had A-Rod and kept him away from the Yankees if they would have agree to eat the contract. How much do you think keeping A-Rod away from New York would mean to Boston?

The part of the trade that sounds silly to me is sending Soriano, Contreras and a minor leaguer for him. Is an A-Rod out of position at third and Miguel Cairo at second better than Soriano at second and some hobo at 3B? And let's face it, the Yankees could get a second-tier 3B from someone for not a whole lot. The Twins aren't going anywhere -- send a couple of prospects there for Corey Koskie, who is in the final year of his contract. Soriano/Koskie seems like as good a fit as A-Rod/Cairo -- then you don't have to figure out what to do with A-Rod next year when Boone comes back. Even Adrian Beltre would seem to be a better deal.

But what do I care? I hate the Yankees and it's not my $190 million. :)

[Anthony]

i agree with you kcchief. good observation. i'm from NYC and i hope the Yankees never win another championship again as long as ARod is in NYC. this is just silly. i can't consider the MLB a serious league anymore.

[Ksyrup]

And once again, I say that Derek Jeter's reputation as a team player should be taking a massive hit, but it's not. WTF? The guy is not only a poor defensive SS, he's in the bottom 5 in the majors. That he wouldn't either volunteer to move to 2B or 3B, or the team is too afraid of asking him because they know he would reject the idea, is preposterous.

The guy makes about $9M too much a year. For that kind of jack, the Yankees should stick his ass wherever they deem proper.

[k0ruptr]

I fucking hate the yankees.

[Sun Tzu]

I strongly dislike...no wait, I hate the yankees.

[Anthony]

i agree with ksyrup. but considering how the Red Sox messed up Nomar's confidence with their near-Arod trade i think it's best they leave Jeter be.

[nilodor]

http://cbs.sportsline.com/mlb/story/7088364

The New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers have agreed to on a trade that will send Alex Rodriguez to the Bronx in exchange for Alfonso Soriano, SportsLine.com's Scott Miller has confirmed.

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According to a high-ranking source, an announcement is expected next week, as some minor details still need to be worked out. However, all sides remain confident everything will be finalized within a few days. The Yankees will send a minor-league pitcher to Texas as well.

Rodriguez, the reigning American League Most Valuable Player, would be moved from shortstop to third base, seeking to fill the hole created when the Yankees lost Aaron Boone to a knee injury last month. Derek Jeter, the Yankees' captain, would remain at shortstop.

Boston, the Yankees' perennial rival, nearly acquired Rodriguez in December, but a proposed deal that would have sent outfielder Manny Ramirez to the Rangers fell through because the players' association blocked Boston's attempt to restructure Rodriguez's record $252 million, 10-year contract. The union said the proposal by the Red Sox would have lowered the deal's value by $30 million to $32 million.


Alex Rodriguez hit .298 last season with 47 HRs and 118 RBI.(AP)
Boston then rejected the union's plan to lower the contract by $12 million to $13 million in exchange for Rodriguez gaining the right to use Boston's logos in merchandise deals.

After the deal collapsed, Texas owner Tom Hicks said Rodriguez would remain with the Rangers, and the team announced Jan. 25 that it was making the seven-time All-Star its captain.

The acquisition of Rodriguez will push the Yankees payroll past $200 million.

Rodriguez, 28, is owed $179 million in salary over the remaining seven seasons of his contract, $4 million from his signing bonus and $12 million deferred at 3 percent annual interest from salaries during his first three years with Texas.

Soriano, 26, will make $5.4 million this year and has two more years of salary arbitration eligibility remaining. The two-time All-Star can become a free agent after the 2006 season.

However, according to reports, the Rangers have agreed to pay the Yankees some money to make up for the financial disparity.

Rodriguez hit .298 last season with 47 homers, 118 RBI and 17 stolen bases, and Soriano batted .290 with 38 homers, 91 RBI and 35 steals.




It doesn't say anywhere that A-Rod has agreed to the trade yet. Also with the luxury tax and having a 200 million dollar payroll does that mean the yankees will pay around 250 million this year?

[Ksyrup]

Totally different situations, though. Here, Jeter is staying, not being replaced And in my mind, he makes himself look even better by ceding SS to the guy who is clearly better - I mean, how bad does it look that the reigning gold glove SS will be playing 3B next year, not because of an injury or old age, but because the incumbent is a stubborn, spoiled ass?

I think Jeter has let the media's portrayal of him as the Yankees' post-season "rock" go to his head. He ain't all that special - they haven't won since 2000...

[Ksyrup]

The kicker is that the Yankees got the Rangers to give THEM some cash.

[Ksyrup]

The other thing I don't like is Soriano. I'm sorry, but this guy will ultimately not be as good as his numbers for the past couple of years. If you notice, the Yankees have been as willing to part with him as Boston was Shea Hillenbrand.

Someone questioned whether this trade really upgrades the offense. Of course it does. Soriano is a decent player playing over his head, ARod is HoF'er.

[Carligula]

Presumably the other shoe that's waiting to drop is Vidro to the Yankees. MLB's gotta cut that Expo payroll a little more, dont'cha know... (haven't heard anything, but it seems probable)

[Fidatelo]

The other thing I don't like is Soriano. I'm sorry, but this guy will ultimately not be as good as his numbers for the past couple of years. If you notice, the Yankees have been as willing to part with him as Boston was Shea Hillenbrand.

Someone questioned whether this trade really upgrades the offense. Of course it does. Soriano is a decent player playing over his head, ARod is HoF'er.

This is the point I most agree with. Did you see Soriano in the playoffs last year? Attrocious. The guy swings at anything, and with good scouting and good pitching he is almost a guaranteed out. As a Yankee fan, I won't miss Soriano in the least.

[DanGarion]

I heard the deal is contingent upon the Texas Rangers accepting to acknowledge that Jose Canseco never actually played for the Yankees and to add his statistics from 2000 to their team history and them to be removed from the Yankees.

[Galaril]

I heard the deal is contingent upon the Texas Rangers accepting to acknowledge that Jose Canseco never actually played for the Yankees and to add his statistics from 2000 to their team history and them to be removed from the Yankees.

Being from Boston and a Redsox fan I have three things to say about this:

1.This is why the yankees got 26 championships and the Redsox Haven't won one in nearly 100 years.

2.I HATE THE FUCKING YANKEES(yes I am shouting)

3.Boy this just ruined my year.The curse lives on.Well,I am going to jump out of my window now. :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :mad: :mad: :mad:

[McSweeny]

Being from Boston and a Redsox fan I have three things to say about this:

1.This is why the yankees got 26 championships and the Redsox Haven't won one in nearly 100 years.

2.I HATE THE FUCKING YANKEES(yes I am shouting)

3.Boy this just ruined my year.The curse lives on.Well,I am going to jump out of my window now. :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :mad: :mad: :mad:

yep, the season is as good as over? why even play the games? give the yankees their rings already.

geeze man! calm down it's only february! We've still got a pretty damn good team and last time i check Arod does not pitch

[GoSeahawks]

Being from Boston and a Redsox fan I have three things to say about this:

1.This is why the yankees got 26 championships and the Redsox Haven't won one in nearly 100 years.

2.I HATE THE FUCKING YANKEES(yes I am shouting)

3.Boy this just ruined my year.The curse lives on.Well,I am going to jump out of my window now. :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :mad: :mad: :mad:
Don't forget that the Sox have Pedro, Schilling, Lowe and Foulke. That's gonna be a hard combo to beat.

[Neuqua]

Doesn't anyone else find it funny that the Yankees 3B goes down with an injury, and for his replacement, they go out and sign Alex "the best player in the game" Rodriguez, who isn't even a 3b, to fill the hole?

[Galaril]

Don't forget that the Sox have Pedro, Schilling, Lowe and Foulke. That's gonna be a hard combo to beat.

Yes I suppose that is true but geez we were in there with this guy(Redsox) and we couldn't close the deal. They loss Boone and replace him with A-Rod nice.We lose our 2b Walker and Jackson his backup to free agency and there replacement is .....Pookie Reese.I hate to be getting negative so early but the Yankees always find a way to win(money) and we no matter how much talent we have always find a way to blow it.Also, is it time to discuss a salary cap in baseball?I hate seeing good players go every year because of salary cap problems in football but at least the salary cap does bring a degree of parody.

[tucker342]

Good god I hate the Yankees... Jeter is such a little bitch!:D

[SunDancer]

I hope the Yankees get A-Rod, then it will show how sad baseball has gotten...and how pathetic the Yankees are once again.

[McSweeny]

and anyway, what fun is if it we go into the season as favorites to win the east? We have a damn good team and i like our guys. I am glad that Theo did not over extend himself and pay too much for Arod. I'm glad we have some payroll flexibility and i'm glad we didnt' get Arod. That guy is a pompous ME ME ME ME guy. Give me Nomar and Manny over him any day

[SteelerFan448]

Anyone that thinks A-Rod would not OK this trade is kidding themselves. He wants to play for a winner. Boston didn't work out, the next best thing..or even one better is the Yankees.

These teams have the resources to make these moves. Good for them. Blame baseball that the Pirates, Brewers, Devil Rays...etc. can't compete with the rest of the league. Baseball had a chance to fix things, they didn't. I'll once again not be watching the Pirates this fall as they once again will finish no better than 4th barring some overachieving.

[mmarra82]

The Yankees have planned a news conference for Tuesday afternoon to announce the deal of Soriano and a minor league player to be named later for ARod. All you Boston fans can cry all you want, however if you would have parted with 12 million dollars, chump change you would have had ARod a few months ago. Now you have to find a new excuse and blame the Yankees for your mistake.

Yes, it is not right that no one can compete with the spending of the Yankees. But that is the structure in place, and the Yankees have every right to go about their business the way they do. Steinbrenner is the type of owner who puts everything back into the team. And if he is willing to part with over $200 million dollars in salaries this season, good for him.

[Ksyrup]

These teams have the resources to make these moves. Good for them. Blame baseball that the Pirates, Brewers, Devil Rays...etc. can't compete with the rest of the league. Baseball had a chance to fix things, they didn't. I'll once again not be watching the Pirates this fall as they once again will finish no better than 4th barring some overachieving.
And if you were an Oakland fan, you'd have reason to watch because that's a team that uses its $40-50M budget wisely. The Tigers' payroll last season was $56M - tied with Minnesota for the most in the Central Division. $56M for 119 losses! They may not have the money to be a continual winner, but that kind of money can certainly get you some post-season opportunities if used wisely.

[Mustang]

I HATE THE DEVIL RAYS!!

I figure someone has to...

[vtbub]

BRING IT ON!

REMEMBER MEL HALL!

The Yanks won even win the wild card.

[rkmsuf]

and anyway, what fun is if it we go into the season as favorites to win the east? We have a damn good team and i like our guys. I am glad that Theo did not over extend himself and pay too much for Arod. I'm glad we have some payroll flexibility and i'm glad we didnt' get Arod. That guy is a pompous ME ME ME ME guy. Give me Nomar and Manny over him any day

I hope you are joking...

[McSweeny]

I hope you are joking...

not at all, let arod have his private suites on road trips and his link on the yankees web site. give me a TEAM any day

[rkmsuf]

Yeah and just to let you know this is not football and both recent and ancient history speaks otherwise in baseball...

I can't even begin to get into Nomar and Manny in these terms but let's just say they couldn't lead a team of William Hungs into a group of hotties that need to lose their virginity in the next 30 minutes or they'll turn into frogs...

[McSweeny]

Yeah and just to let you know this is not football and both recent and ancient history speaks otherwise in baseball...

arizona, the angels, and florida say hello. Arod does not make the yankees unbeatable. In fact them having Arod will make it much sweeter when we DO beat them. This is how the yankees work. You should have expected something like this to happen. It's part of being a red sox fan.

Their defense is highly suspect. Giambi is a gimp, Jeter is the worst defensive shortstop in all of baseball. Then there's the Bernie/Lofton business in centerfield. Kevin Brown and Lieber are hardly in the perfect picture of health. Vasquez has thrown a million pitches the last 3 season. Sheffield is a bomb waiting to go off. Torre is in his last season. GS is on the war path. The whole team is balanced very precariously. And now with Arod they go from being expect to win it all to HAVING to win it all. Nothing less will do. The new york media will be a complete ZOO.

Sure they got better, but so did we. We still have 162 games to go so if you are any kind of Red Sox fan you will strap youself onto the wagon and hold on for dear life because it will be one HELL of a ride and it will be that much sweeter when we do win. Don't cry about it, don't get mad about it. Revel in the challange.

[SirFozzie]

Folks here remember my near-breakdown at the end of last year's postseason with my Sox.

This year's probably going to be another fun rollercoaster all year long.

BUT..

I'm reminded of a slightly modified poker saying..

It used to be:

"Nobody has ever won a poker tournament on the first hand. But Plenty of People have lost a poker tournament in the first hand"


In baseball terms,
"You can't win a pennant before the season starts, but you can sure lose one."

I don't think the Yankees or Red Sox have done anything to lose a pennant as of right now. Whether either or both of them have enough to make the postseason now, that's debatable (probable, but you can still argue it could happen that way).

But it's going to be a fun ride finding out, innit?

[BishopMVP]

IMO, the Yankees and Red Sox are now the 2 best teams in baseball.

Were the Marlins the best team last year or the Angels the best the previous year?

[BishopMVP]

I also have another question for the other Sox fans. If we had beaten the Yankees and then lost to the Marlins in the World Series, would it have really mattered that much?

[SirFozzie]

Yes. at least to me.

It would have laid the Yankees part of the Curse OUT.

I mean, the curse is.. "No Matter what we do, the Yankees will always win".

And if Grady Little doesn't get stupid crazy brave about keeping Pedro in, the Yankees would not have won over the Sox, and we could finally consign Babe Ruth to history and the Hall of Fame.

[cincyreds]

I hate the Yankees!

[cincyreds]

A payroll of $150 million??

...and I though Hockey had its problems....

[dawgfan]

Where this trade bothers me the most is this:

For the sin of consumating the most ridiculous contract in baseball history, A-Rod and Tom Hicks deserved to be stuck together for the entire length of the deal, these two joined at the hip by their shared, enormous hubris. Hicks would suffer by being hamstrung financially from the deal, and A-Rod would suffer by realizing money alone is not everything - being able to compete and win championships is what sports is all about.

Instead, A-Rod gets the ultimate parole, a trade to arguably the best baseball team in the game and very little change in his pay - in other words, he eventually gets to have his cake and eat it too.

Tom Hicks on the other hand fares not as well in this deal - how the hell did the Yankees manage to convince Hicks to kick in that much money in this deal? Hicks has lessened his financial burden, but not by much; while he gets a real good 2B in Soriano, he hasn't really addressed the glaring hole in his pitching staff and hasn't freed up much room in his payroll to address it in the future. Was it that important for him to get A-Rod out of Texas and away from angry teammates and his manager?

On paper, this improves the Yankees, but let's keep in mind that Soriano was a hell of a player also. Let's also remember that the intangibles of playing in NY and the potential clubhouse conflicts could undermine some of the theoretical gains from this trade, and injuries are always a possibility.

The Yanks and Red Sox both look tough to beat going into the season, but that's why you play the games - to see how those x-factors affect the outcomes. I wouldn't be surprised to see either of those teams win the W.S.; I also wouldn't be surprise to see neither of them win the W.S.

[The_herd]

On paper, this improves the Yankees, but let's keep in mind that Soriano was a hell of a player also.



I think this is very important. Soriano was the only speed threat in the Yankee lineup, and now he's gone. A-Rod can steal a few bases, but he's not really feared when on base. Lofton slows a bit every year, and it will be interesting to see what he has left this season. As it stands right now, the Yankee's have an incredibly 1 dimensional lineup and a questionable pitching staff. While their offense may end up being the best in baseball, and they may end up with a pretty good pitching staff, they have really rolled the dice this season. I still think Boston has a better team top to bottom, with their improvements to both the staff and bullpen. Add to that the fact that Anaheim may be the most improved team in baseball and its clear the Yankee's aren't going to exactly cruise their way to the World Series this season.