Sometimes Holdouts Aren't Completely Ridiculous

NFL training camps are opening up all around this great land and so there will probably be a bit of NFL posting trickling into these parts... I mean, what with the Boiled Sports success mesching going on around here ('dowd's Colts winning the Super Bowl in our first year, then my Giants winning it in our second... we fully expect Tim's Browns to take the title this year).

But I had to comment on Devin Hester currently holding out on the Chicago Bears, wanting a better deal. And for once, I can't blame the player in a holdout situation.

Hester is by far the most feared returner in the NFL -- maybe in history. He also led the team in offensive TDs last season, too. And he sees guys like Brian Urlacher demanding new contracts -- despite being in the midst of a $56 million deal -- and, well, he wants to get paid.

Devin Hester is slated to make $455,000 this year. Do you realize that there are likely many Bears season ticketholders who make more than him? That if Hester was just a fan, he couldn't afford the seats that people sit in to watch him?

Now, no, I'm not suggesting any of us cry for someone making almost half a million bucks a year to play a game. But let's just remember it's a brutal game that is often shown to shorten life expectancy and, oh yeah, the Bears are making millions off of guys like Hester. So he should get his cut, too.

ARod Joins Torre In Telling The Yankees To Go Scratch

Let me start off by saying what many of you already know -- I'm a Yankees fan. But, as most of my friends know, I'm a pretty realistic Yankees fan. I don't "expect" a World Series every year, I realize how amazing it is to go to the playoffs twelve straight years, I think Steinbrenner's been more of a detriment to the team than anything else, and, of course, I think ARod is far better than the idiot fans and media that have officially run him out of town.

A few thoughts here... and, as per my usual, I'll just meander through them.

For one thing, Scott Boras -- ARod's agent -- is a prick. However, he's sports agent and his sole job is to get his players the most money possible. If you look at it through that lens, it's understandable as to why he's the way he is. I still hate him, but I do get why he's who he is. It's his job, he's very good at it, and he wants to be successful and rich. Can't blame him for that. However, some of his comments in the wake of ARod opting out are just irresponsibly stupid. From the story I linked to above:

Boras said during a telephone interview that Rodriguez made his choice because he was uncertain whether Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte would return to the Yankees. Boras said it became clear that the others wouldn't make a decision by Rodriguez's deadline to opt out -- 10 days after the World Series.

"Alex's decision was one based on not knowing what his closer, his catcher and one of his statured pitchers was going to do," Boras said. "He really didn't want to make any decisions until he knew what they were doing."

Yes, I'm sure that's it. He's uncertain as to whether those three guys are coming back so that's why he opted out. It's insulting to everyone with at least fifteen working brain cells (this rules out Sox fans) to say this. Reports are that the Yankees are about to offer Rivera and Posada three-year extensions and there's an option that can be picked up by the Yankees on Pettitte who had a very good year. So Boras is full of sheet here. Just admit you want to test the free agent market -- at least we could respect your honesty.

Another point is that this contributed to ARod's MVP year this year, I think. I think he decided in Spring Training that he was opting out and so he knew this was his last year in New York, thus he really didn't care what anyone thought anymore. He worked hard on his game and had a monster season, all the while knowing he was out of here. Every time somebody asked me what I thought he would do, I said I thought he was going to leave. I didn't want it to be true and I think the Yankees are much worse off without him, despite what the "chemistry" people think. I wish him good luck, although it's hard to root for a guy who is so rich he's able to void the remainder of a contract that would have paid him $72 million. I mean, think about that. $72 million just to play out the rest of his contract. A contract that has, up to now, paid him $180 million. Simply amazing to think about.

I do understand the idea behind a free market economy and capitalism and I realize that, theoretically, he is worth that and more. If he stayed with the Yankees and broke the records he'll probably break and the Yankees continue to be successful with him... in a new park... in New York... well, the millions, if not billions, that the franchise will rake in will mean that paying him a couple hundred mill isn't all that silly. He's a solid investment.

Of course the Steinbrenners are posturing and saying ARod's unequivocally done in the Bronx.

"It's clear he didn't want to be a Yankee," Steinbrenner told the New York Daily News. "He doesn't understand the privilege of being a Yankee on a team where the owners are willing to pay $200 million to put a winning product on the field.

"I don't want anybody on my team that doesn't want to be a Yankee."

Now, as much as I tend to hate the Steinbrenner bluster, I can't argue with this. The whole notion that ARod wants to win and isn't sure what "direction" the Yankees are going in -- something Boras was quoted as using as a reason for this last week -- is completely ludicrous. The Yankees' direction? Upward. They want to win and win at all costs and at all times. When did anyone give an indication that this changed? As I said, I have to agree with the sentiment that if ARod wasn't even willing to meet to listen to a contract extension offer from the Yankees (which apparently, he wasn't) then he clearly doesn't want to be there. And that sucks but oh well.

There was talk by Joe Buck during the World Series last night that maybe the Yankees would offer a free agent deal to Mike Lowell of the Red Sox to come to New York (the club where he started) to play third base. While I think that's not a bad idea, it's still a huge step down in overall ability. But I would have no problem rooting for Mike Lowell. He's on my list of Red Sox players that I do not hate.

Whatever happens, ARod will continue to be the highest-paid player in baseball. If he leaves the Yankees as it appears now forgone that he will, it'll be interesting to see what guys like Jeter and Posada say about him once he's gone. And for the Yankees, who made the playoffs largely due to Rodriguez' monster season, the road's about to get harder, not easier.

What Will Happen With A-Rod?

It's hard for me, as a Yankee fan, to truly enjoy the season that Alex Rodriguez is having this year because I think there's a really good chance he's going to be elsewhere next season. And the reason will be the endless beating he takes from the media and fans of the New York metropolitan area about how he's no good, and non-clutch, etc.

Everyone piles onto Alex and I actually do feel bad for him, despite the fact that he's a bit aloof at times. But since he's been in New York, I've come to like him a lot more and Derek Jeter a lot less. I still marvel at how good Jeter is at the game, but Jeter seems to be getting more and more arrogant all the time. That's unfortunate.

A-Rod, on the other hand, is putting up insane numbers, year after year, and is still bashed. He's hittong over .500 this year in the 9th inning with something like seven home runs. How do you define clutch? How many games does he have to win by himself? There have been studies of this year's numbers that suggest Alex has been responsible for 7 or 8 wins, by himself. And if you don't think that's a lot, you don't know baseball. For one guy to swing a team that much is amazing. So instead of being on the fringe of contention they'd be under .500 and fading fast. Big difference.

It also almost feels like the Yankees are setting Alex up to be the villian in all this. He's a free agent at the end of the season, if he wants to be. He would need to opt out of the remaining three years of his ginormous, famous $252 million deal. But if you could make $25 million per year for three years or perhaps more than that per year for, like, six or eight years... wouldn't you at least find out about the possibilities?

The Yankees, though, asked him about extending his contract, mainly because they like the fact that Texas is on the hook to pay $9.5 mill per season of his $25 mill for the next three years (the remaining years on the original deal). Basically, the Yankees are getting ARod for a modern-day steal, since he's costing them about $15.5 million a season. Or less than Giambi... or Jeter.

So when ARod said, hey, I'd like to maybe consider testing the free agent market, the Yankees made this public knowledge and painted ARod as tying their hands since, you know, they're on such a strict budget and all.

Of course, nobody can win here. If ARod signs another mega-deal, he'll further cement his legacy as a money-hungry athlete (again, not that I think anyone can blame him) and he'll be further buried in the press. And if the Yankees sign him to a $30 million a year deal, they'll be further demonized by the press and other fans as a team "buying" their titles (even though they haven't won since their payroll began to really skyrocket).

Which brings me to another point: who the hell could afford to pay one player more than $30 million per season? I can only imagine the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Dodgers, Angels and maybe the Cubs as being in that category.

The Mets won't do it, not with Wright and Reyes on the left side of their infield. Although, if it were me, and I was running the Mets and was opening a new ballpark the same year as the Yankees, I would throw as much money as possible at him and either make him a first baseman or move David Wright to first. What difference would it make? If ARod retires in ten years, you move Wright back to third. Who cares? And wouldn't that just piss off the Yankees if the Mets won even a single World Series with ARod as the hero? Of course, he'd still have to deal with the New York media and he's shown how that can get to him. Still, and this is a Yankee fan speaking, I think the possibilities would be delicious.

The Dodgers think Garciaparra is a good third baseman so that shows their baseball sense.

The Sox won't do it because Theo Epstein thinks he's a genius based on one eight-game luck-steak in 2004. Plus all of Boston hates ARod, including the mouth-breathing, overrated captain of the Sox.

The Cubs could consider it, especially if they're primed for a real run in the next few years. Pinella has a good connection with ARod and if Mark Cuban ever really did buy the Cubs, I think the chances of them going after ARod increase dramatically.

However, I think it's most likely that ARod ends up in Anaheim. The Angels have money to burn and an owner willing to burn it. It's Los Angeles, which means ARod is still in a big market but nobody there really cares that much about sports so the pressure would truly be off. He'd be at every awards show and his hookers would be from Rodeo Drive instead of Toronto. Major upgrade.

He could, of course, still end up back in New York because when push comes to shove I think the Yankees leadership is run by good baseball men, such as Brian Cashman, who hopefully knows just how amazingly, jaw-droppingly good ARod really is. Plus, in eight to ten years or so when he's beloved as he approaches Barry Bonds' all-time home run record, it would be nice for the Yankees to have him in their still-fairly-new Yankee Stadium.

Still, my guess for next year? LA Angels.

I'm in the Wrong business

Ichiro Suzuki is a darned good baseball player; no one will argue that. But, he may be even smarter than he is talented. Well, that, or his agent is smart and has large cajones. The slap-hitting outfielder just signed a contract extension that locks him up with Seattle through 2012. I think it's a good move by the Mariners. But, his contract is simply awesome, from the player's standpoint.

First, he'll get paid $12 million/year for the next 5 seasons under this deal. He also received a $5 million signing bonus...but it gets better. He will continue to receive $32,000 additional per year as a housing allowance with that amount increasing $1,000 per year, each year. Next, he will be provided with either a Jeep or Mercedes SUV to drive each season. On top of that, he gets 4 First-Class seats from Japan each year to allow his family to visit him in the Northwest US in style. Under this contract, he also has a team-hired translator (concierge) that is with him at all times during the season. Lastly, and I think the best of all, He'll receive $5 million each year (from 2012 to 2032) as salary deferment. That's a comfy retirement. In 2012, Ichiro will be 38...so, I would think he'd sign at least one more 2-season contract (since he's light weight and doesn't beat on his body too badly) which will pay him a dollar or two.

I know, I know, some might argue that Ichiro is actually doing the team a favor negotiating his contract in this manner, but I see it completely different. I guess this is a contract that makes all sides happy. Where do I sign up?