Hasta la vistA-Rod

And it ends. Not with with a bang, but a whimper- as the poet said. Actually it's: Not with a press conference, but a voicemail. According to agent Scott Boras, Alex Rodriguez has opted out of the last three years of his landmark contract, leaving some $80 million- plus (minus the $9 million he will still be paid by the Texas Rangers) on the table; and leaving the Bronx and the Yankees behind. The bomb was dropped by Boras not in a face-to-face meeting, but on Yankees' GM Brian Cashman's voicemail. "He was traveling, I was traveling," was all Boras had to say of his failed attempt to contact Cashman. Guess he thought a voicemail would be better than an IM, or a text- or do they make "Opting out of Contract" E-cards?

Where to even begin with this one? According to Boras, "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." Now, A-Rod's concern for the future of the Yankees' franchise is very touching and all, but it really has nothing to do with why he opted out. And interesting turn of phrase: "his closer, his catcher..." Last I remember, A-Rod isn't even the captain of the Yankees, let alone in any kind of position to be calling teammates "his." Granted, it's Scott Boras speaking for A-Rod - but he ain't doing the guy any favors. A-Rod was going to catch flack for all of this anyway, walking away from millions of dollars- but Boras is making him look like more of a jerk rather than helping the situation.

All I would love is the truth. For Alex Rodriguez to come out and say he didn't want to play for the Yankees anymore. He didn't want to deal with all that goes with it. Save me the quotes: "Alex enjoyed playing in New York. He played well there. He was comfortable there." Anybody believe that? And if it were true, wouldn't he have instructed his agent to negotiate in good faith with the Yankees and make it happen? But did A-Rod's feelings or opinion bear any weight? The way it is all playing out, it looks to me that A-Rod wanted out. On Boras' "advice," they never even sat down with the club to even entertain what offers may have been on the table. And A-Rod followed that advice, apparently in juxtaposition with what he truly wanted. Which begs the question: Who's working for who?

Scott Boras seems to have an almost hypnotic control over his clients. I have never heard of someone going against his wishes. Why? Because he gets people paid. And that's his bottom line.
Oh he'll go on and on about market-value, statistical analysis, and such- but he wants to put the most money in his own pocket at any cost. And his players go along with with it, because they are getting more money too. And they go along, to the point where it doesn't seem like it's the player that is making the final decision. Boras makes offers his opinion, and that's what wind up happening. But Boras never says it's about the money. What is it about if it isn't about the money? It certainly isn't about loyalty, or love of the game, or concerns about who his closer, his catcher will be. It's dollars and cents, plain and simple. I would love somebody to just stand up and say that. For Boras to say, I just want to get my client the most money possible, so I get more too, no matter what it takes. That's it... then I will stop my griping.

But this isn't about the money for A-Rod. Hank Steinbrenner, in his relatively new position as "Boss" in the Bronx, has proved to be less than sensitive when making remarks to the press. But his comments in regards to A-Rod seemed to strike the nail on the head: "It's clear he didn't want to be a Yankee." And we'll probably never know. Boras can spin it however he wants, but all signs point to the fact that A-Rod no longer wanted to be Yankee. Not only that, but Boras is also making A-Rod a symbol of all that is wrong with the world of sports right now, whether that is actually the case or not. And unless Alex Rodriguez comes out and says Scott Boras his holding his life hostage, then that's all I can take away from this.