According to several sources, Alex Rodriguez may opt out of his contract with the Yankees after 2007:
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NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez sidestepped whether he plans to opt out of his record contract with the New York Yankees and become a free agent following this season. J.D. Drew, like A-Rod a client of agent Scott Boras, used an opt-out clause to leave the Los Angeles Dodgers for a $70 million, five-year contract with the Boston Red Sox. During a promotional appearance Tuesday, Rodriguez was asked what he thought about Drew's decision. "I didn't follow the J.D. Drew situation," Rodriguez said. "My situation and my only goal is to win a world championship, and I'm going to take it day to day. And that's about it." Rodriguez is owed a $23 million salary this year, including $1 million deferred without interest until June 30, 2011, and then is due $24 million in each of the final three seasons of his record $252 million, 10-year contract. Texas, which traded A-Rod to the Yankees after the 2003 season, is partially funding the deal, paying the Yankees $7.1 million this year, $8.1 million in 2008, $7.1 million in 2009 and $6.1 million in 2010. "I think when you put things like that in the contract seven years ago, the intent was that it would give the player a choice, knowing full well the player may not use the provision, and also understanding, too, it gives him an option to consider," Boras said in a telephone interview..."Obviously when Alex's contract was done, the revenues of the game were around $3 billion. Now they are around $6 billion. The elite position player has not been really graded in this new revenue stream we've seen."
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ABC12.com: Will he opt out of deal? A-Rod sidesteps questions
I would support signing Alex Rodriguez for 2008 and beyond. Mike Lowell ($9 million AAV), Matt Clement ($9 million AAV), and Eric Hinske ($3 million AAV) all come off the books after this year. That's a total of $21 million for three players that won't be back next season. In addition to that $21 million, we've got several moveable contracts in Coco Crisp ($5 million AAV), Wily Mo Pena (~$2 million AAV), Julian Tavarez ($3.5 million AAV), Tim Wakefield ($4 million AAV), Mike Timlin ($3.5 million AAV), and Joel Piniero ($4 million AAV.) This means that it should be quite easy to clear $25 million a year for A-Rod, without trading anyone from the 3-4-5 of Ortiz-Ramirez-Drew.
Given our ability to sign Rodriguez, our need for a new third baseman in 2008, our prior interest in A-Rod, and the fact that we'd be taking him away from our chief rival, I think it's a no-brainer to go after him. His wife is from the Greater Boston area, he wants to play for historical teams, and he'd turn us into arguably the best offense of all-time. Just imagine the following lineup:
SS Lugo
1B Youkilis
DH Ortiz
LF Ramirez
3B Rodriguez
RF Drew
C Varitek
CF Crisp
2B Pedroia
Now let's look at this from A-Rod's perspective. He's not being treated well in New York. Yankees fans despise him. He's represented by Scott Boras who has a fairly good relationship with the Red Sox, and who frequently uses opt-out clauses to find his clients even more money. We're looking at a market that pays Carlos Lee about $16 million a year, and Alfonso Soriano almost $18million a year. There's not a doubt in my mind that A-Rod would fetch $25 million (a slight raise over his current annual salary.)
Now consider the potential demand for his services. The Red Sox, Angels and Cubs would definitely all be interested. The Yankees would want to protect their reputation and attempt to bring him back. (It's just not like the Yankees to lose a marquee free agent in his prime.) Clubs like the Dodgers, White Sox, Astros (with the Clemens/Pettite money), Giants (Barry Bonds replacement), and Phillies would all be interested. That's about 8-9 teams that could reasonably pursue him if he opts out of his contract. Boras has to be looking at that, along with the upward shift in the market, and A-Rod's perceived struggles in the Bronx, and recognize that opting out of the deal would be in his client's best interests.