The Yankees still owe A-Rod five years and $114 million...ouch.
By Zack Potter
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| (AP Photo/Kathy Willens) |
When
third baseman Alex Rodriguez opted out of his contract with the New York
Yankees following the 2007 season, he was widely regarded as the best player in
baseball with many all-star appearances, milestone home runs, and potential
world championships yet to come.
Therefore, it would be no surprise that the three-time MVP’s next
contract would be one of record-setting proportions.
A-Rod
proceeded to fulfill these expectations by re-signing with the Yankees via a 10
year, $275 million contract, which appeared to be relatively close to market
value at least for the beginning of the contract. After all, Rodriguez was an elite superstar
capable of carrying a team into the postseason.
However, many feared that A-Rod would become a liability toward the end
of the contract, as he was guaranteed upwards of $20 million per season until
2017, when he would be 42 years old.
In
the time elapsed since A-Rod signed that contract, there have injuries, steroid
accusations and admissions, a steep drop-off in performance, gambling scandals
and playoff ‘benchings’. As of right
now, it is appearing as though those cynics’ worst fears are coming true. Alex Rodriguez is quickly becoming one of, if
not the most, overpaid players in baseball.
His numbers on the field no longer match up with his paychecks earned
off of it.
Since
his phenomenal 2007 season, A-Rod’s hits, home runs, walks, and even stolen
bases have all declined. It has been two
years since he has hit 20 homers in a year.
His Weighted
On-Base Average in 2012 was the lowest it had been since his rookie year
with the Mariners in 1995. His steady
decline was epitomized on a national scale when he was repeatedly pinch hit for
or replaced by lesser names such as Eric Chavez and Raul Ibanez.
It
appears as though A-Rod has been exposed.
Opposing pitchers no longer fear him.
His bat can no longer be placed in the middle of the order. Even his defense has taken a step back
according to Ultimate
Zone Rating.
Is
there any hope for Rodriguez though? Is
it possible that this postseason—and perhaps his 2012 year as a whole—is just
an aberration? Could A-Rod simply be the
victim of a few unlucky breaks in a small sample size and he will return to
perennial all-star form in no time? Quite
frankly, signs point to no.
His
strikeout percentage is the highest it has been since 1995 and his walk
percentage is the lowest it has been since 1998. Clearly, he is just not as good anymore at
putting the bat on the ball, which is represented by his career-low contact
percentage of 74.5%.
The
one saving grace for A-Rod is that his line-drive percentage, at 22.5%, is his
highest in 9 years, indicating that when he is actually able to connect with a
ball, he is still able to drive it for base hits. This most likely explains the fact that his Batting
Average of Balls in Play is his highest since 2008.
Still
though, with his diminished plate discipline and declining contact abilities,
one can expect opposing pitchers to give A-Rod less good pitches to hit,
leading to even more strikeouts and fewer base hits, fewer home runs and a
lower batting average.
What
does this mean for the Yankees? Well, it
most likely means that in the next couple years, Rodriguez will indisputably
pass Vernon Wells and Alfonso Soriano for the most embarrassing contract in
baseball. While the free-spending
Yankees are certainly more equipped to handle that sort of albatross contract
than almost any other team, the contract will still limit their options to
improve the club.
Despite
all this, A-Rod will probably open next year as New York’s starting third
baseman. Rodriguez probably still even
has some more moments of brilliance left in his Yankee career, but in the next
five years, they will become fewer and farther between. And once we reach, 2015, 2016 and 2017, it is
entirely possible, if not likely, that the Yankees will have a bench player
making over $20 million dollars.
While
it is inevitable that A-Rod would decline over the course of his mega-contract
signed in 2007, but it is hard to believe that anyone would have anticipated a
fall from grace as dramatic as the one we are currently witnessing by the
former superstar, and current postseason benchwarmer.
