There has been a lot of talk about the opt-out, obviously. Some are calling ARod greedy for money. Some are calling him greedy for attention.
What’s clear to me is that these people are wrong. The most suspicious part of the whole story is that ARod opted out when he did. Why not wait until the deadline, which was 10 days after the end of the World Series? Let’s debunk a few of the common themes that we’re seeing today:
#1 – It’s not about money. If it were, why would ARod and Boras refuse to talk to the Yankees? They know the Yankees have the most money. They know they have $20+ Million in subsidy coming from the Rangers allowing them to make an even better offer. They know that they are the team most desperate for his services, because there’s no way to replace his production. Bottom line – the Yankees could pay ARod more than any team. That’s not to say that they would have, but why not talk at least? Why not call Brian Cashman and say “Our asking price is $400M over 10 years”? The fact that ARod opted out 10 days earlier than necessary, and would not even negotiate with the Yankees proves that it was NOT about the money.
#2 – His reasoning is a lie. Boras talked about the “uncertainty” surrounding the Yankees. This uncertainty centers around 4 factors: The manager, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, and Jorge Posada. The manager is set to be announced today. Andy Pettitte has the same deadline to exercise his player option as ARod had to opt out (10 days after the Series). The Yankees have already been talking with Rivera and Posada, and if they knew that ARod’s future depended on them signing Rivera and Posada (two players they already want to keep), it makes it all the more likely they’d tack a few extra million dollars onto their deals in order to get them signed quickly. Thus, most if not all of the “uncertainty” could be gone before ARod’s opt-out deadline. Finally, he did not even return the Yankees’ phone calls to discuss the future of the team. If this was your main reason for opting out, wouldn’t you at least ASK the Yankees what their plans for Rivera and Posada were? Thus, ARod’s excuse is a complete lie.
#3 – He did not want to upstage the World Series. There is absolutely no reason for Boras and ARod to want to steal the spotlight from the Boston Red Sox. By doing so, he risked alienating Boston, potentially one of his biggest suitors and one of the only teams that can afford to pay him. By opting out before having a one-on-one conversation with Brian Cashman and other New York front office members, he risked alienating the Yankees, something no agent would ever want to do due to their financial resources. He has angered Bud Selig, and probably many other teams who respect the game. Maybe ARod does want attention, but this was not the reason he opted out when he did – that attention would come at too great a cost – both financially, and emotionally, as a player who desperately wants to be universally loved. Clearly, he did not intentionally upstage the World Series.
So why opt out when he did, when there are 3 clear reasons why it would be foolish to do so? What advantage would opting out on October 28th instead of November 5th give him?
There is only one possibility: he has no desire to stay in New York, and doesn’t want to be known as a player who couldn’t handle there. If you think about it, opting out earlier than necessary gives him two advantages:
1) If he had waited, the uncertainty surrounding the Yankees would have been gone, and he would have lost his excuse for leaving.
2) If he had waited, the Yankees would have made him a huge offer for a contract extension, and he would have been tempted to stay, something I believe he did not want to happen. I liken it to the following scenario:
Imagine you are relatively unhappy with your current job, and you find another that you prefer. You go to submit your letter of resignation, and your boss asks “what would it take to keep you?” – you know you prefer the new job, so you don’t even want to get into that discussion with your current employer (even if you know that the money could potentially be better if you stay).
I’ve thought about this a lot, and this is the only explanation I can come up with. The good news is that ARod is not out to simply make the most money he can. The bad news is he’s a liar, and someone that can’t handle playing for the Yankees.
Thoughts? I welcome any comments or criticism.
