By Ken Davidoff and Jon Heyman
STAFF WRITERS
February 14, 2004
The Yankees and Texas Rangers have held serious discussions concerning a blockbuster trade that would bring Alex Rodriguez to the Bronx for Alfonso Soriano, according to an American League source.
Rodriguez, desperate to get out of Texas, apparently would be willing to yield to his fellow shortstop - Yankees captain Derek Jeter - and play third base.
Should such a deal be consummated, the Yankees would strike a colossal blow in their ageless battle against the Red Sox. Not only would the arrival of arguably baseball's best player give the Yankees a vastly improved team in their race for the American League East title, but the Red Sox spent the bulk of the offseason trying to acquire Rodriguez for themselves.
Soriano, 25, is signed only through 2004, for $5.4 million. He can't be a free agent until after the 2006 season.
The 28-year-old Rodriguez, the 2003 American League Most Valuable Player, is owed $189 million over the next seven years, although he can opt out after 2007. In a swap of A-Rod for Soriano, therefore, the Yankees would take on an astounding $183.6 million while importing the highest-paid player in baseball.
It was possible, as the two clubs talked late into Friday night, that the Rangers would provide some money to make up the gigantic difference.
The Yankees stood on the sideline earlier this offseason, watching the Rangers and Red Sox haggle over relatively small amounts of millions of dollars as the two clubs attempted to consummate a deal that would have sent Rodriguez to Boston for Manny Ramirez, a minor-league pitcher and cash.
When Texas and Boston actually did agree to a trade in December, Gene Orza, the associate general counsel for the Players Association, refused to approve it, declaring that A-Rod was setting an unacceptable precedent by diminishing his contract's value.
At that point, Rangers owner Tom Hicks announced that Rodriguez would stay with the Rangers, and last month, the team named A-Rod its captain.
When Yankees third baseman Aaron Boone recently suffered a likely season-ending injury, however, tearing the ACL in his left knee, the Yankees had a glaring void at third base. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman prides himself on leaving no proverbial stone unturned, and he apparently reached out to the Rangers, curious about whether Rodriguez could be had.
For all of their proclamations of renewed vows, the Rangers and Rodriguez still yearn for a divorce. The Rangers want to get out from under the remainder of the historic 10-year, $252- million contract to which they signed him in December 2000.
And Rodriguez, very aware of his legacy, knows the Rangers once again are destined for last place in the AL West. He also has a horrible relationship with Texas' manager, former Yankees manager Buck Showalter.
Hence Rodriguez's extraordinary decision to move out of the shortstop hole, which would show a great deal of respect to Jeter. Most baseball experts consider Rodriguez, who has won Gold Glove awards, to be a superior defensive shortstop to Jeter.
Rodriguez and Jeter were best friends as they made their way to the major leagues, but the relationship fell apart after Rodriguez criticized Jeter in a pair of interviews shortly after he signed with Texas.
In the past year, the tension between the pair has dissipated. They filmed a commercial for Major League Baseball that aired shortly after the conclusion of the Super Bowl on Feb. 1.
Were they to take on Rodriguez and his mammoth salary, the Yankees would see their payroll skyrocket well past the $200-million level.
With Soriano gone, meanwhile, the Yankees would have a hole at second base. But they'd consider that well worth it to pick up Rodriguez. For the short term, utility players Enrique Wilson and Miguel Cairo could fill the void, and they are a much more palatable duo at second base than third base.
Rodriguez has 345 career homers, and he has hit at least 41 homers each of the past six years. Last year, in winning the MVP award, he hit .298 with 47 homers and 118 RBIs, a .396 on-base percentage and .600 slugging percentage.
