The New York Yankees would love to rid themselves of Alex Rodriguez. When the team signed A-Rod to a contract that pays him around $30 million a year and keeps him in New York through age 42, it was well-known that the back end of his deal would be a financial nightmare. Rodriguez’s best years are behind him. He can’t stay healthy and, to make matters worse, his name has once again been linked to performance-enhancing drug use.
Earlier this week, a report indicated that the Yankees are exploring various options to void A-Rod’s contract. There were also rumors that Rodriguez may simply retire and forfeit the $114 million on his contract, but it doesn’t sound like that is going to happen.
“Alex has no plans at all to retire,” a source with close ties to Rodriguez reportedly told ESPNNewYork.com.
After news surfaced that A-Rod may have a link to Anthony Bosch, a Miami-based nutritionist who is believed to have supplied human growth hormone to several players, the Yankees reportedly looked into the possibility of penalizing him or voiding his contract by establishing that his chronic hip issue is linked to steroid use. However, the surgeon who repaired A-Rod’s hip said the injury was not drug-related.
According to ESPNNewYork.com, Rodriguez has been hurt by the Yankees effort to void his contract. That hasn’t stopped him from continuing to rehab in hopes of returning sometime after the All-Star break.
The bottom line is A-Rod has $114 million remaining on his contract. Regardless of how much money he has made throughout his career, there are very few people who would voluntarily leave that kind of money on the table. The Yankees may not have envisioned A-Rod’s contract situation getting this out of hand, but that’s the risk you take when breaking the bank for a franchise-altering player.
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