Alex Rodriguez has not lived up to his contract with the New York Yankees thus far, and it is only going to get worse from here. A-Rod is on the books for $20 million or more each season through 2017, including the $28 million he is making this season and $25 million he will make in 2015. And he’s already breaking down.
In addition to his postseason struggles and inability to stay healthy, A-Rod has also recently found himself at the center of yet another scandal involving performance-enhancing drugs. On Tuesday, Hal Steinbrenner admitted that the team has not always been happy with its slugger.
“There have no doubt been times when we’ve been disappointed in him and we’ve conveyed that to him,” Steinbrenner told the NY Post. “He understands that. Everybody’s human. Everybody makes mistakes. If you’ve got a guy over the course of 10 years, there are gonna be times … any of us make mistakes.”
The Yankees have had Derek Jeter for twice as long as Rodriguez, and I don’t believe they have been disappointed in him many times if at all. As for the MLB’s ongoing investigation regarding A-Rod’s possible ties to a biogenesis clinic, Steinbrenner said all the team can do is wait.
“We haven’t been told anything, so it hasn’t complicated things at all,” he said. “Innocent until proven guilty, right?”
Steinbrenner’s comments about A-Rod came the day after GM Brian Cashman said he didn’t think it would be possible for A-Rod to live up to his contract, so it’s obvious the entire organization is frustrated with him. Injuries are one thing, but Rodriguez has created plenty of distractions that could have been avoided along the way.
“He knows what we expect from him,” Steinbrenner said. “He knows what his teammates expect from him. We just hope he comes back strong.We need all the help we can get.”
The fact that A-Rod is recovering from a significant injury while also dealing with another PED scandal makes his situation just about as concerning as it can be in New York. If you think the team doesn’t regret giving him a massive extension, you haven’t been paying attention.
