The possible rebuild of the New York Yankees could claim two very high profile victims.
According to Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball, Yankees higher-ups have discussed potentially releasing first baseman Mark Teixeira and DH Alex Rodriguez.
Teixeira is gone after the season anyway, with his contract set to expire. Rodriguez, though, is still signed through 2017 and owed $21 million, so the Yankees would be making quite the statement if they cut him, though it makes sense if the Yankees have other options they’d like to evaluate.
Rodriguez. who sits just four home runs shy of 700 in his career, is hitting just .210 with a .360 slugging percentage. His numbers are even more disastrous against righties, where he’s hitting .193 with very little power. Rodriguez has seen his playing time cut as the Yankees realize that he simply cannot hit right-handed pitching effectively anymore.
Teixeira may survive as he is a favorite of GM Brian Cashman. Rodriguez doesn’t quite have a champion in the front office anymore.
Barring something unexpected, there will be quite the exodus from the Bronx in the next week and a half. Two of the team’s longest-tenured, most prominent players could be part of it.
