Alex Rodriguez hasn’t played much even before the Yankees trade deadline sell-a-thon, and though the team is going to be playing plenty of young players down the stretch, GM Brian Cashman says he has no plans to release the 41 year old who is on the verge of becoming the fourth player in major league history to hit 700 homers.
“First and foremost, you just have to flat-out admit, it is not easy to eat — meaning release — that kind of money,” Cashman told ESPN Radio. “It’s not something you come to a quick decision on. You see players — and I don’t want to name them because they are still playing — but there are players around the game who are on big contracts that have been well-below-average players now for many years, not just a year.
“Alex hit 33 home runs, I believe, last year. This is a bigger media market and more attention, and there is certainly a tempest about what should be done. All I can tell you is, slow down a little bit and here is the counterarguments: There is a very large financial commitment through next year on a player of Alex’s caliber that was productive as early as last year.”
Rodriguez is owed $27 million through the end of next season, and is hitting .204 with nine homers, 29 RBI, and a .609 OPS in 62 games this season. He hasn’t homered since July 18 off the Orioles’ Kevin Gausman. A-Rod hasn’t played during the ongoing Subway Series and isn’t slated to play on Thursday night against Bartolo Colon, who he has had success against in his career.
“It’s not an easy circumstance, but there are no plans right now to do anything but give some reps to other people and see where it takes us. And if some matchups show up or injuries hit, you might see him back out there,” Cashman said.
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“If we at some point choose to do anything, that’s our right at any time,” Cashman said. “At any place in the future, we can do things. For right now, that’s not something that’s being done.”
[MLB.com]
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