Alex Rodriguez has been one of the Yankees' best performers this season, and on Friday he tied Willie Mays for fourth all-time on the career home runs list. That doesn't mean everything is peachy between A-Rod and his employer. A-Rod was once expected to rake in millions as he passed various historical milestones, but the Yankees have made it clear they won't be paying out any bonuses.
A-Rod is expected to fight for his money, but he'll have a hard time. Read the magic words in his contract.
"It's the sole discretion of the New York Yankees to determine whether each of these milestones is commercially marketable as the home-run chase,'' the contract says. "The Yankees have the right, but not the obligation, to determine whether it's a commercially marketable milestone.''
The Yankees are arguing that Rodriguez has tainted his career, and his accomplishments, with his repeated use of performance enhancing drugs. Because of the steroid stink, the Yankees can no longer market these milestones and therefore don't have to give him a dime beyond his salary.
"We have the right,'' Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said, "not the obligation to do something. And that's it. It's not you do this, you get that. It's completely different. I'll let the other people above me handle it the rest of the way, but it's not this two [homers] away, three away, four away, and all of a sudden, we're choosing not to do something.
"If we choose to pursue something [marketing rights], we will choose to pursue it. If we choose not to, it's our right not to. In both cases, we're honoring the contract.''
Rodriguez's average has dipped to .241, but he's shown power, smashing six home runs and registering 14 RBI in 94 plate appearances. He's also gotten on base at a high rate, posting a .362 on-base percentage.
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