Alex Rodriguez Could Be Finished In Pinstripes

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• Perseus January 31, 2013 at 12:06 pm

  DUN DUN DUN…
• TRS86 January 31, 2013 at 12:10 pm

  I guess I was under the wrong assumption but if a guy retires he still gets his salary?
  • Craig Lerner January 31, 2013 at 12:11 pm

    I thought the same. But it looks like if there is insurance on the contract and the retirement is due to injury, they both get paid off and the insurance company is on the hook.
    • Bayonne Mets Fan January 31, 2013 at 12:13 pm

      Well in order to get this “all the luck” you so desire you would have had to sign A-Rod to that contract in the 1st place.

      I’m going to call this the “Cake and Eat it” era as well.
  • ifthevansrockin January 31, 2013 at 12:13 pm

    not if he just decides to walk away. But if it is medical related, that could bring insurance into play.

    Would have to imagine though that the insurance company would require he does everything possible (within normal reason) to rehab and play, not just expect a big payout because he does not feel the love anymore!

    so like everything else A Rod, expect it to be a circus sideshow, but i highly doubt the insurance co. is going to just write some huge checks without a fight.

    also, they won’t both get a big check. basically the payout would replace his salary.

    even without insurance, they could work out a settlement to make him go away (as with bay, just for a lot more money!)
  • Perseus January 31, 2013 at 12:14 pm

    I’m not sure how it works. I went digging back for something I wrote 2 years ago (http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/01/gil-meches-retirement-why-it-matters.html) about Gil Meche… He retired with a $12MM year still left on his contract, so he didn’t get the money.
    • TRS86 January 31, 2013 at 12:21 pm

      I guess it would have to be insured and the insurance doc’s would have to deem the player unfit to play. My question is if it is a multi-year deal would they have to have periodical exams to determine if the player is then able to play and could they force a player to rehabilitate.
      • Perseus January 31, 2013 at 12:26 pm

        I guess it’s all just related to the reason connected to retirement. I think Meche did it as a pure personal decision after the injury, because he still “could” pitch… I really don’t know.
• ifthevansrockin January 31, 2013 at 12:10 pm

  well, this certainly looks like a superstar career ending with a fizzle.

  absolutely one of the weirdest career arcs ever.
• Metstheory22 January 31, 2013 at 12:15 pm

  So are we lucky we never signed him when he first became a free agent and “wanted” to sign with us?
  • srt January 31, 2013 at 12:18 pm

    At that salary and years the Yankees gave him? Absolutely.
    • Metstheory22 January 31, 2013 at 12:22 pm

      I mean the first contract signed to Texas. The Yankees were just plain dumb re- signing him to 2nd 10 year contract.
      • srt January 31, 2013 at 12:26 pm

        Oh.
        Well having ARod during those years, which were his peak, would have been nice. Of course, all his years now are under suspicion so probably dodged that bullet as well.
        Plus, he’s been a PR nightmare for most of his Yankee years.
  • TRS86 January 31, 2013 at 12:22 pm

    Or traded David Wright for him this off-season… LOL.
    • hotstreak January 31, 2013 at 2:28 pm

      How come David Wrights power disappeared when testing began? If he weren’t golden boy that would at least be discussed other than ballpark (fences are now in) and injuries. If injuries then why was he given extended contract? If 50% took PED’s objectively he has to be under suspicion as he bulked up too. Yes it was weight lifting but was that the only reason? How dare I ask.
      • taskmaster4450 January 31, 2013 at 3:23 pm

        “Power disappeared when testing began…”

        Make an accurate assertion. I dont know exactly when testing began but I do believe it was pre-2009. As for Wright’s power, it vanished when he moved into Citi Field. His least year in Shea was 33 HR which dropped down to 10 the next. Although, 2011 did see a re-emergence with 29 HRs.

        Could Wright have been/be on something? Certainly. I dont think anyone is past suspicion. But stop with the cheap shots by making inaccurate statements. We get that you cant stand the guy but give it a rest.
        • hotstreak January 31, 2013 at 3:54 pm

          Your statement lacks logic. I did not accuse him of taking PED’s. I just said the issue had to be discussed or considered. You said yourself: “Could Wright have been/be on something? Certainly. I dont think anyone is past suspicion.” But again as I said “How dare I ask?

          You are wrong by the way that I dislike and hate DW. He was robbed of the golden glove award. I never ever seen better 3rd base play. He was a pleasure to watch in the field and his year end stats were very respectable. Also he should have been the starting 3B in ASG off his hot start. Yes his long slumps are frustrating to say the least.

          Why did I stir the pot. I will be honest I am tired of the bloggers who think DW is Joe DiMaggio or even a Mike Schmidt. If he rights the ship maybe a Chipper Jones. However it a long shot.

          Anybody else with Wright’s rapid fall of of offensive performance the topic would have been broached. But again “How dare I ask.”
          • Tommy2cat January 31, 2013 at 8:16 pm

            Whether David Wright used PEDs is a fair question, although there’s ample evidence to support the proposition that Wright’s decline offensively was correlated to the Mets move to Citi Field, and his effort to overcome the ball park’s gargantuan dimensions. He did a lot of work with weights and put on some muscle, but it didn’t correlate to an increase in his performance. If anything, Wright’s bulk interfered with his “game”, a solid fielder with gap/homer/RBI power and above-average speed.

            For DW to perform at his peak level, he needs to retain his agility and flexibility. When he tries to bulk up, or tailors his swing to hit for more power, his performance usually declines.

            Last year is a perfect example. Wright entered the season with a short, tapered swing, nice and compact and drove the ball to all fields. His power production was within his norm. Mid-season, he developed an uppercut and his average and power numbers consequently declined. It happened last year, and it also happened quite noticeably after his stellar performance in the All Star home run derby a few years ago.

            Now, if Wright tapered his swing, hit for average and his power numbers jumped toward the league leaders, yeah, I would be curious. But clearly that is not the case. To the contrary, every time Wright tries to hit with power, his numbers decline. In sort of an odd logic, it supports the proposition that he does not use PEDs.

            But there’s nothing wrong with raising the issue. Free speech, free country, public figure… fair game.
          • JeffMcKnight'sGlasses January 31, 2013 at 10:25 pm

            Any player could have used…we don’t really know. But your statements that Wright’s performance dropped off when testing began was incorrect. Testing has been in place since Wright has been in the league.

            Obviously people are free to voice their own opinions, but to me throwing accusations out there about players is pretty much a pointless exercise when there isn’t any real evidence. We could do so about every player b/c there is no way to know for sure a player didn’t use. And it’s not like there is any one tell tale sign of use. People can point to almost anything and say its a sign of PEDs. . It could be guys who had a dropoff in performance (though if you believe PEDs help…the “dropoff theory” is less likely to apply to guys who have been around since testing began). It could be guys who had a big uptick in performance. Could be guys who have had an even performance bc either they are always using or used but it didn’t have much of an impact. Could be guys who got hurt (PEDs have been linked to injuries). Could be guys who have been healthy (some PEDs help recovery time). Could be guys who played well despite being old. Could be guys who broke down and had to retire early. And it could be any type of player….there is the misconception that its only power type hitters who were on PEDs.

            Maybe the ultimate golden boy Jeter is on PEDs…if he wasn’t Jeter maybe people would be suspicious about him having one of his better years in awhile at age 38.
        • Just-Da-Damaja January 31, 2013 at 6:47 pm

          There are 100 reasons why David Wright’s power has dropped between the ages of 24-30…

          in reality, the problem with David IMO is multi-fold…and 90% of it is mental…

          a part of it though…was that he was always a guess hitter….and if he got beat inside, he could just muscle the ball to RF…

          well when bat speed starts dipping…u have to stand further away from the plate…which then opens up another can of worms…

          David would be much better off at Yankee Stadium where he can punch balls to RF for HR…pull balls over the green monster for HR and/or hit the wall for a bunch of 2B….

          check this out…

          http://www.amazinavenue.com/2010/7/7/1556853/david-wright-swing-zone-update
      • Donal January 31, 2013 at 3:27 pm

        Testing began in earnest in 2005 …so, I don’t get your question.
      • Metro12 January 31, 2013 at 7:43 pm

        As Donal said, serious testing began in 2005, though they did some testing in 2004. So you are barking up the wrong tree there.

        If anything, it was the move to Citi Field that impacted him. The change in his offense exactly coincided with that move.
        • Just-Da-Damaja January 31, 2013 at 9:34 pm

          David Wright started off 2009 in the new stadium pretty well…hitting over .350 into in the month of June…

          he was taking what pitchers were giving him…if they went outer-half, he went the other way for a 1B or a 2B…if u pitched him inside he hit it up the middle or pulled…he adapted very well…

          then pitchers adjusted to him….

          his constant adjustments to THEIR adjustments is what has caused him to go into ridiculously long slumps after torrid streaks.

          also he developed a very loopy swing and started uppercutting the ball ( power ) as far back as 2007. His swing actually started to look like HoJo’s for a while.

          THIS was corrected in the early part of 2009 and in the 2011 off-season…

          but he went off-center once he re-adjusted his swing.

          David Wright would’ve served the team and himself better by simply not trying to be the hero all the time.
          • Metro12 January 31, 2013 at 10:02 pm

            Actually, he started off 2009 pretty horribly, with a .762 OPS for the entire month of April. The fact that he followed up his horrible start with 2 hot months (but with little power) just says he got hot for a little while.

            He wasn’t trying to be a hero, he was just trying to hit as he had done the previous 5 years of his career. It was that damn park that messed him up. Thanks to that genius GM of yours.
            • JeffMcKnight'sGlasses January 31, 2013 at 10:30 pm

              I agree I think the park (and partially the Mets sucktitude) is what messed Wright up.

              I don’t think its fair to put the park design on Omar though. Maybe he (and others) had some input…but the design was largely the brainchild of the Wilpons.
              • Just-Da-Damaja January 31, 2013 at 10:43 pm

                LMAO

                the former pitcher Fred Wilpon actually had those dimensions ( along with the porch ) in mind back in the late 90′s

                there was an interview where Fred whips out a mini model of the stadium ( this one had a dome )

                and the dimensions were supposed to be even bigger than what it was in 2009…

                to jeff wilpon’s credit, he was against the larger dimensions b/c he thought it was going to be harder to attract hitters
                • JeffMcKnight'sGlasses January 31, 2013 at 11:01 pm

                  Was that the field on wheels?? LOL

                  I think it was actually Jeffie who liked the porch idea though. I remember him talking about how he liked that about Tigers Stadium. (Though maybe he didn’t intend to have the porch with the crazy dimensions)
              • Metro12 January 31, 2013 at 11:07 pm

                Jeff — Jeff Wilpon said it was the “baseball people” (meaning Omar and his staff) who wanted the huge dimensions. It wasn’t Fred. It wasn’t Jeff. It was that baseball genius, Omar, who thought the way to get a good pitching staff was to make the dimensions huge! LMFAO! .

                The model rolled out in the 90s was just that — a model and prototype. That model had ZERO to do with Omar’s later decision to make the dimensions huge.
                • JeffMcKnight'sGlasses February 1, 2013 at 5:12 pm

                  Yeah Jeffie did say that…but that was after they made the decisions to change the dimensions. That sorta wreaked of pointing the finger. Since in the preceding years (before the criticisms) the Wilpons talked about their own involvement in building the stadium the way they did.

                  They probably did consult the opinion of Omar and others (like Tony B), but it certainly sounds like the Wilpons made the final decisions.
                  • Metro12 February 1, 2013 at 6:11 pm

                    The Wilpons, like all MLB owners, always make the final decision on major expenditures. But in regards to Citi Field, that would likely only encompass the overall design and ambiance of the place. If Omar had come to them in the beginning and said he wanted to make the fences 10 feet shorter all around, they would have done it. The outfield dimensions are NOT a critical part of a ballpark’s design aesthetics and look and feel, and it’s more likely than not they were originally set on the advice of Omar and his baseball people.

                    Omar was asked many times during 2009 and 2010 if the Mets should bring the OF walls in. He was always adamant that they should not, and always added that he wanted to build a team on pitching and defense. Which was a silly response given that long OF dimensions is a faulty way to achieve solid pitching and defense.

                    Compare that to Sandy who said almost the second he got to the Mets that it would be something he would be carefully watching and considering throughout the 2011 season.
            • Just-Da-Damaja January 31, 2013 at 10:37 pm

              In 2009 –

              The first 16 games the season, Wright hit .302
              The next 16 games of the season, Wright hit .333
              The next 16 games of the season, Wright hit .368
              The next 16 games of the season, Wright hit .390
              July hits

              The next 16 games of the season he hit .206
              The next 16 games of the season he hit .328
              The next 16 games of the season he hit .298
              The last 18 games of the season he hit .246

              Wright’s 2010 – very similar
              Wright’s 2011 – very similar
              Wright’s 2012 – very similar

              Wright is a streaky hitter…

              how this is a foreign concept to you is mind-boggling
              • Metro12 January 31, 2013 at 11:01 pm

                What’s truly mind-boggling is someone like you who doesn’t know how to read and instead makes things up. No one said Wright isn’t streaky. Almost every hitter in baseball is streaky. Seasons are made out of little streaks.

                Having said that, Wright’s first and second half performances have been remarkably consistent …

                Career Split –

                1st Half — .303/.389/.509
                2nd Half — .298/.373/.503

                LOL. Chew on that!
• jessep January 31, 2013 at 1:10 pm

  As a side note, the DBacks just extended Prado for the next 4 years for $40mil.
  • TRS86 January 31, 2013 at 1:23 pm

    Great deal for them.
• Just-Da-Damaja January 31, 2013 at 1:38 pm

  if Sandy was smart…he would trade David Wright to the Yanks for their top 2B ( David Adams ), their top CF prospect ( Mason Williams ) and Dante Bichette Jr.

  then the mets and their 30 million dollar payroll can trade those 3 players for Giancarlo Stanton…resign him to a nice 6 year contract….

  Basically, they turn David Wright into a much younger, much cheaper, and much more productive spot in their lineup…

  o wait…

  marketing comes first…

  never mind
  • hatorihonzo January 31, 2013 at 1:54 pm

    So, just to sum up..You think the Yankees would give up three prospects for David Wright that in you’re opinion are valuable enough to acquire Stanton? In the fantasyland where that might be possible, why wouldn’t the Yankees just acquire Stanton?
    • Bayonne Mets Fan January 31, 2013 at 1:59 pm

      Yanks need a third baseman in case you haven’t noticed
      • hatorihonzo January 31, 2013 at 2:06 pm

        Missing the point…If y’all think David Wright is horrible, why would the Yankees give up a package of players that would be good enough to get Stanton. Just to be clear..I think the Yankees would jump on that deal, but it would take much more than those three to get Stanton.
        • Just-Da-Damaja January 31, 2013 at 6:54 pm

          Negative,

          I do not think David Wright is horrible.

          I actually think that on the right team, in the right stadium, with the right lineup, David is a MUCH better player than what he is on this Mets team.

          He would not have to be the “face of the franchise”, as Jeter has that role locked down..
          He would hit in a hitters ballpark…with the smallest RF dimension ( this plays to his advantage)
          He would have a multitude of resources with All-star hitters surrounding him….
          The entire division has great hitters ball-parks…David Wright would hit 35 HR EASILY in the AL East…Yankee Stadium, Fenway, Camden, Rogers…now compare that to Citi, Turner, Miami, and Washington’s parks…then look at the NL west parks…most are pretty big…

          The Mets, yankees and David Wright would all benefit from this trade…

          Believe it or not, I’ve met David a few times, he is as cool and humble as he is on tv…as much as it hurts seeing Reyes in another uniform…it will probably hurt watching Met fans boo Wright viciously for the next few years…
      • Alex68 January 31, 2013 at 2:09 pm

        Bayonne, that’s a great idea, get 3 prospects from the yankees, turn them around with 2 of our prospects and trade for stanton…. Maybe Nimmo and Cechinni along with fulmer or noah? Good trade idea, of course, with this FO the word creative goes along way
      • hotstreak January 31, 2013 at 2:44 pm

        Flores for Gardner as main pieces in a deal. If they take Spin then he would be included.
        • DrDooby January 31, 2013 at 3:06 pm

          Is this Metsblog ?
          • lol January 31, 2013 at 3:10 pm

            might as well be at this point.
          • hotstreak January 31, 2013 at 3:24 pm

            No it isn’t because I did not see a “dislike”. But your tone sure seems that way. If you care to put a dig in at least explain why. I was NOT the one who first broached the subject of hypothetical trades. Hey watch out I may sue you for libel to boot.
        • Just-Da-Damaja January 31, 2013 at 9:37 pm

          I believe Gardner is approaching his 3rd year of arb and will be a free-agent soon.

          I would trade Flores for David Adams straight up though
      • JeffMcKnight'sGlasses January 31, 2013 at 11:08 pm

        They have Youkilis
    • jessep January 31, 2013 at 8:41 pm

      hatorihonzo – There are some folks out there who would rather see David Wright fail in a Mets uniform than succeed. You need to just ignore them.

      The idea that the Mets (the little brother of New York City baseball)
      would trade David Wright
      to the Yankees
      months after they sign him to an 8 year contract to be the face of their franchise

      Is just not even worth the time of day, I’m actually upset I’m writing this. The entire reason everybody calls the Miami Marlins a joke of a franchise is because they financially committed to players only to ship them right out of town. And those players weren’t home grown players.

      I’ll put it to you like this. If you want the Mets to trade David Wright to the Yankees right now, pack your bags and pick a new team. Because if it happened, the next step would be the franchise becoming the laughing stock of Major League Baseball.

      I’d be embarrassed if I thought trading David Wright to the Yankees right now was a good idea.
      • Just-Da-Damaja January 31, 2013 at 10:25 pm

        “Because if it happened, the next step would be the franchise becoming the laughing stock of Major League Baseball.”

        When your GM is constantly making fun of the team…you ALREADY are the laughing stock of MLB
        • jessep January 31, 2013 at 10:33 pm

          Damaja, we are far from the laughing stock of MLB right now. Sorry – that just isn’t true. Right now the doormats of the league are Miami
          • Just-Da-Damaja January 31, 2013 at 10:40 pm

            right…b/c trading a Cy Young award winner/philantropist + then taking a dump on him on his way out sure earned the respect of fans around the league.

            Since 1992, with the exception of a few years, this team has been a joke.
            • jessep January 31, 2013 at 11:03 pm

              Considering most teams in the Mets situation would do the exact same deal the Mets did – I’d say you’re over blowing the public perception of the Dickey deal.
              • Just-Da-Damaja February 1, 2013 at 6:02 pm

                Considering most MLB teams dont play in the biggest media market in the world, I dont think thats an apples to apples comparison. A team like KC is totally understood if they do that move.

                and when it gets leaked out that our offer was 500K more per season that what we are paying Frank Francisco….folks are cracking jokes….

                when it gets leaked out that upper management thinks RA Dickey is self-centered…folks are cracking jokes…

                when our GM is cracking jokes about a team he has assembled…folks are cracking jokes…
                • Metro12 February 1, 2013 at 6:22 pm

                  Teams that spend a lot of money and lose will always be the butt of jokes. So the Mets were a joke around baseball well before Sandy got to the Mets, and not just because of the high payroll and losing either.

                  It was also because of the two September chokes, two years in a row; the really bad contracts to Ollie, Castillo and Bay; and Bernazard and the Rubin fiasco.

                  Sandy had the huge task of taking that perception of lousiness and turning it around. I think for the most part he’s done that, though it’s not nearly enough at this point. However, I expect the turnaround to continue through 2013 and beyond.
            • Metro12 January 31, 2013 at 11:14 pm

              Actually, the general consensus around baseball was that Sandy made out like a bandit in that deal, which is refreshing after having a GM who was the one usually taken advantage of in negotiations. Even Cashman recently gushed on the FAN about Sandy’s moves.
          • Just-Da-Damaja January 31, 2013 at 11:00 pm

            Right now the mets spend more money on their 3 GM’s than they do on their entire OF !!!

            LMAOOOO
  • jerseymet January 31, 2013 at 3:26 pm

    Hi Just.

    I like the Idea. We would get some valued prospects. We could eat Youk’s salary too. For the Mets the future is not now.
  • JeffMcKnight'sGlasses January 31, 2013 at 11:07 pm

    If that’s all it took to get Stanton the Yankees would have just traded for Stanton. Or Stanton would’ve already been traded elsewhere.
• Padilla January 31, 2013 at 2:41 pm

  What is wrong wiith the OP. Didn’t you get the edict from the lovely jessup? You have to write about Gio, not Alex.
• jerseymet January 31, 2013 at 3:27 pm

  Just an idea for a post……how does the insurance work? Is it deducted from the player’s salary?
• Christopher Masiello January 31, 2013 at 7:31 pm

  I hope the premium on the policy was about $90 million or some underwriter is about to lose his job.
• Metro12 January 31, 2013 at 10:08 pm

  I bet every team in the AL is praying the Yankees will be forced to pay every last cent of that contract. They don’t deserve to be relieved of that burden. It would only give them more money to spend on free agents. Hopefully the insurance company fights any claim.
• joe blow February 10, 2013 at 3:35 pm

  a rod, get the f..k out of baseball you creep