Rethinking A-Rod

Just as I forgot about Manny's 10-and-5 contract status when I was spouting off about trading him this offseason, I forgot something about A-Rod when I was spouting off about him. He's got a no-trade clause. He's not going anywhere if he doesn't want to. Although everything in the business of sports is always subject to change, it looks as if A-Rod doesn't want to go. He says he wants to be a Yankee, and to win with the Yankees. I can't say as I blame him, I guess.

All ballplayers have ego, and A-Rod has perhaps made the mistake of baring too much of his soul to the New York media, but he's made no bones about wanting to succeed in New York and to be loved by the city. Maybe that makes him seem weak, but what it doesn't do is make him a failure, nor does it make it likely for him to give up after three years that virtually any player in the game would be thrilled to have. In three years with the Yankees, A-Rod has hit around .295 with 119 homers and 357 RBI. Boy, what a bum. Sure, he didn't hit in the postseason. Guess what? Neither did Sheffield. Neither did Matsui. Of course neither of them has a giant flashing "252" hanging around his neck like some five-tool Flavor Flav. So I guess that he feels like he's still got something to prove. Heck, it took Barry Bonds something like 16 years to prove he wasn't a post-season choker.

So I guess it's probably unrealistic to expect to see A-Rod in a Sox uniform next year. As much as I'd love to see that straight-up challenge trade, A-Rod for Manny, I think that both front offices are too conservative for that. There's no way they'd trade a future hall-of-famer within their division, to their biggest rival, and allow the other hitter to remind you 19 times each year what an idiot you were. I'd still love to see it, though.