Yanks Risk Losing Rodriguez

At Yankee Stadium last week, Brian Cashman said he would recommend to ownership that the Yankees not chase Alex Rodriguez if he opts out of his contract and becomes a free agent. The comment seemed to hedge on his previous statements, putting the onus on George Steinbrenner to agree with Cashman’s stance.

Over two days of meetings in Tampa, Fla., Cashman made his point. Steinbrenner and his sons, Hank and Hal, agreed.

“Yes, I can reaffirm that,” said Cashman, the Yankees’ general manager, as he left Legends Field yesterday. “If Alex Rodriguez opts out of his contract, we will not participate in his free agency. That is accurate and that is definitive.”

The strategy is a gamble for the Yankees, who risk losing Rodriguez if they do not sign him before the opt-out date, 10 days after the end of the World Series. Rodriguez, who is likely to win his third Most Valuable Player award in five seasons, has financial incentive to explore the market.

“Both parties understand that they have rights,” Rodriguez’s agent, Scott Boras, said yesterday. “From the time they acquired Alex, the Yankees made clear that he had this right in his contract. Of course, what the team does and what the team chooses to offer the player, we leave that up to them. We have our rights, and they have theirs. Alex enjoys playing in New York, and we’ll leave it at that.”

After another unfulfilling postseason, though, the question is how badly Rodriguez wants to remain. He went 4 for 15 in the division series, and for all of his achievements, he has never played in the World Series.

The Yankees have lost 13 of their last 17 playoff games, and Rodriguez has absorbed the brunt of the criticism for hitting .148 in those games. In theory, he would not be as much of a focal point in another market, and he may believe another team offers a better chance to win.

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