Surprise, Surprise!

I don't know which article to be more surprised about. In the red corner sporting agent-trainer Scott Boras is ARod who got the Yankees to talk to him. In the blue corner we have some writer slamming the dodger GM (and somewhat well deserved too) but then sucker-punching the dodgers by saying that Ned Colletti's mistakes have caused Madre management to talk to the blue about three team trade scenarios involving the Padres getting Matt Kemp.

(sarcasm) Wow, tough decision here (/sarcasm off).  With the Yankees, Scott Boras the superagent and insatiable ARod have been humbled.  The Yankees however set aside their tough talk to try to reclaim their superstar that has brought 0 titles to the pinstriped franchise. Obviously, something didn't work out despite the gaudy numbers.  I have no desire to try to figure out what that something is because I don't root for the yanks.  I really believed when they repeated over and over in the media that they wouldn't negotiate with ARod if he opted out that they really would be done if he did.  But he did, and they didn't, so they're talking now, which if you're a Red Sox fan could be a good thing.  And if this story turns out to be true, it automatically becomes the most interesting story in all of baseball right now. 

While no fan or team wants their bitter rival to have the best position player in baseball on board, in this case it could be good.  If ARod is calling uncle on the standoff it could mean the Yanks are willing to still sign ARod for slightly over the numbers that were in the press to mend fences.  ARod doesn't look as greedy and the Yanks get their man on their terms. But wait, how is the best position player of our generation going back to the Yankees good for the Red Sox?  This move eliminates NY as a bidder for Lowell and decreases what Lowell can demand. Now Boston can almost rest assured that they have Lowell almost all to themselves unless some desperate team keelhauls Boston and offers Lowell 4 or 5 years. The Red Sox probably didn't have the money to sign ARod anyways, meaning some meaningful guys would have had to be shipped out of Boston Harbor to make ARod happen (probably Manny or Drew and pitching).  Arguably, dumping a bunch of guys you won the world series with to chase down and sign a guy to an unGodly contract could have sunk the Red Sox's great baseball mojo and probably brought with it a new curse.  If you don't believe in maritime metaphors, baseball curses, or mojo, it still would have pissed off a lot of fans at the very least.

If another teamdoes go 5/75 for Lowell, it better be either Philly or Houston, because they are the only two teams I can think of offhand that wouldn't make the signing ridiculous.  Lowell's offensive numbers are the result of Fenway.  Look at his ESPN splits.  If Lowell goes to anywhere else besides Minute Maid or Citizens Bank you will likely see the old, offensively steady but unspectacular Mike Lowell (to go with the gold glove defense).  Any other teams would be paying him for offensive numbers he'll be unable to repeat.  Word is he's the nicest guy to be buddies with, but so is Juan Pierre.

Anyways, this article if it's to be believed, then it seems this ARod crawling back story is going to be increasing in its dramatics exponentially, and therefore I don't even need to analyze the padres article that depicts the dodgers as a chump ready to trade Matt Kemp to them for "veterans" in a threesome.  The promise of this entire ARod/Scott Borass/New, New York Yankees Steinbrenners-in-town complete a 360-come full circle act of theatre eclipses even the Shap/Kobe/Phil Jackson dynamic of big egos rising, falling, and breaking all at once.  This is better than most stuff you have to pay to see at your local cinema.

This new act in the play that is ARod's life is also what could be a new strategy never seen before by Scott Boras.  Despite it being in the paper, I don't believe for one second that ARod did anything regarding his free agent negotiations  that Scott didn't know about.  I believe Scott did this, and leaked it to the papers to grease ARod's way back into New York.  I also believe Scott finally realized that the Yanks meant business and there would be no dog and pony show of G.M.'s and/or owners stumbling over themselves to hand ARod $350 million.

In short, Scott lost the game of chicken.  If I were Yankees management and could sing like J. Holiday, I would start by interpolating the 'Put You To Bed' chorus...

I Love It! (I Love It!)

You Love It! (You Love It!)

Everytime (Everytime)

We gotcha! (We gotcha!)

We gonna sign you for less! (for less! for less!)

We gonna sign you for less! (for less! for less!)

Less, Less, Less-right-less!

Less, Less, Less-right-less!

The Yankees have pulled a major coup by overcoming the opt-out and not essentially doubling their financial obligation to Alex Rodriguez to keep him a Yankee until he retires.  My guess is they work out a deal for 7 years around 200 million with a bunch of team options after the first three years.  Yanks give up more cash since they've lost the Texas money, but paying to gain security of team options on ARod's decline years.  This way ARod can say he's not all about the money and that he didn't take a pay cut at the same time.  The Yanks can say they didn't get totally hosed to keep ARod despite losing the Ranger's money for the '08-'10 years (21-22 million or so?) 

I'm probably wrong and his contract looks nothing like this since we are still dealing with Scott Boras here.  I'd like the next act of the play being ARod fires Boras and declares he's regained his personal integrity and Boras pulls out his agent contract and sues ARod for a huge chunk of whatever deal ARod gets after firing him.  This turn of events scares away tons of new potential clients who sign with other agents, reducing Boras' power until he becomes a distant, unpleasant memory in the baseball world.  It will be Boras' emotional reaction to be fired by his most high-profile client that will be his undoing, I hope.

But anyways, the east coast attention won't truly be a bias until this sorts itself out.