A-Rod will begin rehab assignment with Double-A Trenton tomorrow

by 56 Comments

Thursday Night Open Thread
Avelino's huge game leads GCL Yankees to win over hated rival GCL Yankees

Alex Rodriguez will play two games with Double-A Trenton this weekend, the Yankees announced. He felt good following a simulated game in Tampa earlier today and will join the Thunder for their games on Friday and Saturdayday. I suppose if his hip and quad feel good, Alex could rejoin the team in Chicago for the start of their series against the White Sox on Monday. Then again, he might be banned from baseball for life before then.

Thursday Night Open Thread
Avelino's huge game leads GCL Yankees to win over hated rival GCL Yankees
  • http://twitter.com/#!/KChinmaster KenC

    I really wonder whats going on in the front office right now

    • radnom

      He is going to be suspended in a couple days so they want him no where near the major league team. They can’t just sit him either, so more rehab games.

      Three days of rusty, 38 year old Arod is not worth the headache. It should be obvious.

    • trr

      they’re probably just waiting to see the outcome, then they’ll see what to with the $$$ they’re saving

  • Now Batting

    As great as it would be long-term for the Yankees if A-rod was suspended it really kills them this year.

    • jim p

      The Daily News stories have repeatedly printed that MLB has A-Rod for drug use in 2010, ’11, and ’12. If true, even his somewhat (slightly?) better than league-average numbers were inflated.

      Unless he has the cojones to keep taking them now, I’m not sure if we’d see much better than we saw in last year’s postseason. I’d be just as confident in a full-time Adams (or whoever) at this point; with the advantage of seeing if they develop enough to be of use in 2014.

      • RetroRob

        Actually, it may have had little to no impact on his performance.

        • jim p

          If PEDs had no impact on performance, why would people take them?

          • RetroRob

            Players take plenty of things in the form of supplements and vitamins that do nothing, yet they still take them.

            While steroids do have an impact (although probably nowhere near what people believe they do in baseball, especially when it comes to hitting), HGH does zero, yet players still take it. They’re not almost the smartest group.

            • jim p

              Them why would you get suspended from the game if you fail tests for taking them? You see Melky hitting .340 these days?

              You don’t get banned for taking vitamins. And players never got seriously better and more powerful when they reached 38 before there were steroids in the game. Doubt that’s just a coincidence.

              • RetroRob

                There’s quite a bit of information out there on steroids, HGH, as well as BABIP, etc. that will show many other explanations. It’s not hard to find if you truly are interested.

                To be clear, I am not saying that PEDs don’t do some things for some players, but the evidence in baseball is pretty slim, at least to the degree that people want to believe.

                • fat jeter

                  There really isn’t much of a need to quantify how much of an advantage these things give you IMO. I really don’t understand that argument. If a substance is banned, then you shouldn’t take it. Kinda pollyanna, I know, but for the rest of us in society (read: non-multi-millionaires), breaking the rules usually means you face some sort of punishment regardless of whether or not you think its a good rule or not. Granted we are all not privvy to just what evidence they have on alex, but everyone else on that list seems prepared to take their medicine and accept at the very least the punitive form of responsibility. as always, alex feels the rules don’t apply to him and he continues to be role model for delusional egomaniacs everywhere.

                • Sammy Sosa

                  I agree. Right on, brother.

            • Former ACE MannyGeee

              If my understanding of the subject is correct, the HGH is less about superhuman strength and more about being able to recover from your everyday nagging aches and pains quicker.

              Which would explain why a guy like Melky could be on the stuff in 2012 and hit .340 and come back clean in 2013 and not be able to string a season together, between being worn down and the negging injuries (just came off the DL).

              Would also explain A-Rod’s ability to stay healthy for so many years and then fall off a cliff health wise.

              OR, it could be nothing. Shit if I know, never touched the stuff.

    • dalelama

      They are already dead.

  • forensic

    Guess I need to let go of my absurd hope that somehow A-Rod would appear in San Diego this weekend.

  • Dr. TJ Eckleberg

    Cashman: “Ok A-Rod, go ahead and fly to San Diego and join the team”

    A-Rod: (mumbles something to lawyer) “I would like to consult a second physician, please”.

  • Eddard

    Baseball really needs to ban him for life. It’s a big coup for the Yanks as they’ll be able to better position themselves to get under $189 million next season. That will reset the luxury tax and they can be free to spend at will again like Buck is so worried about. Matt Weiters will be a Yankee in 2 years.

    • Steinbrenner’s Ghost

      What’s to stop my kids from simply pocketing the windfall profits?

    • Former ACE MannyGeee

      Stop disrespecting Flanny

  • Roy Munson

    I really wish Cashman would tell Buck to STFU… would be phenomenal

  • jim p

    Say the ban is through 2014. So that means we can get free-agents this winter. Even if A-Rod is back in 2015, we could still afford to have other large contracts, since the lower tax would be in place.

    So is there really anyone in this winter’s free agent crop who we’d really want? Anybody know?

    • radnom

      1. To get the savings, the Yankees need to be under in 2014 AND 2015. So it only helps for guys who can be had on one year deals, as Arod is back on the books in 2015.

      2. The ‘savings’ is not as large as originally reported. Its not safe to assume that even if they hit the austerity goal that the payroll would balloon immediately after.

      • jim p

        Is that true? First time I heard it’s a two year requirement. From the NY Times in March (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/12/sports/baseball/yankees-baseballs-big-spenders-are-reining-it-in.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0):

        Instead, they want to hit the reset button — by getting under the $189 million threshold that baseball has established for 2014. If the Yankees can do it, their current luxury-tax payments will plummet to zero and work up from there.

        A general look at google stories on this says that if they go at $189M or less, next year their rate is reset at 17.5% if they go over in 2015. (Instead of, I gather something over 50%).

        • vicki

          “The Competitive-Balance Tax (CBT) threshold will remain $178 million in 2012 and ’13, then increase to $189 million from 2014 through ’16. When a club (i.e. the Yankees) exceeds the threshold the first time, the tax is 17.5 percent; it increases to 30 percent the second time, 40 percent the third time, and 50 percent the fourth time or more (i.e. the Yankees).”

          http://www.baseballnation.com/2011/11/23/2581637/major-league-baseball-cba-labor-agreement

          • vicki

            and avoiding the tax for just one year resets the team’s rate.

            • jim p

              Thanks. Right. So they make $189 in ’14, no tax; a reset.

              They exceed in ’15, 17.5% tax. In ’16, 30%.

              So I think the point of the Yank’s announced strategy, combined with the possible A-Rod suspension means the Yankees have another $15-20M available (allowing for re-signs and increases.)

              Which could translate into two or three good/decent (at least, better) players this Winter. And if they took multi-year contracts, then the Yanks would find it a cost, but not one equal to their other options.

              Hopefully, 2014 sees the younger talent come up to ML standards, and come 2015 we’re in a good position.

              If A-Rod is gone for life, that’s just that much better.

    • RetroRob

      The Yankees may simply decide this is the gift to get them more easily under Plan 189 in 2014, so the saved money may not be pumped back into the on-field product.

      They also have to recognize that A-Rod will be back in 2015 and they will once again take the $27.5M AAV hit to the luxury tax calculation. In other words, they won’t want to sign any lengthy and expensive contracts since they still will have three years of A-Rod on the books. (Yes, I’m assuming there will be no lifetime ban, at least one that will stand.)

  • Shittyshittybangbang

    Breaking News : Alex Rodriguez, upon receiving permission from NYY, has agreed to play for The Nippon Hamfighters of The Japanese League. In a press conference, Alex said, “as a ham, I feel proud to be a Hamfighter”.
    More to follow, obviously !

  • Pasta

    Hey buck fu
    The yankees catcher in two years will be gary sanchez.

    • The Tenth Inning Stretch

      Hell, it’ll be J.R. Murphy by the end of next year. That’s what makes Buck’s comments so ludicrous. A)The Yanks’ system is flush with catchers, and B) he’s assuming Wieters won’t want to keep playing for him in Baltimore? He really needs to think it through before speaking. He seems to be in the Bobby Valentine camp when it comes to his feelings about the Yankees.

  • Steinbrenner’s Ghost

    According to ESPN ARod and MLB are far apart on negotiations, with suspensions to be announced by Sunday.

    Sunday is probably a good day to make the announcements as most of the attention will be aimed at the kickoff of the NFL and the Canton Hall of Fame inductions.

    • RetroRob

      The NFL has a HOF?

      • Iron Horse

        LOL!How many NFL HOF members used steroids? Guess we will never know…

  • OldYanksFan

    The Latest:

    “Negotiations between Alex Rodriguez and Major League Baseball are apparently stuck on Rodriguez’s desire to make sure he can cash in on at least some of the remaining $100 million owed under his contract, and there’s also a wide gap between the suspension he is willing to accept and the one MLB would like to issue…”

    “The sources did not say what length of suspension either side would accept, only that the two camps “aren’t anywhere close,” according to one. Rodriguez’s representatives repeatedly have said he will fight any suspension.”

    http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/9530007/sources-mlb-alex-rodriguez-far-apart-suspension-settlement

    • radnom

      In the end, Alex is a pragmatist and I know he will end up taking the deal. This is negotiation right now.

      But damn, I really hope he is overplaying his hand and winds up with the lifetime bam.

    • RetroRob

      I don’t understand that line about negotiations being “stuck” on A-Rod’s desire to make sure he can cash in on at least some of the remaining $100 million owed.

      Well, if he accepts MLB’s suspension through 2014, he has three years and over $60M left, not to mention there is at least one of those marketing clauses he’ll achieve. If he doesn’t accept their offer and he’s banned for life he collects nothing. The answer seems obvious, which means the story is wrong.

  • Shittyshittybangbang

    What is up with Buck Showalter ?! That is one angry, red-faced, little dude. Man, seems as if The Yankees front office ran “train” on his wife !

  • Robinson Tilapia

    Behind Door #1 is a lifetime ban. Behind Door #2 is a 200-game suspension. Behind Door #3 is rejoining the team on Monday.

    Forget Bud Selig. We need Wayne Brady on this shit.

    • Manny’s BanWagon

      He’s such a horses ass, he’ll probably chose the lifetime ban.

      • trr

        Apparently though, when it comes to money, he’s Stephen Hawking

    • Evan3457

      Monty opens the door in front of the 200-games suspension. Should you stay with your original door choice, or switch to the other one?

    • http://www.flickr.com/photos/roadgeek Roadgeek Adam

      33.3% chance he chooses 3.

      • radnom

        Ok, but how about this. Say chooses one of the doors, and then Monty Hall reveals that behind one of the other doors is the 200 game ban. He then gets a choice. Stick with the door he originally picked, or switch to the other one.

        Does Alex have a better chance of rejoining the team if he stays with his original door? Or is it 50/50 at that point.

        • Evan3457

          If he switches, the odds that he gets to play and not suspended for life is actually 2 out of 3.

        • RetroRob

          The odds don’t change.

  • Mick taylor

    How much have the yanks saved in salaries of Tex and arod by their not playing this year.

  • RetroRob

    Trenton or a lifetime ban?

    Well that’s a tough choice.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvn-tBeLpCk

  • fat jeter

    somewhere selina gomez is laughing on a giant pile of money…

    • fat jeter

      not gomez, selina roberts

      • Former ACE MannyGeee

        I am sure Selena Gomez is laughing as well.

      • RetroRob

        Selina Gomez totally has a lot of money. Selina Roberts less so. The book bombed. She kind of falls into the Jose Canseco camp. The spirit of what was written was correct, but the facts were fast and loose.

  • whatthehellisansky

    Lmao Rob! I didn’t ped, err peg A-Rod as the martyr type… I can see him choosing lifetime ban avenue just to eek out the attention Pete Rose has been getting!

    People can change a lot in ten yrs…esp athletes.. A-Rod could have something to offer baseball after his retirement, it would be a shame if he gets banned for life.

    It’s funny MLB front offices had no issues with peds in 1998 1999 when Sammy and Mark were bashing balls out of the park 3 at atime and giving Maris family flowers in front of the new millions of fans watching baseball once again after the players strike ruined their profits….

  • fat jeter

    Just saw this: Even if Alex gets a lifetime ban, the Rangers are still on the hook for 40 million — which will prorate to 50 million over the years.

    http://rangersblog.dallasnews.com/2013/08/even-if-alex-rodriguez-is-banned-for-life-the-rangers-still-owe-him-more-than-40-million.html/