A-Rod just hit his 50th and 51st home runs of the season, establishing a new Yankee record for a right-handed batter, and a new MLB record for a third basemen. A sure-fire MVP, he’s having one of the greatest seasons in Yankee history, which is saying something.
With 20 games left, David Pinto thinks he has an 11% chance of matching Roger Maris’ AL record of 61.
UPDATE: Check out the new Snap Shots feature! Cool.
UPDATE: After hitting a home run in his fifth straight game today, David Pinto now estimates A-Rod’s chances of catching Maris at 16.5%. With his 52 home runs so far, A-Rod has entered into some ultra-exclusive Yankee company, as only Maris, Mantle and Ruth have hit more in a single season. As the season moves towards the playoffs, A-Rod looks more and more like he’s on his way to becoming baseball’s first $30 million dollar man.
I found BP’s analysis of A-Rod’s contract to be very interesting – essentially it came down to “he isn’t worth his salary”. I wish they had expanded it to include other players, but I can’t imagine $30 million being worth it. I have to agree about him staying a Yankee – they always will have money to burn, and there he has the best chance of always having that lineup protection. I think the big payday is if/when he approaches Bond’s HR record – as absurb as it may seem, I can see him getting an 8 year, $200 million contract.
On the Giants’ side though… Bonds has been is SF for a looonnng time. Yes, the team seems to have potentially fabulous pitching, but the outlook for the lineup is pretty bleak, at least for the next few years. I have to wonder about the possibility of attendance falling off a cliff a year after Bonds retires (or leaves) – especially, for the fickle fan, since even the prospects DO have, no matter how good they end up being, will take some time to become “MATT CAIN” in caps….
wait a sec here
tying up over 50 percent of the budget into 2 players is insane
so arod becomes a giant…forcing sabean into his prior mode of getting a bunch of cheapies to surround him
arod is great, but he aint bonds
think he would be smacking them out if he had ray and klesko protecting him??
i dont think so
think this org goes young if arod is the centerpiece???
i dont think so
and mark my words….arod is gonna retire a yankee
If the Giants want to sell tickets next season, they need to go after this guy…
He’ll probably get more then that, since Boras thinks he can get 30 mill for Teixiera, and that fucker usually gets whatever he wants for his clients since some dumb team always falls for his crap.
He is not worth 30mil a year but he is having a great season.
He’s worth whatever a team will pay for his services. For a team like the Giants, in need of power, batting average, infield defense, youth and star power, A-Rod could very well be worth $150 million for five years. He’s 31 years old, essentially entering his absolute prime, and he’s already got 500 home runs, 1500 RBI, and 1500 runs. They could go from one player who is arguably the greatest of all time, right to his heir, something that would keep them on the national radar, on ESPN, and, almost certainly put them right back into contention for the next 5 seasons as the young pitching develops and matures.
Is that worth $30 million per? Would they be better off spending $6 million per for the kind of completey replaceable players –league minimum replaceable– we now employ at first base, third base, second base, centerfield and right field? No way.
In my book, given the massive revenue A-Rod would generate by keeping the Giants not just respectable, but, in fact, noteworthy, a five year deal like that would be worth every penny. It’d give the team the amount of time it needs to start to see some results from the renewed efforts in the minors as well, since A-Rod surrounded by about the same kind of crap the Giants have been surrounding Bonds with would probably result in the same kind of place in the standings.
And still they pitch to him. . . .
Lol, just wait until Canseco’s new book comes out which showcases A-Rod’s HGH use.
i say he does it…they have to pitch to him with the protection behind and in front of him
he would be a fool to leave the yanks…especially with the new park being built that will only help him in his hr chase
he will break the single season and career marks easily