Rand: Should Twins be interested in A-Rod?

[Seth Stohs]

http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/174766401.html

 

The STrib's Michael Rand asked whether the Twins should consider a deal for Alex Rodriguez. Of course, he's not coming here, we all know that. But should the Twins consider it. Rand says, what if the Yankees picked up enough to make the Twins pay just $50 million (of the $114 million he's owed) over the next 5 years.

 

If not, what would it take? I mean, if the Yankees paid $100 million, and the Twins just needed to pay him 5 years and $14 million, would you?

 

A-Rod's worst season (this year), he still had an OPS higher than Trevor Plouffe's this year. But he's 37, 11 years older than Plouffe.

 

What do you think?

[ThePuck]

No.

[Curt]

No. I predict not one person thinking it is a good idea.

[ericchri]

Yeah, A-rod stuck in Minnesota, away the big lights of New York, or the party-town of South Beach (the Marlins being the rumored destination I've seen). Can you say locker room cancer?

 

I could see him playing well for a while, but it would only be in an effort to get traded back to someplace he wanted to be.

[johnnydakota]

sure trade for him and colon and cabrea , maybe we can get a discount on steriods if we order enough at 1 time...

if the Yankees offered to pay 95%of his contract and took drew butera in trade sure why not,i dont like him

he has shown himself to be imoral and a cheater and no integrity.plus he stuck his dingus into a singer who did her dog ..

come on really, is he that much of a dog lover?

[Jim Crikket]

Yes, absolutely. All the Yankees would have to do is pay A-Rod's entire salary AND, say, half of what the team is paying Mauer over the next 6 years on top of A-Rod's pay. For that, we invite him to Spring Training and see if he can beat out Plouffe. If he can't, you release him and pocket the Yankees' money.

[DaveW]

Absolutely not, first off: 50 million over 5 years would be a disaster, since at most he has 2-3 decent years left. Also, he is owed a ton of money for different home run milestones, so the Yankees would have to pick that up as well.

 

I guess if the Yankees wanted to pick up all but 10 million of the contract (5 years, 10 million 2 mil per year) I would possibly consider it, but A-Rod would never come to Minnesota and the Yankees would never do that.

 

I wonder if Seattle would consider bringing him back? Feelings are still a little raw there, but I mean he is better then Chone Figgins!

 

The hilarious thing about A-Rod is he is actually costing the Yankess close to 40 million a year due to the luxury tax!

[DaveW]

Yeah, A-rod stuck in Minnesota, away the big lights of New York, or the party-town of South Beach (the Marlins being the rumored destination I've seen). Can you say locker room cancer?

 

I could see him playing well for a while, but it would only be in an effort to get traded back to someplace he wanted to be.

The motivation of the HR record will keep him motivated enough to play "well"

 

FWIW I think A-rod could have another 2-3 years of .820 OPS ability, but the headaches/etc wouldn't be worth it to the majority of franchises. The Marlins are such a joke at this point that it makes total sense for them.

[Jim Crikket]

I honestly don't think the Yankees will find any team willing to take him in a trade during the offseason. They're only chance... and I think it's a remote one... will be to hang on to him to start 2013 and hope like hell that some team who thinks they're a competitor at mid-season will take a flyer on A-Rod helping them for a pennant stretch.

 

To me, the most likely scenario is that the Yankees are forced to just release him in the next couple of years and eat the rest of his contract.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Absolutely not. A-Rod is a sinking ship and the Twins should avoid him no matter how much the Yankees pay to be rid of the guy.

[Willihammer]

I'd not only make that deal, I'd put him at SS

[PseudoSABR]

Only if he comes with plenty of sloppy seconds.

[Seth Stohs]

I have no question that A-Rod will post an OPS of higher than .850 the next 2-3 years. I don't think that there is enough realistic hope that he would actually come to the Twins, but whoever he plays for next year will get a great player. He's going to make some adjustments and come back and be huge next year. Would I risk $10 million for 5 years to find out if that's true? Absolutely not. Would I risk $2-3 million? Absolutely.

 

Assuming along with the $100 million, we also would not have to trade any even decent prospects.

[James]

No. Double no.

 

He may have one or two decent years left, but I the PEDs are wearing off and it's going to start to show.

 

I think Miami is the only place he wouldn't veto a trade anyway. Maybe Chicago.

[glanzer]

Considering the numbers A-Rod put up in the park with one of the shortest left field porches in the majors, I can't imagine that would translate well at all to a much more cavernous Target Field. In two years A-Rod is going to have to play first or DH, and there goes one of Mauer's positions. If the Twins were able to pay $1.5M or less, A-Rod could be a great part-time platoon/bench player.

 

However, I think he'll stay put in NY until the end of his contract. I doubt even the Yankees would pay someone $20M+ a year not to play for them.

[DaveW]

I have no question that A-Rod will post an OPS of higher than .850 the next 2-3 years. I don't think that there is enough realistic hope that he would actually come to the Twins, but whoever he plays for next year will get a great player. He's going to make some adjustments and come back and be huge next year. Would I risk $10 million for 5 years to find out if that's true? Absolutely not. Would I risk $2-3 million? Absolutely.

 

Assuming along with the $100 million, we also would not have to trade any even decent prospects.

 

A-Rod hasn't posted a .850 OPS since 2009, and since then has showed a very steady decline in his slugging, take him out of Yankee stadium and I think that continues. In addition he also has some pretty serious injury concerns, so you can't really count on him for 140 games a year moving forward and is now a below average fielding 3B.

 

I mean yeah, if we only had to pay 2-3 mil a year he would be worth a shot....I guess. But in reality if you are paying him 3 mil a year for 5 years there is a very, very good chance that those last 2 or 3 years he is more or less worthless.

[DaveW]

Considering the numbers A-Rod put up in the park with one of the shortest left field porches in the majors, I can't imagine that would translate well at all to a much more cavernous Target Field. In two years A-Rod is going to have to play first or DH, and there goes one of Mauer's positions. If the Twins were able to pay $1.5M or less, A-Rod could be a great part-time platoon/bench player.

 

However, I think he'll stay put in NY until the end of his contract. I doubt even the Yankees would pay someone $20M+ a year not to play for them.

 

He and Girardi have to figure things out if he wants to stay in NY, the last thing the Yankees will want to deal with is A-Rod getting benched a good portion of next season.

[Boom Boom]

All I can think of is this http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/centaur-job-interview/1350447/

[DaveW]

Also even more interesting, this seems to be the beginning of the end for the Yankees, don't be shocked if they more or less have to go into a rebuilding phase over the next 3-4 years.

 

Steinbrenner has already said he wants payroll to come down to $189 million by 2014. Keep in mind the Yankees payroll this year is $210mm and they have a ton of big contracts on the book in 2014 such as:

 

A-Rod: 26 mil+HR bonuses

CC: 23 mil

Tex: 23 mil

 

They are going to give Cano a huge Pay day this off-season as well, so he should be making close to 20 mil a year as well. So more or less you have $89 mil left to spend.

 

Swisher will be gone (unless they want to over pay him), Granderson will be a FA by then and would be due a hefty payday, Jeter prob won't be back then, Rivera will be gone, Hughes will be a free agent.

 

The only real "talent" they have that won't be overly expensive will be Gardner, Nova, Robertson and Pineda. In addition their farm system isn't exactly robust currently.

 

We could be seeing a couple ugly years coming up for the Yanks

[Mike Sixel]

I would be willing to have a couple of bad years in exchange for being the best team in baseball for several years, but only if I would rebound after two or three into the best again.

[JB_Iowa]

Give me strength if this is the kind of cr*p we're going to be speculating about over the next few months.

[kab21]

Considering the numbers A-Rod put up in the park with one of the shortest left field porches in the majors, I can't imagine that would translate well at all to a much more cavernous Target Field. In two years A-Rod is going to have to play first or DH, and there goes one of Mauer's positions. If the Twins were able to pay $1.5M or less, A-Rod could be a great part-time platoon/bench player.

 

However, I think he'll stay put in NY until the end of his contract. I doubt even the Yankees would pay someone $20M+ a year not to play for them.

 

The answer doesn't change for the twins since they are not a good match for ARod but I actually think ARod will have a few decent bounceback seasons. Yankee Stadium has a short RIGHT field porch and left field is actually fairly large. ARod has also suffered several injuries in the last couple of seasons. It's not unusual for players to struggle when injured and then bounce back. Regardless this is an awful match for the Twins even if they ONLY have to pay 5/50 and not give up any prospects.

[RedBull34]

No. No matter the deal.

[beckmt]

This was discussed in the :00 Pm hour on ESPN and the ex general Manager of a couple of clubs thought he could be done(my feelings also) and the Yankees would try and trade him in the offseason or just release him before spring training.

[diehardtwinsfan]

Unless Arod or Plouffe is going back to the middle infield, I don't see how this conversation could even be had, and then there's that pesky problem that the Yankees will want a good prospect or two for it... The Twins badly need pitching and are rebuilding, so picking up a 5/50 contract in exchange for prospects seems like an odd way to do this.

 

ARod is a win now move. If the Twins were set in their rotation and just needed help up the middle, it might make sense, but given their needs, this really is foolish.

[snepp]

Only if he comes with plenty of sloppy seconds.

 

Or thirds.

[Cody Christie]

I can't see this working. I doubt the Twins would even consider it.

[Dilligaf69]

LOL!!!!! if the Yanks paid ALL of his salary and our worst prospect in return I'd take him...

[twinzphan]

A-Rod is an aging, overpaid, injury prone has been. With those characteristics alone he is worthy of consideration by the Twins' front office.