Union Nixes A-Rod Contract Revisions





(Gene Orza, committed to destroying Christmas in Boston)

from the Associated Press :

The baseball players' union rejected Boston's proposed changes to Alex Rodriguez's contract Wednesday, jeopardizing trade talks between the Red Sox and Rangers.

Rodriguez and Boston general manager Theo Epstein spent the day meeting with Scott Boras, the shortstop's agent, and Gene Orza, the union's No. 2 official.

Boras expects the parties to meet again Thursday, and Texas owner Tom Hicks set a Thursday evening deadline for an agreement that would send Rodriguez to Boston for Manny Ramirez in a swap of baseball's highest-paid players.

Boston wants Rodriguez to rework his contract, but baseball's collective bargaining agreement says deals can be reworked only to add benefits for players.

"We did suggest an offer the club could make to Alex," Orza said. "As was its right, the club chose not to make it."

Orza and Boras wouldn't detail Boston's proposal. Rodriguez's contract has $179 million remaining on it.

"The principle involved is a transcendent one, affecting all of Alex's fellow players," Orza said. "To his credit, Alex, from the outset, recognized this."

To reiterate, getting out of the cellar, oppressive heat and climate of baseball apathy that is Arlington, TX isn't benefit enough?

And what's with the Selig-imposed deadline? Other than the tampering with a player already under contract to the Rangers (something Hicks consented to and has been going on for days if not weeks), who does it hurt if this saga drags on for another week? What else are we supposed to be paying rapt attention to, the GMAC Bowl?

In today's NY Times, Jack Curry In A Hurry wisely notes that if the two trades are not completed, both clubs are stuck with disgruntled superstars (two, In Boston's case).

The Rangers realize it would be awkward for Rodriguez to return to their clubhouse, be a believable leader and be embraced by their dwindling core of fans. Rodriguez, who has a no-trade clause, is tired of finishing last with the Rangers, dislikes Manager Buck Showalter and has been working the phones like a solicitor to try to force a change of his baseball address.

If Hicks cannot reach an agreement with the Boston owner John Henry, how will the Rangers spin Rodriguez's continuing presence in Texas as a positive? O.K., we do not mind paying you $25 million a year, even though you would rather be 1,800 miles away at Fenway Park.

Rodriguez is the premier player in baseball and could end up as one of the best players ever, but his relationship with Hicks has fallen apart and several baseball officials said a divorce was the most practical solution at this stage.

The same is true for Garciaparra and the Red Sox. Funny that Garciaparra, who has had more rules than the White House for when, how and with whom he would do interviews, called a Boston radio station during his honeymoon last week and expressed his desire to stay with the Red Sox.

That call, coming after his agent criticized the Red Sox and while the Red Sox surged forward in pursuit of Rodriguez, fits under the heading of learning how to say hello when it is time to say goodbye.

Unlike Rodriguez and Garciaparra, Ramirez is so oblivious that he could probably return to Boston next season and be unfazed that the team first put him on irrevocable waivers, then feverishly tried to get the Rangers to accept the $97.5 million left on his contract.

If it were not for Ramirez and his onerous contract, these talks probably would not even be happening. It's unlikely the Red Sox would be interested in simply replacing Garciaparra with Rodriguez at such a huge increase in cost. But acquiring the polished prince of baseball and shedding Ramirez, the aloof, one-dimensional left fielder, at the same time — well, that is appealing.

Posted: Wed - December 17, 2003 at 05:42 PM      

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