Yankees GM Cashman speaks out about contract A-Rod ‘can’t live up to’
2013 has been a tough year for New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez. His name was linked to performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) in January, he has yet to play a game due to offseason hip surgery and now his own GM, Brian Cashman, has gone public about his mixed feelings regarding A-Rod’s time in pinstripes.
In an interview on Sunday, Cashman admitted that he doesn’t think Rodriguez can live up to his gargantuan 10-year, $275 million deal that could go as high as $300 million if A-Rod reaches certain home run milestones. A-Rod is currently fifth all time on the career home runs list with 647 homers.
Rodriguez is slated to earn $28 million this season and is only halfway through his mega deal.
“It’s something I think even Alex would tell you, he couldn’t live up to that (contract),” Cashman said. “It’s an enormous contract and I think that, I would say probably, he couldn’t live up to it. But he’s doing everything he can to try to do so.”
Interesting words by Cashman, who is partially responsible for creating the contract A-Rod “couldn’t live up to.” Cashman used a Clint Eastwood movie title when asked how he would describe A-Rod’s time in the Bronx: “The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.
The Good: Since being acquired by the Yankees from the Texas Rangers, he won the AL MVP Award twice and won one World Series.
The Bad: He was benched multiple times by manager Joe Girardi during last year’s playoffs due to poor performance.
The Ugly: Rodriguez has twice been linked to PEDs as a member of the Yankees and endured a public and messy divorce from his ex-wife, Cynthia.
Despite having an up-and-down career so far in New York, Cashman said he remains optimistic about Rodriguez.
“Hopefully he can return to being at the very least an above-average player at (third base) because that’s what he’s been for the last few years,” Cashman said. “Once his injuries came into play with him, they may have taken away his ability to be a superstar. But he’s still an above-average player at that position and hopefully that’s what we’re going to get.”
