Yankees News: Yankees to Stiff Alex Rodriguez

Alex Rodriguez is not out of the woods yet in regards to legal battles. As he climbs his way out of the self-constructed abyss of a one-year suspension for PED abuse, another battle looms.

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Back in 2007, A-Rod and the team signed a marketing agreement worth up to $30 Million dollars. At the time, this agreement was a way to gap what the team wanted to pay him ($275 million) and what he wanted to earn ($300 million). Now the Yankees plan to use it to reduce their liabilities claiming that the achievements they originally intended to market are no longer worth what they’ll be paying him due to the PED’s he took while achieving them.

According to a source familiar with the agreement signed in 2007, it is up to the club to declare the slugger’s accomplishment ‘milestones,’ which they will not do.

“They say the records are tainted,” the source said, “and therefore they’re not milestones that can be marketed.

Rodriguez has choices. He can choose to take his grievance to an arbitrator. However, that might call for him to take the stand and admit to more use of PED’s not covered in the previous suspension. He can also give up the money quietly instead of causing a ruckus.

However, one has to wonder as to how wise it is for the Yankees to eliminate extra payments to their embattled star. As it stands, he may be the only thing helping the team not become irrelevant. Whether the team likes it or not, Rodriguez is the face of the Yankees. The fact that he is being productive at 39 after sitting out an entire season is making the team interesting to watch. So far he’s pulled his weight batting .269 with 19 RBI and 21 runs scored.