Alex Rodriguez is not a very well liked man at the moment. Many fans, if not all of them, have no respect for the former MVP and would be ecstatic if he never suited up in the pinstripes again. Even most of the Yankees organization has grown tired of Alex Rodriguez. The New York Yankees are attempting to void the six million dollar bonus clause in his contract that is incentive-based on hitting 660, 714, 755, and over 762 career home runs. They expressed this when they denied his interview request, telling the slugger they would see him in spring training.
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However, Joe Girardi made it clear that he and Alex Rodriguez have been in touch throughout the winter. According to Justin Tasch of The Daily News, Girardi said that he and Rodriguez have maintained a “good” relationship. When the bonuses were brought up in question to Girardi, he responded with:
"“I’ve never talked to him about that in our dealings,” Girardi said when asked about A-Rod’s attempt to clear the air with the organization. “Alex and I have kept in touch through all of this, so our relationship is good. My job is to get him ready.”"
It is clear Girardi is attempting to get Alex Rodriguez to focus on the upcoming season instead of the Yankees front offices’ attempt to not give him any bonus money. Girardi was asked whether or not he was concerned about Rodriguez being in an uncomfortable position.
"“I don’t worry about that,” said Girardi, who was signing autographs and posing for photos at the new AT&T store in the Garden State Plaza mall in Paramus. “My job is to put our team in the best position every day to win a game. That’s my job. I don’t worry about contracts; I don’t worry about bonuses for players; I don’t want to know them. All I want to worry about is putting our guys in the best position to win games.”"
Joe Girardi cares about one thing: Winning a 28th World Series Championship. He cares about the organization and all its staff and players, and wants to make fans happy by bringing home another championship. No matter how big a player’s ego is, it will not affect his decision towards completing the ultimate goal. “We’re gonna DH him, we’re gonna play him at third base and see where he’s at there, and we’ll talk about maybe playing him at first base a little bit,” Girardi said when asked about where Alex Rodriguez would be playing.
It will be tough to deal with the drama between the front office and Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez wants his money while the front office doesn’t think he deserves any bonuses because of his cheating ways. Joe Girardi has proven he is a solid manager who demands the respect of the clubhouse. He will do his best to keep good relationships with all the members of the organization while getting the players to focus on winning a championship.
Next: MLBPA To Back A-Rod vs. Yankees In Bonus Fight
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