ARod Opts Out, Where will he end up next?

Well, the seemingly inevitable took place last night, with Alex Rodriguez reportedly opting out of his 10-year $252 million contract, with three years left on the deal. Hank Steinbrenner’s reaction was as follows, reported in the New York Daily News: “It’s clear he didn’t want to be a Yankee,” He doesn’t understand the privilege of being a Yankee on a team where the owners are willing to pay $200 million to put a winning product on the field. I don’t want anybody on my team that doesn’t want to be a Yankee.” Sounds like the new Steinbrenner has a bit of the old man in him, and he should be fun to watch in the future.

However, let’s be fair here, Steinbrenner isn’t necessarily the bad guy here, not when Scott Boras is in the mix. After all, if you were to ask him, he makes it out like Alex Rodriguez is a victim here, with the “unknown status of the Yankees.” C’mon Scott, admit it, you know Alex can make more money, so he’s choosing to do so. You aren’t fooling anyone with the ridiculous comments below, as reported by SI.com:

“Alex’s decision was one based on not knowing what his closer, his catcher and one of his statured pitchers was going to do,” Boras said. “He really didn’t want to make any decisions until he knew what they were doing.”

So, Mr. Boras is pleading that ARod is bolting from the Yankees because he is unsure about their future? Interesting prospective, especially when it plays out and we see where Rodriguez ends up. After all, if it isn’t a team with a clear path toward the future (the Red Sox perhaps?), then Boras only proves he is the liar everyone thinks he is. Boras has fooled no one here, it’s all about the mighty dollar once again. So, where do you think Rodriguez ends up, and how much coin do you think he will end up with?

My prediction: Chicago Cubs, 8 yr $256M, and he’ll be back at shortstop. However, this deal will probably not happen for sometime, because Boras will need time to put his whole package together to sell Rodriguez to his future employers. Also, I bet Yankee fans can’t wait for Rodriguez to return as an opponent to Yankee Stadium…