Boras Outlines Negotiating Strategy For Top Client Alex Rodriguez

Boras Feels Free Agency Would Be Savviest Choice For A-Rod

Agent Scott Boras suggested that Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez exercising the opt-out clause in his ten-year, $252M contract, thereby becoming a free agent this offseason, "would be his client's savviest choice," according to Jack Curry of the N.Y TIMES. The Yankees have "exclusive rights to negotiate with Rodriguez" until ten days after the World Series, but the Yankees have said that "they would pass on trying to retain him" should he become a free agent.  Boras "offered a glimpse into how he will market Rodriguez to teams by calling him an I.P.N. player," an acronym for iconic value, performance value and network value. Boras noted that attendance at Yankee Stadium has increased in each of Rodriguez' four seasons with the club, going from 3.5 million in '03, the year before he arrived, to nearly 4.3 million this season. Boras added that "the reason he wanted an opt-out clause" in Rodriguez' deal "was because he expected that [RSNs] would prosper and would increase revenue streams for teams." Industry analyst Lee Burke said while Rodriguez would be a "contributing factor ... he wouldn't be the only reason that an [RSN] succeeds or fails" (N.Y. TIMES, 10/9). In a special to ESPN.com, Andrew Marchand wrote Boras will tell prospective bidders that if Rodriguez becomes MLB's all-time home run and hits leader, he "will be worth somewhere between a half-billion and a billion dollars over a decade" to one team's RSN.  Boras: "His fan base will subscribe to that network to watch him play and they will sell more advertising. This has certainly been evidenced in New York." Marchand noted that YES averaged a 3.2 rating for Yankees games in '03, and in Rodriguez' first two seasons, those grew to 4.6 and 4.5, respectively. Ratings dropped to 4.3 in '06, but peaked this season at 4.7 (ESPN.com, 10/9). Boras also said, "Nationally, people look at Alex completely differently than they did back when he did his contract. ... People really understand now that this player has the ability to break many of the records in baseball" (NEWSDAY, 10/10).

Former MLBer Expects Rodriguez To Land $300M Deal

WHAT ARE THE CHANCES? ESPN’s Buster Olney, on whether Rodriguez will stay with Yankees: “If I had to guess today, I’d say less than 25(%) chance that he comes back. Now there are people within the Yankee organization who are confident that the extension the Yankees want to offer him is going to be greater than any other team will pay. But other people within the organization think that he’s gone” (ESPN.com, 10/9).

DON'T DO IT: In Houston, Richard Justice wrote, "If you own a baseball team and you're thinking of throwing hundreds of millions at Alex Rodriguez, here's a better suggestion. Throw a couple hundred thousand at your scouts and instructors and tell them to go get you the next [Rockies SS] Troy Tulowitzki or [Rockies P] Franklin Morales. You'll save millions and feel better about yourself in the morning" (CHRON.com, 10/9). ESPN’s John Kruk, on a team paying Alex Rodriguez $30M a year: “If someone pays him $30[M] a year for ten years they’re stupid, but someone will because we know how that is” (“Baseball Tonight,” ESPN, 10/9).

MORE YANKEES DRAMA: With many believing manager Joe Torre will not be back with the Yankees next season, ESPN’s Olney said, "What we’re going to learn this year is about the management style of the next generation of Steinbrenners. (George's sons) Hank and Hal will be involved in this process, and it’s a really interesting time in the Yankees’ history because, of course, if you’re going to replace Joe Torre, you better have a manager with high stature; and players are going to be watching this very carefully. If a manager is picked who players don't like ... and (their high-profile free agents) say, ‘We don’t like your choice, we’re out of here,’ the Yankees could spin right back into the late ‘80s at a time when players didn’t want to go to New York, something they overcame in the mid-90s, in part because of the presence of Joe Torre” (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 10/9).

CASHMAN'S TAKE: Things got a little heated when Yankees GM Brian Cashman appeared on WFAN-AM's "Mike & the Mad Dog" yesterday to discuss Torre.  When WFAN’s Chris Russo pressed Cashman as to whether or not he believes Torre is right for the job as Yankees manager, Cashman avoided the question and responded by saying: “Chris, I’m going to have to honor the process -- which starts with sitting down (with) management." Following is more from the conversation.

WFAN's Mike Francesa: Your statement that you just made is going to be interpreted that you didn’t give Joe a vote of confidence. … Is that what you want the perception to be?”

Cashman: “I can’t control what the perception is going to be. A process is going to start now where I’m going to be included in that process. … Prior to that, I’m not going to comment on it. … I just hope you guys can understand and respect that.” 

Russo: “Do you think Joe has done a good job in 2007?”

Cashman: “I think Joe has done a phenomenal job every year he’s taken the helm” ("Mike & the Mad Dog," YES, 10/9).