We all know Alex Rodriguez. Most of us can remember when he was a scrawny Mariner swiping bases for Lou Pinella. That Alex was likeable. 
He was a scrapper loaded with talent on a prevalent team. People in Seattle were probably dreaming of the World Series banners he would soon help them add to their lonely Sonics collection of one. It wasn’t meant to be. He took the money instead. Ever since that fateful day of December 11, 2000 his every misstep and failure has been ridiculed and criticized like no other professional athlete. Whether you love him or hate him there is one unequivocal truth; A-Rod is a superior baseball talent, whose presence vastly improves your team’s lineup.
This article will dissect A-Rod’s ability to be a bargain with his current salary on a number of teams. Hopefully after reading you’ll be able to determine whether or not his salary is an albatross or actually justified. He’ll make $27.7 million this year, so in order for a team to be able to accept him at that price we’ll have to find ways to cut the salary.
10.) St. Louis Cardinals- Team Salary $90 Million
Pujols and Rodriguez together would mean the total annihilation of opposing NL pitchers.
A-Rod Replaces
Troy Glaus- $11,500,000
Matt Clement- $1,500,000
Mark Mulder- $4,500,000
It makes no sense to have Glaus on the team with A-Rod mashing and no DH in the NL. How many injury plagued pitchers can one team have? Carpenter, Mulder, Clement….cut some of that loose slack. This was the biggest salary differential after the cuts, but man do the Cards need him.
9.) San Francisco Giants- Team Salary $90 Million
This is a team that desperately needs an offensive talent the likes of A-Rod. He’d immediately make them a contender in the NL West.
A-Rod Replaces
Barry Zito- 10,000,000
Ray Durham- $7,000,000
Dave Roberts- $5,000,000
They could probably even afford to keep Zito, because with Bonds off the books they’d easily spend the excess on A-Rod. Ray Durham might lose his job this year anyway with the way Eugenio Velez has been playing, and Dave Roberts is just another spare part that they can discard.
8.) Chicago White Sox- Team Salary $109 Million
This team would have loved to have had A-Rod. His contribution over incumbent Joe Crede would have been astronomical.
A-Rod Replaces
Jim Thome: 15,666,667
Jose Contreras: 9,000,000
Joe Crede: 4,940,000
Nothing against Jim Thome, but for over $15 million this year the White Sox are getting a DH who hasn’t notched over 500 AB’s since 2004, and will be turning 38 this year. Jose Contreras is simply there because they have no one else, and they’re paying him a lot of money. Joe Crede is the logical exclusion as he’d be out of a position anyway.
7.) LA Angels of Anaheim- Team Salary $109 Million
A-Rod would be a star in LA, and with a lineup sporting A-Rod, Vlad and Hunter the Angels would be a lock for the pennant. It would be a seamless integration as Figgins would merely shift to the outfield.
A-Rod Replaces
Garrett Anderson- $11,600,000
Kelvim Escobar- $9,000,000
Gary Matthews Jr.- $6,400,000
Angels fans adore GA, but even the Yankees knew they had to cut ties when their beloved aged outfielder Bernie Williams was let go. GA may have some years left in him, but his loss would be an acceptable sacrifice in obtaining A-Rod. Escobar is a burden with his latest injury putting him out for the year, so while he was an important part of the team they’ll have to deal without him regardless. Matthews translated one good year into a decent salary, and with an outfield of Vlad, Hunter and Figgins he’d be the odd man out.
6.) Boston Red Sox- Team Salary $143 Million
We all know the attempt they made at acquiring him from Texas before the Yankees snagged him up, so the money wouldn’t be a problem for this team. Everyone was wondering if they would make a second attempt at him this off-season, but they didn’t get a chance to. He would have been a devastating addition to the Boston lineup. Any way you order it, no pitcher would have the mental toughness to pitch through the murderer’s row of Ortiz, Manny and A-Rod.
A-Rod Replaces
J.D. Drew: $14, 400,000
Curt Schilling: $8,000,000
With Schilling on the shelf, and the overall lackluster play of Drew this trade off would be welcome by any Sox fan, even if it meant they had to forgive his World Series coming out party.
5.) Philadelphia Phillies- Team Salary $89 Million
The addition of A-Rod to this lineup would be catastrophic to the rest of the NL. Is there a better player in the league to fill the three hole of a lineup that would go Rollins, Utley, A-Rod, Howard?
A-Rod Replaces
Pat Burrell- $13,250,000
Geoff Jenkins- $7,333,333
Pedro Feliz- $5,100,000
Pat Burrell is not a fan favorite, and since Jenkins and Feliz were both acquired this off-season I’ll go out on a limb and say they aren’t either.
4.) Toronto Blue Jays- Team Salary $80 Million
What would be a better eff you story for A-Rod than jumping ship to the 3rd best team in the AL East and carrying them over the perennial powerhouses? Plus he knows a few strippers there.
A-Rod Replaces
A.J. Burnett- $13,200,000
Scott Rolen- $13,311,637
This one makes too much sense as well. A-Rod replaces the aged yet expensive Rolen, and the Jays could easily afford the loss of free agent to be and oft injured A.J. Burnett.
3.) LA Dodgers- Team Salary $108 Million
A-Rod would be a star in LA, and this team could use the star power. Especially now with the latest set back to Nomar and the unfortunate injury to Andy LaRoche. This team is solid top to bottom, but his presence would propel them into excellence on the offensive side.
A-Rod Replaces
Jason Schmidt- $15,703,946
Juan Pierre- $7,500,000
Jason Schmidt is the obvious choice. Frank McCourt must look at that salary and know what an internal decapitation feels like. Juan Pierre is a serviceable outfielder, but the logjam there is well documented, and it’s much more beneficial for Dodger fans to see a Jones/A-Rod combo.
2.) NY Mets- Team Salary $116 Million
The Mets seem to enjoy star power more than championships nowadays, so A-Rod would fit right in with this club. When A-Rod had declared for free agency David Wright even came out and said he’d be willing to change positions!
A-Rod Replaces
Carlos Delgado: 14,500,000
Moises Alou: 7,500,000
Delgado used to be worth that much, and Alou hasn’t notched over 500 AB’s since 2004. A-Rod still makes a little more than these two, but since the Mets would have no problem ponying up the rest I see no reason to make any further cuts on the team.
1.) Seattle Mariners- Team Salary $106 Million
This has to hurt the die hard Seattle sports fan almost as much as the Sonics debacle. Is it common knowledge in the Emerald City that A-Rod could be in a Mariner uniform for the price of….
A-Rod Replaces
Richie Sexson- $15,500,000
Adrian Beltre- $12,900,000
It’s almost too perfect a fit. A-Rod is a great upgrade over Beltre, and with Sexson it’s a simple act of addition by subtraction. Way back on that fateful day of December 11, 2000 why didn’t the Mariners open the purse when they had the chance? Instead they are left with two overpaid merely adequate players. A-Rod could have been a home-grown superstar, loved by everyone in Seattle akin to the way Jeter is loved in NY. Knowing how events turned out wouldn’t both sides jump at the opportunity to travel back to that December day?
1.b) New York Yankees- Team Salary $195 Million
He’s obviously a good fit and affordable for this team, but we can make a case for adding another A-Rod to the Yankees payroll.
A-Rod Replaces
Jason Giambi : $23,428,571
Carl Pavano: $10,000,000
Whew! That’s a boat load of moolah for zero production last year. Giambi is supposedly healthy and ready to contribute this season, but if you cut out the salary of these two you get yourself another A-Rod and an extra $5 mill. to boot. Hell, throw in another $ 4 million wasting away with Kei Igawa and they could probably put a special rush on the cloning order.
Obviously these teams have tons of restrictions and contract commitments that simply don’t allow them to swap these players out for A-Rod, but just imagine if the teams listed above were just a little more frugal with their money (think Sexson) or less apt to over indulge on pitchers with an injury history (think Schmidt) then couldn’t they have easily made a move for A-Rod? He has the biggest contract in baseball on the team with the biggest payroll, so it makes it easy to dislike him, but don’t be fooled into thinking that your team couldn’t afford him. His consistency and hall of fame numbers make him a bargain at $27 million, especially compared to some of the GM debacles above.
Note
All salaries are based on figures provided by ESPN
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Those numbers don't even take into account the amount of revenue Arod would bring to the team through star-attraction, playoffs, and merchandise.
Or the divisiveness he adds to the clubhouse. What a princess.
Awsome that the Sonic's won a World Series.
"People in Seattle were probably dreaming of the World Series banners he would soon help them add to their lonely Sonics collection of one."
He was referring to banners in Seattle... nice pickup though.
Wow, it is easy to say that Gay-Rod would clearly be a better option over other players that haven't worked out. Your Pro-A-Rod article is ridiculous. Yes he is a WORLD CLASS ATHLETE, but he is just as much of a cancer to his club house as he is an attribute with his bat. In my mind:
Cancer + RIDICULOUS PRICE TAG < WORLDCLASS TALENT
"Your Pro-A-Rod article is ridiculous. Yes he is a WORLD CLASS ATHLETE, but he is just as much of a cancer"
Wouldn't that mean they were equal?
Cancer + RIDICULOUS PRICE TAG = WORLDCLASS TALENT
Or to prove the point your were trying to originally make you would need to switch it to "greater than"
Cancer + RIDICULOUS PRICE TAG > WORLDCLASS TALENT so meaning that Arod isn't worth all the trouble even though he's a World Class Talent
Waaaaaaaaaay too much money!