With the official announcement of the A-Rod to New York deal only hours away, Newsday continues to break stories around the deal, including the latest details concerning how the Red Sox made an 11th hour run at Rodriguez:
Multiple baseball sources said the Red Sox reached out to both the Texas Rangers and Rodriguez Saturday. In these discussions, the Red Sox offered to take Rodriguez and his bulky contract "as is" - a stunning reversal from their previous position. According to a source, a mutual friend of both Rodriguez and the Red Sox approached the All-Star on Boston's behalf. The acquaintance suggested that, unlike in the failed December negotiations, the team might be willing to take on Rodriguez's entire contract. In December, the Red Sox had insisted that Rodriguez take a pay cut.Saturday, Rodriguez enthusiastically told the go-between, "tell [Red Sox president] Larry Lucchino to - off!"
Ouch. This account basically confirms a lot of what Peter Gammons has been saying about Lucchino being the culprit for failing to close the deal to bring Rodriguez to Boston in the first place.
Elsewhere in Newsday, columnist Jon Heyman says it won't be all hugs and kisses between Rodriguez and Derek Jeter in that crowded Yankees infield:
Once they were such great chums that they had sleepover privileges in each other's apartment. But those days are a long-ago memory after a few skirmishes over women and Rodriguez's pointed quotes about Jeter's abilities built a wall between them. Jeter has many great qualities, but he doesn't forget easily.In recent years, there have been no play dates, only a couple of commercials and mostly chance meetings. There also have been a few long stretches when Rodriguez's calls to Jeter went unreturned, according to friends.
The shortstops who will headline the world's most famous infield for at least four years have a lot of catching up to do. Yet a common acquaintance said the pair had not spoken about the major changes in Rodriguez's life that, like it or not, will bring them closer. Physically, anyway.
Another common acquaintance predicted tension will be unavoidable. "Derek and Alex will not coexist peacefully," that ballplaying acquaintance said. "No way."
Anyone for The Bronx Zoo, Book II?
Hat tip to Bronx Banter on the Gammons link.
UPDATE: Selig has approved the trade.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Jack Curry of the New York Times says the A-Rod/Jeter friendship is solid again after an estrangement, though the most interesting tid bit came at the tail end of the piece:
When Michael Kay interviewed Jeter for YES recently, Jeter agreed to talk about Rodriguez's being traded to the Red Sox so they would have a canned answer in case the deal happened.
I'd love to see that clip.
If there was an 11th hour offer by the Red Sox, it almost certainly came from John Henry. Lucchino correctly recognized from the outset that this trade was not worth taking on the entire value of Rodriguez’s contract. Let’s not forget the contract is, in many respects, an above-market deal. The Rangers bid more than they had to to get Rodriguez, and the subsequent baseball value of the deal has declined for numerous reasons.