[nfbwatlk] Mariners analysis: What would it take?

[Mike Freeman]

Mariners analysis: What would it take?

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/baseball/288102_mari10.html

Mariners analysis: What would it take?

Mariners could bring back A-Rod for as little as $2.4 million, and Beltre

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

By JOHN HICKEY
P-I REPORTER

There was a time, as recently as 2000, when it seemed Alex Rodriguez might 
never play baseball except as a Seattle Mariner.

There was a time, as recently as this season, when it seemed A-Rod would 
never play baseball in Seattle again except as a visitor.

Things change. And, yes, there is at least a chance Rodriguez could be a 
Mariner again.

In New York the story is the Yankees are thinking they'd be better off 
without Rodriguez, who hit 35 homers, averaged .290 and had an off year in 
RBIs this
season. It seems he's responsible for the Yankees not hitting a lick in the 
final three games of the American League Division Series loss to Detroit.

Maybe, the story goes, Joe Torre is out as manager, Lou Piniella is on the 
way in and Rodriguez played his best for Piniella. It may be a long shot, of
course, because the Yankees owe Torre $7 million for next year, and not even 
George Steinbrenner can count $7 large as chump change.

Mind you, Piniella has said any number of times he'd never manage for 
Steinbrenner again, having served as general manager under him back in the 
dark ages
in New York.

And, of course, Rodriguez's best years didn't come under Piniella. They came 
in Texas under Buck Showalter, who is looking for employment even as we 
speak.

But, hey, they're booing A-Rod from the stands at Yankee Stadium and from 
the newsstands of the New York dailies. So talk that Rodriguez is outta 
there
is rampant, never mind that he has a no-trade clause in his contract.

We know Rodriguez has the priciest contract in baseball history. But we're 
here to tell you the Mariners could land Rodriguez for the 2007 season with 
an
expenditure of only an extra $2.4 million.

How do we figure that? Follow the bouncing ball, or the bouncing A-Rod throw 
from third base, if you will.

Rodriguez is due to make $25.2 million in 2007. Ouch.

But the Texas Rangers, who signed Rodriguez to the most monstrous of deals 
after the 2000 season, will pay $9 million of that just for the pleasure of 
having
Rodriguez play someplace else.

The Mariners are currently down to pay their third baseman, Adrian Beltre, 
$11.5 million. Actually, the figure will be a little higher, because Beltre 
has
some of his $7 million signing bonus added into the package.

So take $25.2 million, subtract $9 million to get to $16.2 million owed to 
Rodriguez. Subtract again the $11.5 million Seattle is scheduled to pay 
Beltre,
and the difference is $4.7 million.

If the Rangers were willing to pay $9 million to dump Rodriguez's contract, 
the Yankees might be willing to cough up a few bucks to do the same. If you
halve the difference, the extra due to land Rodriguez in a one-for-one trade 
for Beltre is less than $2.4 million.

That, of course, doesn't address the question if the Mariners would want 
Rodriguez, he of the 464 homers at the age of 31. Barry Bonds may not get to 
Hank
Aaron's home run record, but there's at least an outside shot Rodriguez, who 
is in great physical shape and who might be able to play another 10 seasons,
could get there.

Mariners insiders said Monday there is no lingering animosity that would 
preclude at least listening to a potential Rodriguez trade offer. That's not 
to
say they'd do the deal, but they wouldn't reject it out of hand. Beyond 
that, tampering rules prohibit the Mariners from talking specifics about a 
player
under contract to another team.

Beltre does have several things going for him. For one, he's four years 
younger than Rodriguez. For another, he doesn't have the same kind of 
baggage that
Rodriguez does.

Anybody who makes the kind of money Rodriguez does is bound to hear it when 
he doesn't produce, though it's hard to think of 121 RBIs as being 
unproductive.

Beltre is a better defensive player, and if the second half of the season is 
any indication, he may be coming into his own. If baseball teaches us 
anything,
it's that hitters have their most productive years between the ages of 27 
and 30 or 31.

Beltre is getting there. Rodriguez has already been there.

Is it worth the Mariners pursuing Rodriguez? Maybe. It will be interesting 
to see it all unfold.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

P-I reporter John Hickey can be reached at 206-448-8004 or 
johnhickey at seattlepi.com.

© 1998-2006 Seattle Post-Intelligencer 
-------------- next part --------------
Mariners analysis: What would it take?
 
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/baseball/288102_mari10.html http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/baseball/288102_mari10.html
 
Mariners analysis: What would it take?
 
Mariners could bring back A-Rod for as little as $2.4 million, and Beltre
 
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
 
By JOHN HICKEY
P-I REPORTER
 
There was a time, as recently as 2000, when it seemed Alex Rodriguez might never play baseball except as a Seattle Mariner.
 
There was a time, as recently as this season, when it seemed A-Rod would never play baseball in Seattle again except as a visitor.
 
Things change. And, yes, there is at least a chance Rodriguez could be a Mariner again.
 
In New York the story is the Yankees are thinking they'd be better off without Rodriguez, who hit 35 homers, averaged .290 and had an off year in RBIs this
season. It seems he's responsible for the Yankees not hitting a lick in the final three games of the American League Division Series loss to Detroit.
 
Maybe, the story goes, Joe Torre is out as manager, Lou Piniella is on the way in and Rodriguez played his best for Piniella. It may be a long shot, of
course, because the Yankees owe Torre $7 million for next year, and not even George Steinbrenner can count $7 large as chump change.
 
Mind you, Piniella has said any number of times he'd never manage for Steinbrenner again, having served as general manager under him back in the dark ages
in New York.
 
And, of course, Rodriguez's best years didn't come under Piniella. They came in Texas under Buck Showalter, who is looking for employment even as we speak.
 
But, hey, they're booing A-Rod from the stands at Yankee Stadium and from the newsstands of the New York dailies. So talk that Rodriguez is outta there
is rampant, never mind that he has a no-trade clause in his contract.
 
We know Rodriguez has the priciest contract in baseball history. But we're here to tell you the Mariners could land Rodriguez for the 2007 season with an
expenditure of only an extra $2.4 million.
 
How do we figure that? Follow the bouncing ball, or the bouncing A-Rod throw from third base, if you will.
 
Rodriguez is due to make $25.2 million in 2007. Ouch.
 
But the Texas Rangers, who signed Rodriguez to the most monstrous of deals after the 2000 season, will pay $9 million of that just for the pleasure of having
Rodriguez play someplace else.
 
The Mariners are currently down to pay their third baseman, Adrian Beltre, $11.5 million. Actually, the figure will be a little higher, because Beltre has
some of his $7 million signing bonus added into the package.
 
So take $25.2 million, subtract $9 million to get to $16.2 million owed to Rodriguez. Subtract again the $11.5 million Seattle is scheduled to pay Beltre,
and the difference is $4.7 million.
 
If the Rangers were willing to pay $9 million to dump Rodriguez's contract, the Yankees might be willing to cough up a few bucks to do the same. If you
halve the difference, the extra due to land Rodriguez in a one-for-one trade for Beltre is less than $2.4 million.
 
That, of course, doesn't address the question if the Mariners would want Rodriguez, he of the 464 homers at the age of 31. Barry Bonds may not get to Hank
Aaron's home run record, but there's at least an outside shot Rodriguez, who is in great physical shape and who might be able to play another 10 seasons,
could get there.
 
Mariners insiders said Monday there is no lingering animosity that would preclude at least listening to a potential Rodriguez trade offer. That's not to
say they'd do the deal, but they wouldn't reject it out of hand. Beyond that, tampering rules prohibit the Mariners from talking specifics about a player
under contract to another team.
 
Beltre does have several things going for him. For one, he's four years younger than Rodriguez. For another, he doesn't have the same kind of baggage that
Rodriguez does.
 
Anybody who makes the kind of money Rodriguez does is bound to hear it when he doesn't produce, though it's hard to think of 121 RBIs as being unproductive.
 
Beltre is a better defensive player, and if the second half of the season is any indication, he may be coming into his own. If baseball teaches us anything,
it's that hitters have their most productive years between the ages of 27 and 30 or 31.
 
Beltre is getting there. Rodriguez has already been there.
 
Is it worth the Mariners pursuing Rodriguez? Maybe. It will be interesting to see it all unfold.
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
P-I reporter John Hickey can be reached at 206-448-8004 or mailto:johnhickey at seattlepi.com johnhickey at seattlepi.com
.
 
© 1998-2006 Seattle Post-Intelligencer