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Remaking history: Alex Rodriguez and the New York Yankees

Alex Rodriguez’ final game in Yankee pinstripes is tonight, and if there was ever any doubt if his playing days would end (at least temporarily) with controversy, well then you clearly have not been following ARod’s 22-year career.

A popular question this week has been: if you could go back to 2004 and have a do-over, would you?

Of course the ‘you’ in this scenario can be the Yankees organization, it can be ARod himself, or it can actually be you, the fan. Let’s take a look at it from each perspective:

The Yankees organization

In the winter between 2003 and 2004, the Yankees found themselves at a crossroads. Three-fifths of their starting rotation left; Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens to their hometown Astros and David Wells to the Padres. The team was coming off a disappointing World Series loss to the Marlins, although nobody seemed to care thanks to the emotional and remarkable fashion in which the championship series ended. If you ask most fans what they remember about 2003, they will tell you about Derek Jeter being named captain, Hideki Matsui’s rookie year, or the Aaron Boone walk-off.

Another development that winter was the arms race between the Yankees and Red Sox. If each game on the field was World War III, the off season was the Cold War.

Both teams were trying to woo Curt Schilling over the 2003 Thanksgiving holiday, but the future right-winged lunatic who bankrupted his video game company decided to go to Boston. In February of ’04, both Cashman and Theo Epstein were gunning for Cuban star pitcher Jose Contreras. Unlike the Shilling deal, the Yankees won that battle.

The score was 1-to-1.

Ten days after the Yankees signed Contreras, and after seeing the deal between ARod and Boston disintegrate in December, Cashman took Rangers’ owner Tom Hicks up on an offer he could not refuse – Alex Rodriguez would be a Yankee.

Checkmate, Yankees.

The organization felt good about themselves in the spring of 2004. There are famous stories about George Steinbrenner bombastically walking around then Legends Field, gloating to anybody who would listen about how the Yankees scored the best player in the game.

Statistically, ARod backed-up George’s expectations. Through his first 4 seasons in pinstripes, Alex hit 173 home runs, posted the second highest total WAR in MLB (30.8), and won two MVPs. But despite his contributions, the Yankees suffered an embarrassing collapse to the Red Sox and 3 first-round playoff exits in the years that followed.

That is where the Yankees relationship with Alex Rodriguez should have ended.

Instead of cutting their losses and moving in a new direction, the Steinbrenner’s (now Hank and Hal) negotiated directly with ARod on a new deal following the 2007 season that would pay him until he was 42 years old – which is precisely why we find ourselves in the current predicament.

Full disclosure, if ARod signed elsewhere for the 2008 season it jeopardizes – not eliminates – the 2009 championship. But, the team did only win one championship while ARod was under contracts, contracts that paid him somewhere north of $300M. Is that worth one World Series title? Probably not.

Had the Yankees moved on from ARod after 2007, they would’ve had ARod for 4 prime years and washed their hands of him prior to any PED-induced headaches. The organization would have been better off then and, most certainly, now.

Alex Rodriguez

ARod’s biggest flaw when he arrived in New York was that he wanted to be loved. With the exception of the 2015 summer, his personality came off as awkward and phony. In hindsight, the Yankees were not the right fit for ARod. He was the most talented player on the field but was never going to be the man he so desperately wanted to be as long as Derek Jeter was around. But let’s back up a bit…

As soon as Alex signed on the dotted line in Texas he became baseball’s public enemy number one. He was the game’s best all-around player (think, Mike Trout at shortstop) and bolted to a division rival for an ungodly sum of money. The $252M over 10-years he signed for in 2001 still ranks as the third largest contract in baseball history. (Giancarlo Stanton’s $325M contract is number one and ARod’s $275M deal with the Yankees is number two.)

After 3 seasons of posting MVP-level numbers for the basement-dwelling Rangers, ARod had had enough losing. As the story goes, he was so captivated by the Yankees-Red Sox ALCS that he asked to be traded in December of ’03. Boston was the obvious destination because they were looking to move on from Nomar Garciaparra, which meant shortstop at Fenway would be vacant. ARod so badly wanted to play for a contender that he was even willing to surrender some cash – $4M annually – and in exchange would be able to opt-out of his contract after 2005 instead of 2007 – which he obviously would have taken advantage of.

The deal was done. The infectious Kevin Millar was even quoted as saying they’ll (the Red Sox) take ARod over Nomar and Manny Ramirez, who also would have been shipped-out of Boston in the deal. Alas, the trade fell through because the player’s union would not allow one of their members to give up guaranteed money. So, as the calendar turned from 2003 to 2004, Alex Rodriguez was still a member of the Texas Rangers.

Fast forward two months and Alfonso Soriano was on a plane to Arlington and ARod was headed to the Bronx. There was just one catch: Derek Jeter.

In order for the super team to be assembled, ARod agreed to move to third base despite being the better shortstop by every statistical measure. He swallowed his pride for the betterment of the team and turned himself into an All Star third baseman in the blink of an eye. The Yankees, who also signed slugger Gary Sheffield that offseason, were now and embarrassment of offensive riches.

It didn’t work, however. The Yankees choked when it counted most and Alex Rodriguez shouldered most of the blame. Despite having a tremendous ALDS in 2004 and a very solid ALCS that included a 2-run home run to give the Yankees an early lead in game 4 – a lead they would not hold – ARod was labeled a postseason failure.

Instead of going through all that angst, Alex should have remained in Texas for the 2004 season. The Red Sox, who again would have been in need of a shortstop in 2005 because their relationship with Orlando Cabrera deteriorated thanks to some rumors involving his wife and Manny Ramirez, would have successfully traded for ARod a year after they first tried. Would that marriage have ended happily ever after? Probably not. But the Green Monster would have been much more kind to Alex than Death Valley was, and he would be ending his career in arms-reach of Barry Bonds’ home run record, not annoyingly 4 homers short of 700.

The fans

The 13 years with Alex Rodriguez have been a roller coaster of emotions, punctuated with the highest of highs: ARod’s introductory press conference, October of 2009, and his 2015 rebirth; and the lowest of lows: postseason letdowns, PED scandals, and off-field shenanigans.

We expected the world from ARod when he arrived in New York. He had the largest salary and stats to match. He was the reigning league MVP, which the Yankees had not had since Don Mattingly in 1985.

We booed him when he deserved it, and even when he didn’t. We cheered him when he came through, which was more than revisionist history will depict.

For everything that happened, and whether you are an ARod fan or not, there is no doubt it has been an entertaining 13 years. Who knows how 2004 would have turned out had the Yankees not traded for Alex, or if the Red Sox had. It’s likely the Yankees would have suffered through a revolving door at third base throughout the 2000’s, but it is also possible they would have obtained another third baseman who went on to put up hall of fame numbers (Adrian Beltre).

With everything I know, I’m still making the trade, but it’s not an easy decision. ARod provided endless entertainment, content, joy and aggravation over the past 13 years, and I will never forget him for that.