When it comes to the fate of the slumping Alex Rodriguez in New York, the Yankees may be delaying the inevitable.
The departure of Carlos Beltran to the Texas Rangers on Monday afternoon now leaves the designated hitter slot vacant in New York’s lineup, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that the 41-year-old Rodriguez will assume the role until his contract expires.
According to Peter Botte and Christian Red of the New York Daily News, a source familiar with the situation believes that the Yankees could release Rodriguez before the season’s end, capping off what has become an unorthodox rebuild of New York’s roster.
“I hope not,” Rodriguez said about a potential release. “I want to play and think I can make a difference on the field and in the clubhouse.”
Last Monday, a source told the Daily News that there was “almost no chance” that Rodriguez would be cut this season or next, and that owner Hal Steinbrenner had a brief, but productive conversation with A-Rod at Yankee Stadium.
Despite ownership stating that the status of Rodriguez hasn’t formally been discussed behind closed doors, the latest report suggests that the notion of parting ways with A-Rod has crossed management’s mind considerably.
“A-Rod is a choice for our manager and coaching staff as they try to dissect every day what’s the best lineup to put out there,” general manager Brian Cashman told the Daily News. “He’s going to do everything he continues to do to try to put himself in a position to succeed and then leave the decision making to the field staff if there’s opportunities to play or not.
But the opportunities haven’t come. In the month of July, Rodriguez hit .135 with only 42 plate appearances, starting in just nine games. Yankees manager Joe Girardi has admitted that he needs to find at-bats for Rodriguez in certain situations, but even that idea is half-baked, as A-Rod was quickly replaced by rookie Ben Gamel as a pinch-hitter in the 10th inning against the Mets on Monday night in Queens.
The lack of trust and dependency for Rodriguez is all too apparent in the Yankees’ clubhouse, and the motivation to keep him on the active roster may only be due to his chase for career home run No. 700.
Rodriguez is due $21 million at the end of the season, with another $21 million owed in 2017.
