Opinions

Alex Rodriguez’s playoff performance will not lead to a relocation

Alex Rodriguez, the often-criticized third baseman for the New York Yankees, just finished up another dazzling postseason campaign in which he hit .318, clubbed 3 home runs and accumulated 5 clutch RBIs.

Not really. That was back-up outfielder Raul Ibanez.

Rodriguez’s actual numbers look more like the interleague hitting stats of American League pitchers. In 25 at-bats, the veteran who will make $28 million in 2013 managed just three singles. He struck out an appalling 48 percent of the time and scored only once during the seven games he played.

Naturally, rumors about A-Rod’s future in New York immediately started swirling around the baseball community. Columnists began writing about where Rodriguez would fit best and what contributions he could make to a new team.

Even Yankees general manager Brian Cashman left the door open for a trade, as he told Ian O’Connor of ESPNNewYork 98.7 FM, “It’s not like I’m going to hang phones up on anybody who wants to make any overtures about anything.”

However, in the same interview, Cashman cleared up his stance on the possibility of trading A-Rod.

“You’re talking about realistic stuff and unrealistic stuff,” he said. “I don’t think it’s realistic at all for us to be moving forward with anything but Alex Rodriguez at third base.”

Yankees manager Joe Girardi echoed the same sentiment yesterday, as he stated that he expects Rodriguez to be New York’s every-day third baseman as long as he is “healthy and ready to go.”

The Yankees front office and management are taking the right approach with A-Rod, as he is still an above-average third baseman and a baseball icon. His tendency to choke in the postseason doesn’t help his cause, but he still hit a respectable .270  with 18 home runs in 2012 despite dealing with a fractured left hand toward the end of the season.

There is also a considerable drop-off in talent after Rodriguez on the New York depth chart. Sitting at second is 14-year veteran Eric Chavez, who is better known for his fielding than hitting and went 0-for-16 in the postseason. Behind him is Jayson Nix, a journeyman with a career .214 batting average.

The Yankees don’t have an immediate replacement in the minor leagues either, as Dante Bichette Jr., who hit .248 with just 3 home runs in 122 games at Single-A Charleston, is their top-rated prospect at third base.

Three years is a long time to wait between World Series titles if you’re a Yankees fan, but any thought of moving on without A-Rod from an organizational standpoint is just ridiculous. Those working at ESPNNewYork.com have overblown the media coverage of A-Rod’s slump and future as a Yankee, especially when there are so many other places to spread the blame for New York’s playoff elimination.

Take, for example, second baseman Robinson Cano, who went a pathetic 3-for-40 in October. What about starting pitcher C.C. Sabathia, who gave up 6 runs in 3.2 innings of work in Game 4 of the ALCS?

The Yankees failed as a team during their final four games of their season, and although A-Rod contributed a lot of those failures, he shouldn’t be playing baseball anywhere other than New York.

Jason Clark is a junior journalism major and the sports editor for the Daily 49er.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.

Daily 49er newsletter

Instagram