[Dork.]

Someone's gonna pony up the big bucks for him. Let's see if we can predict it now!

[Rumor]

I think I busted one of the in an old 350 once.

[loveanh]

Please not my beloved Red Sox, I take Mike Lowell over him any day.

[Shaddim]

BoSox

[MacosNerd]

I'm voting for the Mets, not that I think he should go, but rather they've been spending a boat load of money these past few years on trying to build a champion caliber team. They thought that had it last year until the historic collapse.

I don't think he's red sox material, especially since like a girly man he tried swatting the ball out in the 04 playoffs. I also think that Mike Lowell is a superior player because of his offense, defense and club house presence. He brings a lot to the table and I really hope the sox sign him.

Yankees are still a viable player though mini-me steinbrenner shooting his mouth off, makes it less and less likely.

Other then that all bets are off.

[Dork.]

The Mets have the money to sign A-Rod, but little else about the deal makes sense:

The Mets already have a pretty good Third Baseman, and their shortstop ain't so bad, either. The only place A-Rod could really play is first, and they'd have to move Delgado (and his big contract) to do that.

Also, although the Mets have been spending money, their payroll isn't nearly as high as the Red Sox or Yankees, and they do have a budget. Think of how much pitching $30M/yr can buy!

Finally, I think the Mets have identified one of their problems last year as a lack of chemistry. When A-Rod last flirted with the Mets, Steve Phillips (The Mets GM at the time) famously described him as a "24-and-1" player -- someone who won't play as a team with the other guys on the squad. I don't think that's changed at all.

I think either LA team or Chicago is the best fit for A-Rod, and now that Torre's with the Dodgers that may sway his thinking....

[MacosNerd]

Originally Posted by Dork. 

Also, although the Mets have been spending money, their payroll isn't nearly as high as the Red Sox or Yankees, and they do have a budget. Think of how much pitching $30M/yr can buy!

Finally, I think the Mets have identified one of their problems last year as a lack of chemistry.

You're right on both counts. While the mets have shown a desire to step up to the plate and spend what it takes, they're certainly not spending the amounts that both the yankees and sox have spent.

As for chemistry, that's a huge deal, just look at the yankees when they won the world series back in the 90s and when they haven't these last few years.

The difference was back then, they didn't have any all stars at least in the normal sense but they had great chemistry. Then as they retired/traded/went to free agency, the front office shopped around for super stars even if those folks were an awful presence in the club house. Sheffield comes quickly to mind. An incredibly talented ballplayer to be sure but an awful teammate.

[KeriVit]

I don't want him

[Scarpa]

Originally Posted by MacosNerd 

I also think that Mike Lowell is a superior player because of his offense, defense and club house presence.

LOL

I understand Red Sox fans don't like the guy, but that's going a bit too far.

FWIW I think he ends up on the West coast, somewhere in LA, specifically. And I also don't think he'll get more money than the Yankees were offering him.

As far as the chemistry agrument goes, that's a bunch of BS. You don't need to look any further past the pitching to see why the Yankees haven't had success recently. You think GMs really consider team chemistry when signing players? That they'll spend millions of dollars based on some psychobabble?

FWIW I'm an A's fan - I re read my post and I realized I was defending the Yankees. I never thought I'd see that!

[Ghoser777]

Cubs.

[TheMosco]

I don't see him going to Sox if we sign Lowell. I am not sure where we would put him unless we got rid of Lugo which would be expensive and pricey. Better chance if we don't sign Lowell, but not much better.

[Dork.]

I can't see A-Rod going to Boston after the stunt Boras pulled during Game 4 of the World Series. It's almost as if he did that on purpose to antagonize them.

And the problem with Chicago is that the Cubs need a new owner before they can buy A-Rod. (If Mark Cuban buys the Cubs, then A-Rod's chances of going there go up, IMHO.)

[Dork.]

oops, can't believe i left SF off the list. They've proven they'll spend for Boras's guys....

[Dork.]

And the winners are 64stang06 and KeriVit, who apparently didn't think that a piddly 20 million dollars (which is more or less what the Yankees lost when A-Rod opted out) would keep the Yankees and A-Rod apart for long. Yeah, they started talking a few weeks ago, but he finally signed today.

It was very entertaining to watch the Soap Opera unfold!

And does anyone else think it's not a coincidence that after announcing the opt-out in the most public way possible, this contract was finally announced on Mitchell Day, when it would be relegated to second billing amidst all the graphic stories of Roger Clemens taking steroid shots in the ass?

[64stang06]

Hehe, well if the Yankees can pay a contract to Clemens this past season that was absurd, I'm not surprised they would be willing to pay for Rodriguez again.

[rickey939]

Royals.

[imitchellg5]

He should have stayed with the Mariners, the jerk.