pblloyd's Blog

Alex Rodriguez has opted out of his remaining contract with the New York Yankees and has become a free agent, leaving behind a very questionable legacy and a very angry family of Steinbrenners, who said that he obviously doesn't want to play here and so it's goodbye.  The Yankees said that if A-Rod opts out, they will not pursue him in the free agent market.
A-Rod's career in New York was strange, to say the least.  I always questioned why he signed there in the first place, especially since he had to make a position move to 3rd base from his natural position of shortstop because Derek Jeter was firmly entrenched in the shortstop position.  Making the move from shortstop to 3rd was a move that Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr. did very well and with ease, but A-Rod looked lost at times playing a position he's unfamiliar with.  There were instances in which he looked as if he might be trying to avoid stepping on the toes of Jeter, who has a knack for making incredible plays in the infield.  At the plate, he was his usual brilliant self, but he faltered in the playoffs just like he's done his whole career.  Looking back on it, did he play in New York because he wanted to try and win a championship on "the best team that money could buy" or did he simply go for the money, the big lights, the glitz and the glamour?  Only A-Rod knows.
Now that he's no longer a Yankee, there will be much speculation on where he will end up next and, with the exception of the Yankees, Mariners, and Rangers, and possibly the Red Sox,  I don't know of any team who won't at least entertain the possibility of having him on their team.  And while I have no clue of any team who might be in the running, what I can do is at least look at the criteria of the team I think A-Rod needs to play for.
First, he needs to be interested in a team that has a void at the shortstop position.  I think it's time that A-Rod goes back to his natural position where he can be as productive defensively as he is offensively.  As I mentioned earlier, I don't think that 3rd base is the best position for him and it's time to go back to what you know best and that's playing shortstop.  Offensively, no team will have a problem putting him in their lineup as the #3 or clean-up hitter.
Second, I think he needs to look for a team that has a very strong manager who has a gift of motivating players to reach their maximum potential.  Because of A-Rod's struggles in the playoffs during his career, he needs a skipper who can help him become a major contributor in the playoffs and help him carry his regular-season productivity over to post-season play. 
Finally, A-Rod needs to decide the caliber of team and size of the city he wants to go to.  Does he want to go to a team that is on the verge of striking it rich in the playoffs and they need that one big bat or that one more great player, no matter what kind of "market" they're in?  Or does he want to stay in the big city, the big lights, the glitz, the glamour, and the big money?  If it were me, I have already had my taste of the big lights and big money and so I would want to go to a team that is on the verge of greatness that already has good players in place for a winning team, regardless of how big or small the market is.  Besides, everyone knows who A-Rod is, right?
And so the decision is his...does he want the big money and the larger-than-life status or does he want the ring?  This is going to be a very interesting off-season.