Alex Rodriguez seems ticketed for full-time DH role with Yankees
The only thing certain about Alex Rodriguez’s future in baseball coming off his year-plus suspension for his connection to Biogenesis is that most people were going to root against him having a future in baseball.
Present and long-time employer included.
At the very least, the New York Yankees made it clear they have no intention to pay separate $6 million bonuses should he pass Willie Mays, Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds on the all-time home run list, a condition which was agreed to when he originally signed his 10-year, $272 million contract. And by re-signing Chase Headley to be their regular third baseman, they made it clear he’d have to earn every bit of the playing time needed to reach even one of those milestones, likely as a designated hitter.
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Well, guess what, sports fans. It would appear A-Rod is well on his way to doing just that. In fact, on Wednesday, general manager Brian Cashman acknowledged to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch that Rodriguez is making a strong push to be New York’s full-time DH come April.
“So far, I think he’s certainly taken a run at the full-time DH situation, for me,” Cashman said. “We’ll talk about all these things, but the way he’s looked so far down here, I would say he’s definitely pushing himself in the mix for full-time DH consideration.”
Those comments echoed the sentiments of manager Joe Girardi, who told the New York Daily News on Tuesday that A-Rod has looked comfortable swinging the bat.
“I definitely think he’s swung the bat pretty good,” Girardi said. “I just think his at-bats are more consistent; his timing is more consistent.”
Rodriguez, 39, strengthened his case on Wednesday by going 1-for-3 against the New York Mets. For the spring, he’s hitting .290 (9-for-31) with two homers, a double and three RBIs in 13 games. Not exactly scorching numbers, but certainly good considering the long layoff.
“He’s done well,” Cashman said. “I’m not looking at performance and statistics as much as just how he’s been swinging the bat. He’s got a lot of life in his body. If he continues to show athleticism, that means he’s going to impact the baseball. That will be good for us.”
Also in A-Rod’s favor, Girardi says he’s shown enough range in the field to consider using him at third base. An extensive role there seems like a long shot, but on the occasions when Headley needs a breather, there won’t be much hesitation to use Rodriguez. They’re also still looking at him as a potential first base fill-in for Mark Teixeira at first base. If he proves capable there, then A-Rod might be in the lineup as frequently as anyone else on the roster.
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With that said, these developments don’t necessarily answer our big picture questions concerning how much A-Rod has left in the tank. Three weeks in March are a lot different the six-month grind that lies ahead. Considering his age and the fact he’s had two hip surgeries in his career, staying healthy could be his biggest hurdle he’ll face this season. But if you’d told him those were going to be the circumstances even a month ago, we’re sure he would have gladly accepted the challenge.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
