The A-Rod saga

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Yankees GM Brian Cashman said the team can't afford Alex Rodriguez without the $30,304,500 it is getting from Texas, a subsidy over the next three years that goes away if A-Rod opts out. I find that incredulous, which is why I said this to Cashman: "I'm assuming that Alex is going to be employed somewhere next year. So if he does opt out, you're telling me the Yankees can't afford Alex as a true free agent, but another franchise can?"

"Uh, well, yes," Cashman said.

I mean, where is the franchise that can afford a player the Yankees can't? Microsoft? I understand it's part of a negotiating game to keep Alex and the Texas money. But to borrow from former umpire Durwood Merrill, Scott Boras didn't just fall off the back of a turnip truck.

Let me get this straight: The Yankees want the most aggressive agent in the business to swear off the last shot at free agency for the most valuable commodity in baseball at a time when a $6 billion industry is flush with gobs of cash? And we're to believe that $30 million --- which is $3.75 million per year, assuming a five-year extension or eight-year deal -- suddenly is prohibitive to the Yankees? The only way Boras doesn't put his client on the market is if the Yankees throw some really stupid money at A-Rod, the kind of money no other franchise can dish out.

Line Drives

The Americanization of Daisuke Matsuzaka continues. Matsuzaka now frequently ices his elbow and shoulder, even after throwing side sessions. "I do this much more now than before [in Japan],'' he said. Pitching coach John Farrell said the Red Sox have not suggested to Matsuzaka that he ice down, but he merely decided to adopt the common practice of his teammates... When Curt Schilling joined the Red Sox in 2004 he said the electricity at Fenway Park suited his Type-A personality. Consider it a spot-on call. Schilling is 27-6 in 49 starts with Boston at Fenway, including the postseason. Still, with little life on his fastball these days, he's looking like the Sox's No. 3 starter this time around... Earl Webb's doubles record of 67 looks safe for a 76th season. Magglio Ordonez, who had 34 doubles on June 19, has hit only seven since... Nice job by the Cubs to get Carlos Zambrano at near-Barry Zito money for fewer years. That follows a below-market signing of Aramis Ramirez, picking a plum free-agent pitcher in Ted Lilly and winning the bid for Alfonso Soriano. "Watch out for the Cubs," said one GM. "They're the most dangerous playoff team in the National League." ... Detroit's Cameron Maybin looks like the seventh impact hitter out of the 2005 draft already, following Justin Upton, Alex Gordon, Ryan Zimmerman, Ryan Braun, Troy Tulowitzki and Travis Buck. Don't look for this year's draft, which was heavy on pitching, to be nearly that productive. "There were two hitters in the whole draft: [Mike] Moustakas [picked by Kansas City] and [Josh] Vitters [by the Cubs],'' said one NL GM. "[Orioles pick Matt] Wieters is not much more than a six hitter in the big leagues." ... Don't be shocked to see Detroit jump into the A-Rod sweepstakes this winter. Said one scout, before the Tigers blew up Bud Selig's slotting season with $7.3 million for high school pitcher Rick Porcello, "[Owner] Mike Ilitch has let his people know money is not an issue these days." ... The Yankees' bullpen blew a game against the Angels on Monday night without using the best arm on the staff, Chamberlain. Why? Due to Cashman's "instructions" on the rookie, Chamberlain is not allowed to pitch consecutive days -- even though he threw just nine pitches the previous day. Nine! Protecting young pitchers is a fine philosophy, but holding to such hard and fast rules is madness.