When the New York Yankees open spring training, they hope to find a happy infielder ready to deliver 15-20 home runs. That infielder? Alex Rodriguez.
But first, A-Rod and GM Brian Cashman have a few things to discuss. Talks this week set the stage for what the Yankees see as the final step in bringing Rodriguez back into the family.
Ponder for a second: Rodriguez will be paid $1 million for every home run he hits, if David Cone's projection is correct. And it seems likely A-Rod will be doing it as a designated hitter.
Call it "clearing the air," a term tossed around frequently this offseason regarding Rodriguez and his return to the good graces of the Yankees and Major League Baseball.
To recap: Rodriguez was suspended all last season for his involvement in the Biogenesis case involving performance-enhancing drugs. He has met with new commissioner Rob Manfred and will soon meet with Cashman.
Yankees pitchers are scheduled to report to Tampa on Feb. 20. The full squad is due Feb. 25. Might not be a bad idea for Rodriguez to show up early.
“There’s a lot that has transpired over the last couple of years. We want to make sure everyone is on the same page," manager Joe Girardi said this week. Alex is one of our players and our job is to get the best out of him. We will continue to support him.”
Cashman's take on meeting with A-Rod? “It cannot hurt,” he said on Friday. “There’s no reason not to.”
And yes, there is plenty to discuss. “We are all going to have to find our way through all that at some point,” Cashman said. “The only way to do that is to have a conversation.”
As the New York Post notes, the talks will include not only A-Rod's return but residual hard feelings from lawsuits he filed when suspended. Those suits, now dropped, involved the Yankees, MLB and team doctor Chris Ahmad. It lists six questions likely to get an airing.
Cone is something of an insider as a Yankees broadcaster, and he spoke of A-Rod while on New York radio station WFAN on Friday. Cone talked up Rodriguez as a positive person in the clubhouse. But he also acknowledged the 800-pound gorilla in the room
"As far as the external issues, the steroids issues, that's something that's not going away," Cone said. "Yeah it's going to be a distraction, but the Yankees are prepared for that."
And Cone is sure Rodriguez will be ready to hit the field. "I wouldn't put it past him ... If he can get three or four hundred at-bats and stay healthy, he's a 15-20 home run guy."
Enjoy those million-dollar homers.