For The Love Of Port

I'm still a bit surprised they took him back after he had tried to opt out. I can't imagine the Boss of old would have put up with that.

I think it's a pretty graphic example of the risks teams assume when they sign players to 10 year contracts and the players fail to maintain their level of performance by the half way mark. Oddly enough I see Alex Rodriguez staying put, because he has negotiated the right to refuse a trade, and I doubt if any other club would take on that kind of risk, unless the Yankees were prepared to honor a significant amount of the cost. It doesn't look as though Pujols is earning his big contract either, and the Cardinals are not suffering much by his absence.

Closer to home, the Vancouver Canucks are no strangers to the perils (or follies) of this kind of contract structure.

As a postscript, if my memory serves me correctly, Alex Rodriguez was given his 10 year contract after the 2007 season, for which he was the American League's MVP. Oddly enough, in 2006 he struggled in the playoffs, as did the Yankees, in losing to the Tigers. The player seems confident history will repeat itself.

What I also find disconcerting are the allegations this player was flirting with a spectator during one of the games.

While one can argue that the team failed to meet expectations, exceptions can be made for Derek Jeter, and certainly Raul Ibanez.