A-Rod on trade: He'd take one for the team - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

MFFL · 07-30-2003, 09:50 PM

Hicks says he has no interest in dealing star despite club's troubles
07/31/2003
By KEN DALEY / The Dallas Morning News

ARLINGTON – Shortstop Alex Rodriguez, whose $252 million contract is the richest in the history of American professional sports, said Wednesday he would not oppose a trade if Rangers owner Tom Hicks decided that would be the best way to restore the team to a championship level.

"If the Rangers found they could be better off without me – whether now or a year or two down the road – I'd be willing to sit down and talk," Mr. Rodriguez said. "I want what's best for Mr. Hicks."

But Mr. Hicks said he was "absolutely" satisfied with the value Rodriguez has delivered, even though the Rangers are 187-243 (.435) since the shortstop arrived in December 2000 and fighting to avoid their third consecutive last-place finish.

"This guy is an asset to our community and an asset to our team," Mr. Hicks said. "We have no interest in trading Alex Rodriguez. This guy is not our problem. He's our leader."

Mr. Hicks was adamant that there have been no "what-if" discussions regarding trading the seven-time All-Star, who turned 28 last Sunday with more home runs (322) than any player in history had by that age. In fact, Mr. Hicks said he and Mr. Rodriguez recently had a positive discussion about the player's future with the team and the direction of the organization's effort to rebuild around younger, less-expensive players.

"What he said to me was that he had absolutely no interest in being traded," Mr. Hicks said. "He doesn't ever want to be in a position to hurt the Texas Rangers if we wanted to go in a different direction, but he has no interest in being traded. He's committed to being a Ranger."

Mr. Rodriguez has trade-veto rights in his 10-year contract that runs through 2010 but also can unilaterally void the contract after the 2007 season. He can void the contract after the 2008 or 2009 seasons if the Rangers don't raise his salary to maintain its level as the highest in baseball.

Those "out" clauses were included to give Mr. Rodriguez relief if the Rangers were not a competitive team during his tenure in Arlington. And while Mr. Rodriguez admitted the losing is getting to him, he never asked to be traded.

"It's just something that, being my third year here, you want to see improvement," Mr. Rodriguez said. "I don't know if we have improved over three years. It may be a year or two down the road. And, obviously, I don't want to be the one that handicaps this team. I wouldn't want to be a liability to the Rangers.

"Losing is something you never want to get used to. At 28, I'm very young. I want to see improvement, and I'm not happy."

Drbio · 07-31-2003, 09:14 AM

Nice gesture, but this really is a non-story. Arod is going nowhere.

MFFL · 07-31-2003, 09:46 AM

I know its a non-story but I thought it would be funny to scare some of the posters

Drbio · 07-31-2003, 10:53 AM

Actually, it is a story in that it shows ARods unselfish willingness to a team that has been loyal to him. To that end I respect him even more.

FilthyFinMavs · 07-31-2003, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by: Drbio
Actually, it is a story in that it shows ARods unselfish willingness to a team that has been loyal to him. To that end I respect him even more.

In my eyes it looks as if he is trying to go to a better team because he has had it with the Rangers. I don't think you come out and make these statements out of the blue to the media.

Drbio · 07-31-2003, 02:02 PM

I didn't take it that way at all FFM. ARod has stated numerous times that he is committed to the Rangers. I think he realizes that the question would come up so he put that out there to make it a non-issue.

ames7 · 07-31-2003, 05:20 PM

The only thing I don't like is the rumor (or whatever you want to call it) that he & Ichiro have been talking & have speculated that they probably would have won 2 World Series by now if he'd stayed in Seattle. If it's true, then it feels kind of shady. Otherwise, this is just A-Rod being honest about how he feels. It's moot point anyway, there's no way he's going anywhere.

Drbio · 07-31-2003, 06:55 PM

I also thought he might be saying it to shame Raffy and Juan into waiving the no trade.....

MFFL · 07-31-2003, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by: Drbio
I also thought he might be saying it to shame Raffy and Juan into waiving the no trade.....

I wouldn't doubt it - A-Rod wants to win and those two will never help him win.

Drbio · 07-31-2003, 08:51 PM

I heard a rumor on talk radio (for what it's worth) that ARod told Hicks when they let Pudge go that they let teh wrong guy leave. I think ARod wanted to keep Pudge and let Raffy and Juan Gone hit the road.