1 Thanks for asking, it made me realize I'd botched the press release link. Yes, minimum salaries go up like this:

Major Leagues: $380,000 in 2007, $390,000 in 2008 and $400,000 in 2009.
Minor Leagues: $60,000 in 2007, $62,500 in 2008, $65,000 in 2009

The owners and players could almost screw up a billion dollar business (1994), but no way would they risk screwing up a five billion dollar business.

Kudos to Bud and Don for getting it right this time. But I still hold Bud (and Mike Port) accountable for the crappy strikezone so evident throughout the postseason, and the Rogers incident too.

Now that it's quite obvious the game is doing well financially, it'd be good if Bud and Co. went to work on improving the quality of the game.

This article makes an important point for the Yankees beyond what Cliff said. They will continue to pay a luxury tax of 40% of all salary over the threshold; however, that threshold will rise each year.

"Brian Cashman and I had a discussion and he made it clear that he has no intention of trading Alex," Boras told the Daily News, "and I told him that Alex Rodriguez has a no-trade clause.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2637909

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What else is Boras supposed to say? "Glad you asked, Alex hates everybody booing him, he felt hitting eighth was a slap in the face and he wants out of there as quickly as possible."

Of course not. Rodriguez had a marketing image to protect and admitting he wants out of New York would be akin to stamping "I can't take pressure" on his forehead.

So Boras will keep saying the right thing right up until a deal is presented to him. Then you make the seamless transition to, "Anaheim in many ways will be even more of a challenge than New York and Alex loves a challenge."
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In any case, if the Yankees do trade Alex, I can't see them trading him within the AL. They will send his butt to the NL.

Since it's all pure speculation, I'd expect Abraham to take the position that gives him more columns. Cynical of me? Maybe, though no more so than Abraham.

Then he was asked if he believes there is anything more he can do to show support for Rodriguez, referring to some degree of public perception that he had not been vocal enough in support of the superstar third baseman.

"What would you like me to do?" Jeter asked. "You're there, everyone supports all your teammates all the time. I don't know if there's anything else I can do. I'm not that smart."

Jeter also said that the media is not around the clubhouse long enough to be privy to conversations among players that are meant to be private, intimating that he has made efforts to reach out to Rodriguez.

http://tinyurl.com/ycrxbd

And frankly...nothing Cashman says will convince me, one way or the other. He's positioning himself for negotiations, as he has before. File this with "Bubba Crosby is our centerfielder" and his claims (twice) that they weren't making any trades (shortly before trading for Abreu, then again before trading for Wilson).

Does this mean I think A-Rod will be traded? Not necessarily. Depends on what's offered for him. We aren't giving him away for a bag of baseballs. But is he on the block? Hell, yes.

http://tinyurl.com/voegb

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New York Yankees slugger Gary Sheffield, informed Wednesday that the Yankees will pick up his $13 million option in 2007, was angry by the decision, hoping instead the Yankees would let him go.

""This will not work, this will not work at all," Sheffield told USA TODAY. "I don't want to play first base a year for them. I will not do that."

Sheffield, who heard that the Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Angels were interested him, said he was hoping to test the free-agent market and receive another three-year contract.

"I don't know what they're [Yankees] going to do," Sheffield said. "Maybe they picked it up just to trade me. If they do that, if I just to a team for one year, there's going to be a problem.

"A big problem.

"I will not do this."

===

Oh God!

Re: "Brian Cashman and I had a discussion and he made it clear that he has no intention of trading Alex," Boras told the Daily News, "and I told him that Alex Rodriguez has a no-trade clause.

First, the conversation didn't happen that way, not even close. Scott Boras is an advocate of a client and position, that's it. Brian Cashman knows who has a no-trade clause, and Boras knows that. He didn't tell Cashman that Arod has a no-trade clause, that was meant for the media and fans, in an effort to provide the perception that he and his client are in equal bargaining position with the Yankees. In other words Boras is saying that Cashman doesn't intend to trade Alex, but if he does, he better rememember that we have the power to veto it. It's quite simple really, but fools almost everyone.

Look, Boras and Alex have no power here, no bargaining power or otherwise, and Boras knows that. He also knows that his power is diminished greatly because he is dealing with the Yankees, not a team whose absorbtion of 16 Mil. for a player not on the field would be a huge blow to the team. The only obligation the Yankees have to Alex is to pay him, that's it, and Boras knows he is in a much more tenuous position than are the Yankees. The Yankees could send Alex home right now and send him his check for the next 3 years, foreclosing statistical accumulation, Alex's ability to benefit from endorsements, and to raise or lower his stock once his contract expires. The Yankees could easily absorb the salary with little or no effect on the team.

The tone of the cited quotes from Boras, Alex and others tells me a trade is going to happen. To think like Boras is to think like a lawyer, which I unfortunately am, and I smell trouble a' brewin. If Boras continues to assert that he and his client have more power than they actually have in private off the record discussions with the Yankees, Alex will be the one who gets hurt in all this, not Boras, and not the New York Yankees. He's a puffer fish. He took a deep breath, puffed his body to nearly 3 times its size, but he's still a little fish, and the shark that is the Yankees can still swallow him and his client without chewing.

Sports agents do three things well: serve their own interest; take advantage of slow-witted GM's and sports "journalists;" arrange prostitutes for clients, potential clients, and their friends, but not much else.

In any case, what exactly can Jeter say to make Rodriguez perform better? He certainly isn't as good as a player as Rodriguez so what is there to say? Also, it seems pretty obvious that Derek doesn't like Rodriguez so if he pretends to be his friend as so many people want doesn't that make him, "D-Fraud?" If Derek did decide to fake a friendship and have a therapy session with Rodriguez and there isn't this "whatever is expected breakthrough," what then?

I don't even understand what is supposedly wrong with Alex Rodriguez. He won the MVP last season and had a good season. Yes, he struggled in the playoffs, but so did just about every other Yankee. What exactly is wrong with Alex?

Arrggh, ESPN has a segment coming up on "A-Rod's future." When will this BS end? Between the media and fan obsession with Rodriguez and T.O., I feel like I'm losing my mind as a sports fan. My two teams constantly being picked at by people with annoying agendas.

At least, Derek looks hot in his blue striped suit being interviewed on ESPN.

"What would you like me to do?" Jeter asked. "You're there, everyone supports all your teammates all the time. I don't know if there's anything else I can do. I'm not that smart."

22 Maybe we can trade A-Rod for TO. :-P

But with Bledsoe benched today in favor of Romo, the press should have something else to talk about.

He talks as if he has a choice. At some point all these clowns forgot that they are employees, not business owners. If they want to trade him, that's Sheff's problem, and there are no other "problems" he can create without repercussions to him, and no one else, and there is nothing he can do about it.

If he refuses to play first, he gets suspended without pay and loses at arbitration. Sorry bud, you have no right a particular position or spot in the order. The collective bargaining agreement and precedent are very very clear on that kiddo.

His use of "they" and "they're" instead of we and us, says everything anyone needs to know about Gary Sheffield. In the back of my mind I have to believe Torre was half hoping he would be fired, simply to avoid all this.

"LOL! You certainly have a colorful turn of phrase. A puffer fish? Er, aren't they poisonous?"

Exactly!

I thought they'd let him walk, myself. I really don't want to see him at 1B next season. And apparently, he doesn't want to be there, despite what he said earlier.

Talk about damning with faint--or no-praise.

I don't much care about Jeter's feelings about Arod but I just thought this was funny.

Asked if he thinks Rodriguez will be back, Jeter doesn't talk about the man's numbers or his value to the team, but basically says, "Well, we're stuck with him," referring to the team's legal obligation to the man.

Funny, no?

"They don't give a trophy saying: 'Well, you know, you thought you had the best team, so you win,'" Jeter said. "It doesn't make a difference what you think about your team. The bottom line is who performs."

He is so unremittingly competetive I'm actually concerned for him a little.

What will he do after baseball?

I wonder if he loves the game per se or just the competition it affords.

I can't think of any other explanation.

He's history.

http://tinyurl.com/vp422

To me it would have been nice to see a little public support for Alex from the captain....he doesn't have to "coddle" him but again something along the lines of he's a good (haha he doesn't have to say "great") player blah blah blah. Jeter isn't above telling untruths to the media...I don't detect any tension. Really I can tell there's some there and I'm a 1,000 miles away! Heck Ozzie Guillen has shown more support for Alex and we know they don't always get along!

It just amazes me how someone who take steriods etc... gets more support than someone who simply struggled. By both his teammates and the media....Publicly its more accepted to cheat (and win) than have a bad year (and not win).

So what do you think is worse for Alex being constantly compared to T.O or being booed by the fans LOL. There was talk about how Pudge is 0-23 in his last 23 at bats and no one is booing him, dragging him through the mud on ESPN, demanding that he be traded. If you're Alex do you say maybe I am better off somewhere else? Or are you thinking I'll get back on track and show them all (I hear he has a little bit of stubborn streak LOL).

Simone- do you really think that the Yankee Fans are coddling Alex? If so I would hate to see how they react when they are disappointed LOL

Stormer Sport- I don't dobut that Boras 'reminded' Cashman that Alex has a no trade clause when they spoke, especially if
some possible teams were mentioned :)