Rooting for a player to get injured is always a classy way to go. Cheers!
Now, now - I wasn’t rooting for A-Rod to get injured. Just pointing out the risk of any long term contract. Trust me, when I am rooting for A-Rod to get injured, I use much more colorful language.
Just remember one more thing. $27.5 million won’t look as bad in 10 years as it does right now.
But your assessment looks about right to me with production.
Might not be classy, but sure is common enough. I will admit to having similar thoughts about TO. TO might be a special case however, he has a king size ego, he disrespects the game and the coaches too often and he played for the two teams I root against the most Eagles then Cowboys.
I don’t get why if no one else was offering more than five years, why the Yanks would go ten? Why not seven?
Maybe to make sure he’s theirs during the run for Bonds’s home run record?
Both what *cmkeller ** said and to get the deal done. As it is, Pettitte status will probably be on hold until after Christmas or New Years. If they get A-Rod, Rivera and Molina done, they are down to looking for bullpen and they have saved their bullets for a possible Santana trade. It also put them in better position to move Damon or Giambi if anyone seriously wants them. I understand teams are calling about Damon and Farnsworth. I am just wishing someone would call about Jason.
Of course teams are calling about all 3 young stud pitchers and Melky, but these 4 seem to be on hold for a Santana level trade.
Jim
*Top Prospects
You mean right now? Can the zombified head of Teddy Ballgame still play ball? 
Maybe, but since this would put A-Rod at about 33% more than the next highest paid player now, the rest of the league has a ways to go to catch up, even over 10 years. But it isn’t my money - or even anyone I care about’s money. Nice to see that George’s boys are as open with the checkbook as he was.
But yeah, I don’t see this as being a Giambi-like fiasco, more like “we’re paying Bernie Williams how much to DH?” kind of pain for a year or two.
Yup - but only as a DH. He has no range whatsoever in the outfield anymore.
I think we are basically on the same page here. The deal is too long, but lets say after year 8 he is at 750 Homers. How much would he get for that next 2 year contract if he was a free agent?
Jim
Assuming Bonds maxes out at around 800, A-rod, if he earns his new contract 
, should get there in seven years max, if he avearges “only” 40 HR per.
Well, to go with the only known comp - the Giants paid Bonds $15.5 this year to provide that very service.
Not gonna happen.
Teams usually take out insurance policies to cover salaries such as this. The Orioles were darn glad they did it when Albert Belle ended up collecting paychecks while sitting on a couch at home for the final three years of his contract. No doubt the Yankees will do the same.
Zev Steinhardt
My personal take on this is that everyone looks good but Boras.
The Yankees are good because while they did say that they wouldn’t persue A-Rod, they also gave a reason – because they’d be losing the $21 million that they get from the Rangers. But if A-Rod is willing to take the $21 million loss himself, then there is no reason for the Yankees to not deal with him.
A-Rod looks good because he looks like a guy who realizes he made a mistake and wants to try to make good and is willing to take a big financial hit ($21 million is a lot of money - no matter how rich you are) to make it right.
The Rangers look good because they save about $12 million. (They now have to pay A-Rod the $9 million opt-out clause).
The only one who looks bad is Boras. This is for two reasons:
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It looks like A-Rod overruled him and ordered him back to the table with the Yankees.
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Boras publicly stated that with Torre, Posada, Rivera and Pettitte in question, A-Rod didn’t know what direction the team was going in. Well, we now know that to be just a self-serving lie – Torre is gone, and Rivera and Pettitte are still questions and yet, here’s Alex saying “I want to be a Yankee for the next decade.”
Zev Steinhardt
Yes, but thanks to Albert Belle and others like him, insurance companies now often limit the amount of a contract they will cover and the rates have skyrocketed. I believe that most companies are very reluctant to insure a contract longer than three years. I seem to recall there was a guess that insuring Clemens this year was going to cost about $2 million.
So, while it is doubtful the Yanks would be out the full amount, you would also have to factor in a huge insurance premium as part of the cost of this contract.
I also have to wonder where exactly the $21 million comes from A-Rod. Does it take a $300 deal down to $280, or $280 down to $260?
Actually the big story is that Bonds was indicted on perjury & obstruction charges.
It looks like 762 Homers will be the mark. But you are right about the average, he should get there in only 6 or 7, but an injury in that times frame could push it out. Overall 10 years is too much, but it got the deal done.
Well with 10 years inflation it might not be too bad. But yeah, the last two years will be a lot of bad money.
As WreckingCrew pointed out insurance companies have become really gun shy about long term contracts. They will generally cover only 3 years now and then the premiums jump up really high. Additionally, even if insurance kicked in, you still pay the luxury tax on the player and the Yankees being the Yankees will still be out that money.
Jim