A Rod or Not a Rod, That is the Question

As we know in NY, Alex Rodriguez has opted out of his contract with the New York Yankees, making himself a free agent,
out there for the highest bidder. There have been some rumors this week around the city as to whether or not the Mets should
sign him. There are some good reasons to sign him, but overall it is not a good idea.

He is the best player in baseball right now. In 2007 with the Yankees, he had a year for the ages, along the way becoming
the youngest player in the history of baseball to hit 500 HRs. With all of the struggles he has had in the playoffs, there is nobody
better in the league during the regular season. With the Mets now firmly entrenched in their private network, SNY, he could
be the face of the network going forward.

We all will also certainly come out to see him. No matter whether you love the guy are hate him, there is no question that
you are coming to see him. He is a crowd draw, and with a new stadium coming up in 2009, you need to be able to fill, and the
signing of Alex Rodriguez guarantees this.

There are a couple of scenarios where he would have a position to play on the Mets. One scenario would have David Wright
moving to first base, and slating Rodriguez in at 3rd base. Another one would be trading Jose Reyes as part of a package to
bring Johan Santana to the Mets, and then signing A-Rod to play short. Both have intriguing possibilities, but in the long run are a
bad idea.

David Wright to first base is interesting for a few reasons. First of all, David Wright’s arm does leave something to be desired.
His throws from third base are very inconsistent, and overall he is a mediocre defensive player so far for his career, flashes of greatness
but chased by errors.

Offensively, he would be an upgrade at first base from Carlos Delgado, whom from his season long slump appeared
to be on the downside of his career. Reyes for Santana would be interesting because the idea of acquiring the best pitcher in the game would
always be interesting. Where the Mets are lacking is in starting pitching, and Santana at the front of the rotation would take the pressure off
everyone else. Jose Reyes also showed a few bad habits towards the end of 2007, not running out ground balls to first on more than one occasion.

In the long run bringing in Alex Rodriguez is a bad play due to the amount of attention he draws to himself. He garners so much press for himself,
he will not only be the face of the Mets, he will be the Mets. The Mets are built around the team concept, and if Alex Rodriguez is on the team,
everything will revolve around him, and the kharma in the clubhouse would be irreparably damaged.

So Omar Minaya, if you read this, please don’t sign Alex Rodriguez. Short term will be great, long term, bad idea.