Alex Rodriguez isn’t going to be handed a job.
Rodriguez’s season-long suspension ended in October. The New York Yankees owe him $61 million over the next three seasons. General manager Brian Cashman still is exploring third base alternatives, though, and A-Rod will need to earn his playing time in 2015.
“Alex is going to come in and compete — compete for at-bats, compete for a position,” Cashman told reporters Tuesday at the general managers meetings in Phoenix. “Simple as that.”
The Yankees are engaged in talks with free-agent third baseman Chase Headley, according to The New York Times. Headley, who was traded to the Yankees in the middle of the season, hit .262 with six homers, 17 RBIs and a .768 OPS in 58 games with the Bronx Bombers.
New York reportedly is exploring the trade market, too. This leaves Rodriguez’s future uncertain, especially since Cashman acknowledged Tuesday he has no idea what to expect from the 39-year-old slugger moving forward.
“If I signed or traded for a third baseman, then that would be my third baseman,” Cashman said Tuesday. “If we made a move for someone who is a third baseman, then he’s our third baseman.”
It sounds like A-Rod is going to have a hard time fitting in, perhaps even as a designated hitter.
Photo via Noah K. Murray/USA TODAY Sports Images
