Phillies Nation

ARod to the Phillies

Posted by Brian Michael, Mon, October 16, 2006 11:35 AM

Does anyone out there seriously believe this ARod to the Phillies hype?  I mean it has been profiled in the Philly papers, mentioned in the NY papers and tossed about by everyone else.  As much as I would love having a stud third baseman, I do not think Rodriguez is the answer.

First of all, this season has proven that ARod does not handle the media or fan pressure well.  Although there is no city in America with greater media scrutiny than New York, Philadelphia is not far behind.  Most likely he would be unloved by the fans and ridden hard by the media.  I feel bad for the guy, but it comes with the territory of being the most well-paid man in baseball - not to mention the fact that he has a personality that is only slighty warmer than Barry Bonds.  ARod exudes a holier-than-thou attitude that would not be appreciated in this city.  For instance, he extolled back in 2004, that he was a better player than most because while some players were driving their kids to school, he was working out in the gym - like the two are mutually exclusive.

Second, there are the trade rumors that surround ARod coming to Philly.  Most of them involve a straight-up deal, ARod for Pat Burrell.  One MLB executive said he has heard rumblings of the deal, but says he doesn’t think those rumors are coming from the Yankees or the Phillies.  "It could make sense," he says.  "A-Rod did well with Pat Gillick."  While on the surface this does make sense as both teams are looking to unload what they perceive as an overpaid, underperforming player, but the logistics just aren’t there.  Both players have no-trade clauses that would need to be waived.  I feel ARod’s ego is just too big for him to settle in Philly besides the fact that it would be an unhealthy match, especially in the clubhouse.  Pat Burrell has always maintained that he would only waive his for the Red Sox or Yankees; but last time I checked they were not in the market for a potential DH that strikes out too much or is a liability on defense.  The Yankees are in the market for a high-end pitcher, something the Phillies desperately need themselves.  Therefore any deal involving the two players would likely at least involve the Phillies coughing up a pitching prospect, if not *gasp* Cole Hamels.

Finally, despite the fact that Pat Gillick has worked with Rodriguez in the past, I do not think he is dumb enough to pull the trigger on this move.  Gillick has shown that he prefers a lean payroll, as well as one sans no-trade clauses.  In many ways, I see ARod as a Bobby Abreu-type player.  For the same reason the Phillies needed Abreu to move on, I feel ARod will not end up a Phillie.

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