Brain Cashman, Meet Scott Boras.

Will A-rod opt-out?

NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez sidestepped whether he plans to opt out of
his record contract with the New York Yankees and become a free agent
following this season.

Will Alex Rodriguez opt out of his contract with the Yankees after
this season and become a free agent? Jerry Crasnick examines the
possibilities. Story

J.D. Drew, like A-Rod a client of agent Scott Boras, used an opt-out
clause to leave the Los Angeles Dodgers for a $70 million, five-year
contract with the Boston Red Sox.

During a promotional appearance Tuesday, Rodriguez was asked what he
thought about Drew's decision.

"I didn't follow the J.D. Drew situation," Rodriguez said. "My
situation and my only goal is to win a world championship, and I'm
going to take it day to day. And that's about it."

Rodriguez is owed a $23 million salary this year, including $1 million
deferred without interest until June 30, 2011, and then is due $24
million in each of the final three seasons of his record $252 million,
10-year contract.

Texas, which traded A-Rod to the Yankees after the 2003 season, is
partially funding the deal, paying the Yankees $7.1 million this year,
$8.1 million in 2008, $7.1 million in 2009 and $6.1 million in 2010.

"I think when you put things like that in the contract seven years
ago, the intent was that it would give the player a choice, knowing
full well the player may not use the provision, and also
understanding, too, it gives him an option to consider," Boras said in
a telephone interview. "At this point in time, Alex has certainly
reflected to me he's very happy in New York. We have not talked about
anything like that and probably will not until the season is
completed."

Boras left the impression that Rodriguez could get more than the $72
million he is owed in the final three seasons of his deal.

"There's a class of player that has not been fitted into this new
market," Boras said. "Obviously when Alex's contract was done, the
revenues of the game were around $3 billion. Now they are around $6
billion. The elite position player has not been really graded in this
new revenue stream we've seen."

Rodriguez has gone through turbulent times with the Yankees. While he
won the AL MVP award for the second time in 2005, he is 4-for-41 (.
098) without an RBI in his last 12 postseason games dating to 2004.

He was dropped to eighth in the batting order for the first time in a
decade as the Yankees were eliminated in Game 4 of the first round
against Detroit last season.

Rodriguez doesn't see a need to speak to manager Joe Torre about being
dropped that low.

"I'm an employee. If Joe says take out the garbage, I take out the
garbage," he said. "There's no attitude. That's just the bottom line.
I've very old school when it comes to that. And I've never been a
person that ever questions my authority. ... The first thing I've got
to look at in the mirror is me."

Rodriguez is pleased with the offseason moves made by general manager
Brian Cashman.

"I'm excited to play with Andy Pettitte and I'm also excited about
what Brian Cashman has done, kind of gotten us a little bit younger, a
little bit more athletic," Rodriguez said. "I'm also excited to see
some of these young pitchers. We haven't had this type of spring,
where we're actually curious about what these young pitchers are going
to be all about."

He cited the example of the Tigers, who won the AL pennant behind hard-
throwing pitchers Justin Verlander and Joel Zumaya.

"Without those two guys, they obviously don't get into the postseason
and almost win a World Series," Rodriguez said.

As he prepares for the start of spring training this month, his goal
is to get a World Series ring for the first time.

"My burden has always been the same since I was 18," he said. "The
only reason I play the game is to win a world championship. That
hasn't changed. From year to year it hasn't changed."

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

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