The New York Yankees plan on challenging Alex Rodriguez's ability to collect bonuses in his contract, according to Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com.
Yankees will contest Alex Rodriguez’s contract bonuses, per report
More controversy is brewing between the Yankees and Alex Rodriguez.
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Rodriguez is eligible to receive bonuses per the “milestone home run” marketing agreement he signed as part of his contract in 2007. If the 39-year-old Rodriguez hits six more home runs, which would tie him with Willie Mays for fourth on the all-time list at 660, he is in line for a $6 million bonus as part of the 10-year, $275 million contract he initially signed.
Per Marchand, the Yankees plan on contesting the deal's validity given the revelations about Rodriguez's steroid use and his year-long suspension in 2014. The 20-year veteran would also receive $6 million apiece for tying the milestones reached by Babe Ruth (714 home runs), Hank Aaron (755), and career leader Barry Bonds (762), and for setting the all-time mark.
Rodriguez and the MLB Players Association will have the opportunity to file a grievance regarding the issue, which would then require a re-examination of all the details surrounding the third baseman’s involvement in the Biogenesis scandal. Obviously Biogenesis remains a thorny issue for MLB, and any decisions regarding steroid use and a player’s earning potential will get the MLBPA’s attention.
Ever since arriving in New York, Rodriguez has been a figure of controversy, most notably for his links to steroid use. Moreover, the Yankees’ hopes of claiming back some of the money they owe Rodriguez have been documented in the past.
Even still, the strength of the Yankees’ case remains hard to determine. Their argument likely rests on the notion that Rodriguez made the marketing agreement essentially worthless after using PEDs and with the way he acted during the investigations into Biogenesis. According to Marchand, Rodriguez was supposed to receive each $6 million bonus in return for the Yankees’ exclusive ability to market the third baseman’s accomplishments.
As it stands, the Yankees still owe Rodriguez $61 million over the next three seasons to finish off his contract.
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