A-Rod

Like him or not, Alex Rodriguez is currently the greatest offensive force in baseball. It is still only April but the numbers Rodriguez is posting -- .400 BA, 14 HR, 34 RBI -- are historic. A certain Hall-of-Famer, even if he stopped playing today, Rodriguez is trying to reclaim his position as the most feared offensive player in the game as well as the popularity he enjoyed in his early days in Seattle and Texas. Offensively he has always been a force (career numbers: .306 BA, 478 HR, 1381 RBI, 2091 hits in 1764 games) but since being traded to the Yankees on Valentine's Day in 2004 he has gotten the reputation as a player who can't come through when it counts. The switch to pinstripes also has turned A-Rod's public image from golden boy to hired mercenary, an image that began when he left the Mariners for the 10 year/$252 million dollar contract that owner Tom Hicks gave him to play for the Rangers after the 2000 season. His stay in New York has been cluttered with gossip of a feud with Derek Jeter, lack of support from the New York fans and the assertion that he is more concerned with numbers than winning. Now being a Red Sox fan, the struggles of Alex Rodriguez have not caused me to shed any tears. He plays for the enemy of all enemies and he did so only after a failed attempt by the Sox to bring him to Boston. A fight with Jason Varitek on July 24, 2004 -- 'Tek whacked him with his glove after Rodriguez stared down Bronson Arroyo following being hit by a pitch -- did not help his cause in Boston. But with the amazing numbers he is posting -- would anyone be shocked if he hit 75 homeruns this summer? -- and the fact that he can (and will) opt out of his contract after the season, I would peel of my skin with a rusty nail to bring him to Fenway Park. All that bad blood would immediately disappear. Red Sox Nation would welcome A-Rod into Boston like he was one of our own. Now A-Rod won't come cheap. Expect him to seek out a contract in the range of 5-6 years for at least $20 million per season, if not more. But the Sox have that type of money. Curt Schilling's $13 million will most likely be off the books for 2008 and there is always the possibility of trading Manny Ramirez and his $20 million per year. Even if Manny stays but Schilling goes, the Sox would only have to add $7-10 million to their payroll to add Rodriguez, a worthy investment for a Hall-of-Fame shortstop. With Manny, the Red Sox lineup would be the greatest in baseball history. Without Manny it would still be an awesome force. It's a long way away and it is a long shot but Rodriguez in Boston would be a great thing.