PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. — The notion of Alex Rodriguez wearing the Yankees’ pinstripes again — playing in another major-league game again for any club, really — lately has seemed as far-fetched as Anthony Bosch succeeding Bud Selig as commissioner.
However, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner, speaking publicly for the first time since independent arbitrator Fredric Horowitz reduced A-Rod’s suspension from 211 games to 162, refused to rule out that possibility Wednesday, even referring to his disgraced third baseman as “an asset.”
“He’s a great player,” Steinbrenner said of Rodriguez, at the Major League Baseball quarterly owners meetings at the Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort. “I have not thought about 2015, nor am I going to right now. My focus has to be right now. But when he’s on and when he’s healthy, he’s obviously an asset. We’ll see what happens.”
The Yankees owe Rodriguez $2,868,852.46 this year, having saved $22,131,147.54 from Horowitz’s ruling, and then $61 million from 2015 through 2017. Their relationship has soured as Rodriguez and his advocates continually lodged public accusations against Yankees president Randy Levine. Furthermore, Rodriguez is suing Yankees team physician Christopher Ahmad.
Nevertheless, when asked how much he would consider the extensive bad blood that has developed between the Yankees and Rodriguez, Steinbrenner said, “Those of you that know me, I’m pretty objective in my thinking. This is business. I’m just focusing on the team, a player. Is the player an asset to the club or not? That’s about as far as I look. I don’t get personal.”
Asked whether he regarded Rodriguez as an asset, Steinbrenner said, “When Alex Rodriguez is healthy and himself, I think most objective baseball people would say he could be an asset to a club.”
Rodriguez has been adamant that he will report to spring training, a notion that appeals to neither the Yankees nor MLB. Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement is hazy as to whether a player suspended for an entire season is entitled to come to camp.
“We haven’t even talked about it,” Steinbrenner said. “Cross that bridge when we come to it kind of thing. We’re going to reach out to MLB, get their advice obviously, but haven’t even addressed it.”
The Yankees hope to address shortly a non-Rodriguez matter, Steinbrenner indicated. With former manager Joe Torre set to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in July, the Yankees appear poised to use that milestone to retire the numbers of not just Torre, but some of those who played under him.
“We’re going to figure out just who. He may not be the only one,” Steinbrenner said. “We haven’t gotten into it yet.”
Torre’s 6, Paul O’Neill’s 21, Bernie Williams’ 51 and Jorge Posada’s 20 have all largely been out of circulation since each stopped wearing a Yankees uniform. The Yankees retired Mariano Rivera’s 42 last year upon his retirement, and Andy Pettitte’s 46 also surely will be considered for Monument Park immortality.
“Nobody has talked to me about it,” said Torre, also present at the meetings in his role of MLB’s executive vice president of baseball operations. “I’ve got people calling me, congratulating me about it. … But if it does happen, obviously, it’ll be a hell of a thrill.”
Steinbrenner also said of the team’s unsolidified closer situation, “We’re going to rely on [David] Robertson. I’m sure he’ll do a good job for us.”
The Yankees haven’t officially anointed Robertson as Rivera’s successor and experienced closers Grant Balfour and Fernando Rodney remain available on the free-agent market. Pressed whether he thought Robertson would be the team’s closer, Steinbrenner said, “I think you’ll have to ask [Joe] Girardi that, but that’s my understanding. He’s the number one candidate. Rightfully so.”