Alex Rodriguez might have cheated the sport of baseball, but he certainly produced the correct conclusion deciding on a occupation on the diamond.
Even though his job and track record is tainted by admitted steroid use, the three-time American League MVP Award winner was between the ideal hitters of his time and attained a great deal of money in the course of action. If not for a very last-moment push by the Seattle Mariners, Rodriguez might have built a identify for himself in one more sport — and he might not have manufactured as considerably money experienced he absent down that route.
Alex Rodriguez required to participate in quarterback at Miami
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The Seattle Mariners made use of the best pick in the 1993 MLB draft on Alex Rodriguez, an elite shortstop prospect from Florida.
Depending on how the draft and subsequent deal negotiations played out, Rodriguez had a backup plan in brain. In a 2018 interview with Cigar Aficionado, he defined that he’d agreed on a two-activity scholarship with the College of Miami. In addition to actively playing shortstop, he intended to play quarterback on the football team.
“Well, I definitely desired to participate in soccer, and the prepare was that if I selected to go the NCAA route, I would have performed soccer and baseball. The moment I resolved to signal as the No. 1 pick in 1993, nicely then I just needed to set all my vitality and concentration into baseball.”
Alex Rodriguez
As the deadline neared for Rodriguez to indication his 1st skilled contract, he believed he would as an alternative show up at college for a few several years and re-enter the draft in 1996. During his final negotiations with the Mariners, he requested his mom get three very first-course tickets to visit him in the course of the summer months.
“They stated done deal, and I grew to become a Mariner,” Rodriguez recalled.
Rodriguez opted for a profitable and legendary baseball job
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Regardless of his off-discipline transgressions, Rodriguez should be happy that he signed with the Mariners.
The ability-hitting infielder totaled around 3,000 hits and mashed 696 house runs in components of 23 seasons at the major-league degree. He received a Globe Sequence ring with the New York Yankees in 2009 and joined the 600-household operate club a calendar year afterwards.
According to Baseball-Reference, he also earned over $441 million in the majors. Not terrible for another person who served a 162-sport suspension for violating the league’s efficiency-improving drug policy.
Had Rodriguez trapped with football and attained the NFL, he’d possible have made far a lot less dollars. Tom Brady, for instance, acquired $263 million in total salary through the finish of the 2020 time, in accordance to Spotrac.
Rodriguez is the best-compensated player in MLB record
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Rodriguez made use of his age and expertise to get advantage of baseball’s deficiency of a wage cap. If teams were being inclined to spend the significant bucks to obtain his company, they could spend as substantially as they could.
The Texas Rangers signed Rodriguez to a 10-12 months agreement worthy of $252 million in December 2000. He opted out of that deal after the 2007 period, his fourth with the Yankees.
In the drop of 2007, the Yankees signed the reigning AL MVP winner to a 10-yr contract well worth $275 million. Though he retired in August 2016, he received his comprehensive pay back — $21 million — in 2017, his closing yr below agreement.
Because retiring, Rodriguez has invested his funds in numerous assignments ranging from hotels to Snapchat. He just lately agreed to buy the Minnesota Timberwolves, an NBA franchise, after he and Jennifer Lopez misplaced on their makes an attempt at purchasing the New York Mets last yr.
All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.
