Despite the New York Yankees' signing third baseman Chase Headley to a four-year, $52 million deal, Alex Rodriguez seems to be optimistic about his chances heading into spring training.
Throughout the 2014 season when Rodriguez was suspended for his involvement in the Biogenesis Scandal, there was much speculation surrounding how the three-time MVP would fit in with the team in 2015. There was talk about him playing some first base behind Mark Teixeira because both general manager Brian Cashman and manager Joe Girardi were concerned (and still are) with his ability to be an everyday third baseman because of his declining health and prolonged time spent away from the game.
In fact, Cashman went as far to say that Rodriguez would be limited to a role at the designated hitter position after the team inked Headley. Management's concern is not only with him missing all of this past season. The 39-year-old Rodriguez has played in only 265 games over the past four seasons and has had two hip surgeries.
"Even before the suspension, he wasn't the same player at third base on the defensive or offensive side," Cashman said back in December. "We look forward to him hopefully solidifying himself as a tremendous DH for us."
With that being said, it doesn't appear Rodriguez is concerned about his chances of winning the third base job for the 2015 season.
"Alex's mind is that job's not Headley's, it's Alex's to lose," a source told Steven Marcus of Newsday. "That's what he thinks. Alex is going into training camp thinking that he is the starting third baseman, that if there's a competition, Headley's got to win it from him. It doesn't matter about the money, what they signed Headley for. This guy [Rodriguez] can play."
Since 2011, Rodriguez has only 41 home runs and 138 RBIs, and out of the 265 games he played, 64 of them were at DH. So with only 201 games in the field over the past four years it's no wonder Cashman and Girardi are worried about his dexterity on the defensive side of the ball, even if he's owed $61 million over the next three seasons.
The quote that the source provided to Marcus, however, could be taken out of context. Rodriguez may have that mentality because he needs to be in the proper mindset heading into spring training, regardless of what his role with the team is. He received the longest suspension in the history of baseball for PED use and his performance has been clearly declining in recent years - something he's surely aware of. The fact that he thinks he'll be the starting third baseman could merely be his way of getting himself mentally ready for the challenges that lie ahead.
"Alex is looking at this season as a fresh start," one of the slugger's friends told Kevin Kernan of the New York Post. "He's prepared to do the best he can in his role as a DH, but he is also preparing to play third base, knowing there will be times that Headley needs a break ... He knows that Joe Girardi is a manager who likes to have options and wants to keep all his players fresh, so he knows he will get some time at third, and he feels being used in that way is good for the team overall. Everyone can get a break."
Two people provided what appear to be very different analyses of how Rodriguez feels about the upcoming season, but they're perhaps not too much different if it's Rodriguez's way of preparing for a way to effectively contribute for the team in 2015.
