Alex Rodriguez ‘Apologized Profusely’ In Meeting With New York Yankees

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez met with team officials at Yankee Stadium on Feb. 10 and “apologized profusely” for his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal, per The New York Daily News.

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez has apologized to the team for his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal.

According to The New York Daily News, Rodriguez met with the Yankees for around 90 minutes on Feb. 10 and “apologized profusely,” as quoted by one person who was at the meeting. His apology did nothing to dissuade the team from canceling the millions in marketing bonuses he’s due for any future home run milestones. 

The person at the meeting told The New York Daily News “they (Yankees) were not going to pay them (Rodriguez’s camp), and he was free to challenge them on that.” The report adds it would “seem highly unlikely” that Rodriguez would dispute the Yankees’ decision.

The 39-year-old Rodriguez is just six home runs shy of Willie Mays’ 660. Under a previous marketing deal he signed with the Yankees, he would receive $6 million every time he tied Mays, Babe Ruth (714), Hank Aaron (755) and Barry Bonds (762).

The New York Daily News report adds he Yankees maintain the invalidity of the bonuses because “the contract is a marketing agreement negotiated separately from Rodriguez’s player contract.”  

In addition, the Yankees will eventually say Rodriguez’s ensuing milestons are no longer marketable noting his violation of the league’s drug policy. 

Among those present were Yankees co-owner Hank Steinbrenner, team president Randy Levine, general manager Brian Cashman and assistant GM Jean Afterman. Rodriguez’s lawyer, Jim Sharp, was also at the meeting, per The New York Daily News. 

The Yankees released a statement via The New York Daily News saying Rodriguez “initiated the meeting”:

“Alex initiated the meeting and apologized to the organization for his actions over the past several years. There was an honest and frank discussion on all of the issues. As far as the Yankees are concerned, the next step is to play baseball in spring training.”

The #Yankees released a joint statement on their meeting with Alex Rodriguez. pic.twitter.com/t8y5odBLHf— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) February 10, 2015

The person at the meeting said the Yankees made it known to Rodriguez his behavior “was entirely inappropriate throughout the summer of 2013,” per The New York Daily News. 

Rodriguez created a rift between himself and the Yankees in 2013 when he was in the middle of an arbitration battle with Major League Baseball. During that time, Rodriguez appealed his suspension for allegedly purchasing illegal performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) from Biogenesis of America in Florida. The New York Daily News says he eventually admitted to federal drug agents he shelled out $12,000 monthly to purchase PEDs from Biogenesis.

Rodriguez also attacked Yankees brass back then, per The New York Daily News. Protesters who sided with Rodriguez even held up signs outside MLB’s league office saying Levine was “the devil.”

With these, ESPN New York’s Andrew Marchand reported on Feb. 10 that the Yankees want Rodriguez “to clear the air with the media” just before the team’s pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training on Feb. 20. 

Yankees fans are anxious to see how Rodriguez will fare in 2015. He missed a huge chunk of the 2013 MLB season due to hip surgery while he sat out the entire 2014 campaign due to his Biogenesis suspension, per The New York Daily News.

Marchand notes the Yankees still owe Rodriguez $61 million in base salary over the next three seasons. It’s still unclear if Rodriguez will continue to play third base in light of the team signing Chase Headley to a four-year, $52 million contract. A-Rod could potentially see time at designated hitter. 

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