It was more heartwarming than it was meant to be, but Alex Rodriguez’s Yankee, and supposedly his MLB, career came to an end Friday evening at Yankee Stadium. A-Rod bookended the night with an RBI double and a surprise return to third base. Thunder and lightning threatened to derail the proceedings, but all in all the polarizing Lightning Rod got the send-off he half wanted and half deserved. But just mere days later there are rumblings that Rodriguez could be potentially wooed out of this faux retirement by his hometown Marlins. While Giancarlo Stanton’s injury leaves the Marlins desperate, bringing in A-Rod is not the answer. Sure it will sell jerseys and push collectibles, but similarly to giving at-bats to a 3000 hit chasing Ichiro, it won’t put the Fish any closer to a playoff return.
Even after a tumultuous start to the 2016 season, Giancarlo Stanton launched 25 home runs and drove in 70 runs this year. Both are team highs. However, as he slid head first into second base on Saturday, he injured his groin to the point that his season is now over. There are plenty of players in the Marlins lineup to pick up the slack, but nobody that strikes fear in opposing pitchers like Stanton.
That is why the acquisition of Rodriguez is a head scratcher. By going 1-for-4 against the Rays on Friday night, Rodriguez’s line for the season reads .200/.247/.351. He hit 9 home runs and 7 doubles with a 67/14 K/BB ratio. This is no longer the A-Rod of baseball lore. Hell, Rodriguez can’t even boast to be the 2013 version of himself any longer. He isn’t over the hill because he’s buried at the bottom of it.
Miami bringing in the Lightning Rod would be no more than a marketing ploy. Because in the National League, what role could he realistically play? Even if he had played more than a ceremonial third of an inning at third this year, and just three games last season, would you bench your team’s leading hitter, Martin Prado, to accommodate him? Would that spring work at first base give you enough impetus to try him out there in a playoff chase? It doesn’t make any sense baseball wise. But let’s face it, the Marlins over the years aren’t always having the on field product be a priority.
The grandiose signings and subsequent firesales have been commonplace occurrences. Blockbuster trades end in similar fashion. Sure they’ve taken home two World Series titles since their inception, but the surrounding years have teetered between woeful and mediocre. It is World Series or bust, and between penny pinching owner Jeffrey Loria and GM Michael Hill, they want a third title in South Beach.
With Jose Fernandez leading a more than capable rotation, the Marlins aren’t not contenders. Sorry for the double negative, but grammar kind of takes a back seat when dealing with the Marlins’ dealings. Stanton is a huge loss, but he is as close to irreplaceable as they come. Bullpen help is a more attainable need with closer A.J. Ramos shelved. So why even drum up the media firestorm with Rodriguez?
That is a question that only the Marlins front office can answer. It is also one that they will never answer truthfully. It would be a tough pill for what fleeting fan base they have. “We care more about selling 700 HR memorabilia than making the playoffs for the third time ever.” That’s not a sentiment that should go over well in any market, let alone one where taxpayers built the park.
Alas we will see how this saga plays out. This could be just a smokescreen to steal some headlines on newspapers and online outlets. However, if there is fire behind this smoke, it will be a slap in the face to Miami. Bringing home a native son is one thing, but doing so at this stage of his game is pointless. They’ve got their collectible cash cow with Ichiro. Let Alex Rodriguez become a “special adviser” for the Yankees and save yourselves from becoming a joke again. This Marlins team is entertaining enough to not have to bring the circus to town.