I never thought I’d say this, but I feel sorry for Alex Rodriguez. His stat line is sitting at .284-106-34-116-14, and everyone in New York thinks he’s a bum. Sure, he won the MVP last year, but that was last year. What has he done for the Bronx faithful lately? He’s knocked in only 116 runs. Lousy bum.
And where do all bums go to play? The north side of Chicago.
The Yankees should trade Alex Rodriguez to the Cubs. Here’s what I’m thinking: Send the Yankees Felix Pie, the highly touted outfield prospect (Damon, Sheff and Godzilla aren’t going to play forever), third base prospect Scotty Moore (currently batting .318 with an OPS of 1.082), and former golden boy Mark Prior, and we’ll take A-Rod and stabilize that tense Yankee clubhouse. Of course, Georgie boy will have to send over about $10 million for each year left on A-Rod’s contract. The Tribune Co. may be filthy rich, but they haven’t lost sight of the value of a dollar. Ask any Cub fan, they’ll tell you.
Tell me the Yankees wouldn’t love to have Mark Prior. He’s not injury-prone (though he is admittedly that) so much as snakebitten, suffering from accidents as much as injuries. Get him in the hands of a pitching coach that knows what he’s doing – and more importantly, get him off the Cubs, where he will never live up to his unreasonably high promise – and the sky’s the limit. Even better, the Cubs can put A-Rod back at shortstop, a position at which he’s far more comfortable. Re-sign Juan Pierre, and you have a lineup like this:
1) Juan Pierre CF
2) Ryan Theriot 2B (have you seen this kid? Wow)
3) Derrek Lee 1B
4) Alex Rodriguez SS
5) Aramis Ramirez 3B
6) Michael Barrett C
7) Jacque Jones RF
8) Matt Murton LF
That lineup is going to score a boatload of runs, which is good, because the Cubs aren’t going to have a single 100-run hitter for the year, and that, sirs, is pathetic.
Yes, I know this is all a big, big pipe dream. The Yankees, postseason struggles be damned, would be fools to get rid of Alex Rodriguez. But if there is one thing that all Cubs fans have in abundance, it’s hope. And I hope to see A-Rod wearing Cubbie blue next season.
