The New York Yankees are just a few weeks into Alex Rodriguez's comeback, but things are already starting to look ugly.
First, the team turned down Rodriguez when he offered to meet with his teammates and 'make amends'. Now, they're willing to go to court in order to avoid paying him more than the $61 million remaining on his contract.
When Rodriguez signed his contract way back in 2007, he was still in good standing with the league and the fans - and as hard as it is to imagine now, he was a marketing force to be reckoned with. The team loaded up his contract with 'marketing bonuses' related to major career milestones, like reaching the home run totals of the few players left in front of him.
Rodriguez is six home runs away from tying Willie Mays at 660 career home runs, and according to his contract, the Yankees will owe him $6 million when he gets there. The team isn't looking forward to that payout, though, and they're planning to argue that A-Rod's dramatic fall from grace has made his marketing value plummet, and they're hoping a judge will agree that his negative marketing value gives the team the option to void the marketing bonuses in his contract.
While the Yankees are perfectly happy to go to court, it would obviously be in everyone's best interest if Rodriguez and the team came to an agreement that didn't involve a messy legal battle. We know A-Rod is willing to apologize for his recent indiscretions, but it remains unclear if he's sorry enough to willingly give up millions of dollars.
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