February 16th, 2004 was a monumental day across all sports. The Yankees acquired Alex Rodriguez from the Texas Rangers on this day twelve years ago, and the ramifications are still being felt today, for better or worse. The trade sent then 2B Alfonso Soriano and Joaquin Arias to the Rangers in exchange for A-Rod. The contract he was under in Texas was already a record-breaker, but his new 10 year, $275 million contract in 2007 shattered the record once more.
As A-Rod’s time as a Yankee–and baseball player come to an end, it will be exciting to see what his post-baseball life ensues.