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Report: A-Rod Wanted $350M

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The Associated Press

Published: November 3, 2007

NEW YORK - The Yankees were told by agent Scott Boras that they could not meet with Alex Rodriguez unless they presented an extension offer that guaranteed the star $350 million "as a floor."

Boras' remarks, first reported Friday by ESPN.com, were made Oct. 25 during a conversation between the agent and General Manager Brian Cashman, a baseball official said Friday, speaking on condition of anonymity because those details were not made public.

Rodriguez had $81 million remaining over the final three years of his record $252 million, 10-year contract, and the deal contained an additional $10 million escalator. The Yankees were prepared to offer him an extension worth $25 million to $30 million a season for four or five years.

Boras then notified the Yankees on Sunday that the star third baseman was opting out of the contract to become a free agent.

In other Yankees news, the team exercised right fielder Bobby Abreu's $16 million option for next season.

DEVIL RAYS: Relief pitcher Shawn Camp and infielder Jorge Velandia became free agents Friday after rejecting outright assignments to Triple-A Durham.

Camp, a 30-year-old right-hander, went 0-3 with a 7.20 ERA in 50 appearances for Tampa Bay this year and 0-1 with four saves and a 1.17 ERA in 12 games at Durham.

Velandia, 32, batted .320 with two homers and 11 RBIs in 14 games after joining the Devil Rays on Sept. 10. He hit .249 with five homers and 39 RBIs in 120 games for Durham.

BLUE JAYS: Matt Stairs and Toronto agreed to a $3.25 million, two-year contract.

Stairs signed an $850,000, one-year deal last December to be a backup outfielder but got 357 at-bats because of injuries to others. The 39-year-old hit .289 with 21 homers and 64 RBIs in 125 games.

MARLINS: Mark Wiley was hired as Florida's pitching coach, returning to the job he had in 2005.

Wiley was special assistant for baseball operations with Colorado the past two years. He succeeds Rick Kranitz, the Marlins' pitching coach in 2006-07.

PIRATES: Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell pulled his name out of consideration for Pittsburgh's managing job.

RED SOX: Tim Wakefield's $4 million option was exercised by Boston after the knuckleballer missed the World Series because of inflammation behind his right shoulder.

The World Series champions also exercised a $3.85 million option on right-hander Julian Tavarez, announced catcher Kevin Cash (Gaither) had declined an outright assignment to Triple-A Pawtucket and elected to become a free agent, and acquired minor-league outfielder Sean Danielson from St. Louis to complete the July 31 trade that sent right-hander Joel Pineiro to the Cardinals.

ROYALS: Kansas City claimed pitcher Colby Lewis off waivers from Oakland. The 28-year-old right-hander made 26 appearances for Oakland last season, going 0-2 with a 6.45 ERA in 37 2/3 innings.

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