New York Yankees Camp Opens

• Manager Joe Girardi had no idea Derek Jeter would be retiring
• The Yankees kept Alex Rodriguez’s locker open
• Ex-Yankee Joba Chamberlain says that he can’t wait to face the Yankees this year
• New York gave number 24 away

On Thursday veteran shortstop Derek Jeter announced his retirement from baseball after the 2014 season.  With today being the Yankees first day of camp, there were many questions involving the captain.  Manager Joe Giradri spoke about the decision… He told reporters that he had no idea about Jeter’s big decision, and was “saddened” by the news. “I think we were all a little bit taken by it,” Girardi said.  Baseball fans around the world are saddened by the news about Derek Jeter leaving the game.  Everyone remembers the horrific injury to closer Mariano Rivera in 2012, and decided to stay one more year.  That was because he could not end his career like that.  If Jeter wasn’t injured for the majority of last year, then he would have left the game with Mo, and Andy Pettitte, his teammates.  Yankee fans are hoping that he can return to his 2012 ways and lead the league in hits.  Rivera came back from his injury, so can the captain.

The New York Yankees play the Detroit Tigers seven times in 2014.  Reliever Joba Chamberain had a rough seven year career in pinstripes, and moved on and signed with the Tigers.  He has checked the date on the schedule and feels like he has something to prove.  Yankee fans remember him mostly by booing at the big righty.  He has told people that he has lost weight, but I will have to see that for myself.

Alex Rodriguez is obviously suspended for the entire 2014 season.  The Yankees did not give anybody his old locker.  The locker has no nameplate, or hangers in the locker.  As for other locker situations, Masahiro Tanaka received Mariano Rivera’s old locker, and Carlos Beltran received the locker adjacent to A-Rod’s locker.

For the past nine seasons second baseman Robinson Cano has worn number 24 on his jersey.  He departed for Seattle via free agency, and now a new Yankee has received No. 24.  That player is Scott Sizemore the utility player, injury prone player, and the player who may not even make the 25 man roster.  I find it kind of odd that his jersey was available this early.

You can’t talk about the Yankees without saying anything about CC Sabathia.  Yes folks he lost about 45 pounds over the past two years.  He said he is in the best shape of his career since Cleveland.

Is Alex Rodriguez Finished?

Alex Rodriguez has been in hot water for many years. Accused of taking steroids in the past, but in the end of the 2013 year he was accused of taking testosterone, human growth hormone (HGH), and insulin growth factor one. All of these are illegal for player usage in the MLB. The MLB and MLBPA came to an agreement for a 211 game suspension, which is over an entire season for the MLB. Alex Rodriguez pleaded not-guilty to taking these steroids. Recently the MLB has downgraded his suspension to 162 games.

The Truth Released

Anthony Bosch opened up about injecting Alex with these substances saying that he personally injected him with these substances because Alex was “scared of needles. ” Bosch said that Alex payed nearly $12,000 monthly for performance enhancing drugs. He took these drugs nearly after he hit his 600th home run, wanting to get to a higher number of 800 home runs.

Yankee’s Decision

Alex Rodriguez has been faced with the highest number of games for a suspension on the history of a MLB suspension. Alex is now 38 years old and with the Yankees having to give Rodriguez $61 million until 2017. The Yankees are going to try to shake Alex of their backs. The Yankees could pay Alex the $61 million now and release him, or they could let Alex step back on the field in 2015. If Alex Rodriguez is found guilty of his charges then he is allowed to step back on the field in 2015, but will the Yankees allow it? Will the Yankees cut Rodriguez if he is guilty?

Keep vs. Release

It looks as if the Yankees have two options. The first option, is to keep Rodriguez. If they do this they will have to pay him $61 million until 2017. The risk here is if Rodriguez gets suspended again, or injured. They will still have to pay for him, and another 3rd baseman. Making the Yankees fielding another step in the wrong direction. If the Yankees decide to keep Rodriguez, then they can give him his money and let him run. The Yankees will not have to worry about him getting injured and/or suspended again. They can focus on moving further and finding another 3rd baseman. The only problem is that the man who sues everybody nowadays, Alex Rodriguez, could take legal action on the Yankees, so the Yankees might not be done with him, as much as they think they are.

What are His Options?

Alex Rodriguez is under contract with the Yankees until 2017, so if the Yankees don’t cut him, he could beout of baseball for while.  Since he is not on the Yankees’ major-league roster, he can only go to minor-league spring training.  If he shows up at major-league spring training, the Yankees could suspend him from minor-league ball as well.  Since Rodrguez is still property of the Yankees, he can’t play independent ball or leave the team.  He has already been offered a job by the Torrington Titans of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League with an assistant coaching position, as well as an invite from the independent team the Long Island Ducks, neither of which Rodriguez can pursure.  So to answer the question, it would appear Rodriguez will be out of baseball for quite a while.