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Alex Rodriguez Was “Embarrassed and Ashamed” by a Mammoth $252 Million Contract Which Put Him Above Every Athlete in the World

Published 09/29/2022, 3:00 PM EDT

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Playing for the New York Yankees turned into a life-changing move for Alex ‘A-Rod’ Rodriguez. He turned into a larger-than-life sporting celebrity with immense wealth to his credit. But before that, the Rangers signed him up for a colossal sum. However, ‘A-Rod’ was rather turned-off by the whopping contract deal. 

Alex ‘A-Rod’ Rodriguez had quite the successful MLB career, ever since making his debut with the Seattle Mariners. He achieved many milestones as a hard-hitting slugger and an acrobatic fielder. Following on, he joined the Texas Rangers and continued to amass achievements. However, joining the Yankees drove him to the path of becoming a baseball icon. Interestingly, the 14-time All-Star, A-Rod, won his only World Series trophy playing as a Yankee.

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In 2003, his contract with the Rangers was approaching an end. While multiple franchises were notably vying for the marquee player altogether, the Yankees won the bid. However, ‘A-Rod’ rather questioned the Rangers’ logic behind the humongous amount offered. 

Alex Rodriguez was unimpressed by a ‘massively’ impressive contract 

Alex ‘A-Rod’ Rodriguez was aware of the expectations behind the Rangers’ $252 million deal. The Rangers were a team that repeatedly struggled to reach the playoff seasons. So, the Rangers saw ‘A-Rod’ as the player to carry them through. But while ‘A-Rod’ prospered individually, the Rangers still faltered as a team. Nonetheless, his contract got over in a brief time.

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Growing up, he was a New York Mets fan since his childhood. So his desire was to play for the Mets and topple the elite Yankees in their own backyard. But the then-Mets owner Fred Wilpon didn’t have any interest in signing up ‘A-Rod’. Therefore, then-Yankees owner George Steinbrenner put ‘A-Rod’ on board through general manager Brian Cashman with another lucrative deal.

However, ‘A-Rod’ was aware that he can’t play as the Yankees’ shortstop as the position was sealed for Derek Jeter. Also, Jeter was already upset with ‘A-Rod’ over some offensive comments in a past interview. So, all in all, ‘A-Rod’ got into a tricky situation only he could have pulled himself out of. 

Speaking on his Rangers contract, ‘A-Rod’ once said, “I’m almost embarrassed and ashamed of this contract. I don’t know if Michael Jordan or Bill Gates or Alexander the Great. I don’t know if anybody is worth this money.”  

Read More – Before Splurging on Exotic Cars With His $350 Million Net Worth, Alex Rodriguez Borrowed a Ridiculously Quirky Car to Begin His Journey

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While addressing the feud with Jeter, ‘A-Rod’ said, “I feel like he’s a brother of mine.”  On the other hand, Jeter responded to the same issue, by saying, “I gave him the benefit of the doubt. I don’t anticipate him saying anything else. I’ve known him for a long time. We’ll be friends after this.”  

The present life of the icon ‘A-Rod’ 

Retired from baseball in 2016, ‘A-Rod’ still has a successful professional life. He is now an entrepreneur, broadcaster, and analyst. As a single father, he balances his life caring for his two daughters. 

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Watch This Story – From Alex ‘A-Rod’ Rodriguez To Don Zimmer: Here’s A Quick Look At The Top Wildest Brawls Of MLB History 

What is your opinion on Alex Rodriguez’s comments? 

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Written by:

Madhurjya Bhuyan

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Madhurjya Bhuyan is an MLB author at EssentiallySports. He has a Bachelor's and Master's Degree in English Literature from Gauhati University and IGNOU, respectively, and also possesses prior professional experience as a content developer. Being a performance artist since childhood, Madhurjya has always aimed to contribute towards creativity in any possible manner, and writing only boosts that desire.
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Edited by:

Rupak Kumar Jha