New York Yankees News & Rumors: Alex Rodriguez Should Earn Playing Time, Says Joe Girardi
Alex Rodriguez will be making his return to the New York Yankees in the 2015 MLB season, but manager Joe Girardi said that the veteran has no guaranteed spot in the rotation.
Rodriguez, who is coming off a one-season ban for his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal that rocked the league, will earn $61 million over the next three seasons, but that does not mean A-Rod will automatically get a chance to play in majority of the Yankees' games next season.
Girardi insisted that playing time will not be given, and Rodriguez should earn it by proving that he can still contribute to the success of the team in the next three seasons.
"He is on the roster, but I think you have to prove yourself in the sense of playing time," Girardi said of Rodriguez via NY Post. "We really haven't seen him play in two years and we don't know exactly where he is at. As an older player, you have to prove you can still play. The whispers start. You have a bad week and is this the beginning of the end?"
Before getting suspended for the 2014 MLB season, Rodriguez appeared in just 44 games in 2013 because of injuries, and averaged just .244 with seven home runs and 19 RBIs.
The 39-year-old has been slowed down by injuries, particularly his hip problems, over the past several years, which is reportedly the reason why Rodriguez turned to using performance enhancing drugs.
If he will be caught using banned substance again, his contract will be forfeited and will be banned for the rest of his life, generating speculation on whether or not Rodriguez can contribute in seasons to come without using PEDs.
When asked to comment on questions of whether Rodriguez can perform well without using banned substances, Girardi declined to give specifics, and insisted that they will just let A-Rod prove his worth in their camp.
"I wouldn't know what it is like to be on them, so I wouldn't know what it is like to be off of them," Girardi said via ESPN. "It is hard for me to judge. It is hard for me to try to play God and see what it is like to be Alex Rodriguez. I can't do that. Hopefully, he is in a good place when he gets to camp."
Chase Headley will take Rodriguez's previous spot at third base, while A-Rod will get at-bats as a designated hitter if he earns the trust of their staff in Spring Training.
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