When Rodriguez signed the 10-year, $275 million contract with the Yankees following the 2007 season, the two sides also agreed to a separate $30 million marketing agreement. As part of the agreement, Rodriguez was to receive a $6 million bonus each time he tied one of the players ahead of him on the career home run list and another $6 million bonus when he broke the record.
The feeling at the time was that both sides would profit from the anticipated excitement of A-Rod’s march towards the all-time home run title.
The first of those milestones is just around the corner as Rodriguez needs six more home runs to reach career home run No. 660, tying Willie Mays.
The problem for the Yankees is that there is no longer a growing anticipation for A-Rod to break the record.
Rodriguez was banned for the entire 2014 season for using performance-enhancing drugs. In addition, on the field, his performance has declined so much that it seems nearly impossible that the 39-year-old Rodriguez will hit the 109 home runs needed to break Barry Bonds’ record (762 career home runs).
According to the New York Daily News, the Yankees plan to argue that the milestones are “are no longer valid in terms of marketing deals,” suggesting they have no plans to honor the contract.
This comes after the Yankees rejected an offer from Rodriguez to meet face-to-face and apologize for the steroids scandal and how it was handled according to the same report. The Yankees simply responded to the offer by saying “we’ll see you in Spring Training” and that they will no longer afford A-Rod any special treatment.
In other words, a situation didn’t look like it could get any uglier is going to do just that.
This article originally appeared in Business Insider. Copyright 2015.
