The Players Association confirmed yesterday that Alex Rodriguez is being represented by Dan Lozano.
Signed through 2017 without an opt-out clause, Rodriguez doesn’t need an agent to negotiate a contract.
There was unconfirmed speculation yesterday in the industry that former agent Scott Boras and Rodriguez disagree over how much money Rodriguez owes Boras from the blockbuster 10-year, $275 million deal he signed with the Yankees on Dec. 13, 2007.
It’s possible Lozano could help Rodriguez if the dispute with Boras requires a lawyer.
Boras, Lozano and Rodriguez didn’t return calls.
Going with Lozano, who represents Albert Pujols and whom Nick Swisher signed with this past winter, means Rodriguez ignored Gaylord Sports in picking an agent.
The Arizona-based company represents athletes and Steve Loy of Gaylord handles Rodriguez’s marketing.
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Sub-par batting averages posted on the scoreboards in big league parks are hard to ignore. So, too, are blaring headlines reporting that a player is in a funk.
While it takes its toll on the player, it seeps into the hitting coaches’ psyche.
“It wears on me,” Kevin Long said of Jorge Posada‘s slow start. “His at-bats have been good, but if you don’t see results it’s no fun.”
For the second time in a week general manager Brian Cashman isn’t ready to pull the plug on Posada as the designated hitter.
“I expected Jorge to struggle going out of the gate because his history as the DH wasn’t very strong. He’s learning something completely different and new and very difficult. He needs the time to make the adjustment to that and we’re giving him that time,” Cashman said of the switch-hitter who is batting .152 (14-for-99) and has double the strikeouts [28] as hits.
“He’s a quality Major League hitter. I think it has more to do with routine and playing the mental game. He’s frustrated. He’s a competitor and a winner. He wants to be as good as he can possibly be. It’s hard to struggle early in a new role and then think about it. The talent and his ability to hit is obviously still there. I just think it’s fighting the mental disappointments of not helping the team as much as he’s used to doing early and adjusting to a new role. . . . Better days are ahead for [Posada], I believe.”
But could Jesus Montero, the Yankees’ top player prospect, be promoted from Triple-A, where he is hitting well?
“I think anybody down in Triple-A or Double-A can play their way up to the big leagues, absolutely, at any time,” Cashman said. “Their job is to continue their development program and force their way up to the big leagues whether it’s with us or with a trade where someone has to have them. I wouldn’t discount anybody’s ability to push their way into the mix.”
If Montero is promoted it would be to DH since the catching tandem of Russell Martin and Francisco Cervelli is working well.
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According to Cashman, the underachieving lineup is a work in progress.
“I think we’re currently trying to determine and decipher where one through nine we need to be offensively,” Cashman said. “We’ve made some adjustments. Obviously, [Brett] Gardner started out in the leadoff spot based on what he did last year for us. He’s been moved down. You’ve seen [Curtis] Granderson, who was down, moved up a little bit. I think Joe‘s [Girardi] ultimately finding who he should or shouldn’t be mixing and matching with.”
The Yankees were close to making a decision on right-handed reliever Luis Ayala, who is on the disabled list with a strained shoulder.
“We’ll talk about it. He pitched two innings for Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre [Sunday] and did very well. I think we’re ready to do something with him, either reinstate him or option him, one of the two.”
