Mattingly and Arod

- Should Donnie Baseball take over for Joe Torre at season's end? According to BP, he should, as managers tend to do their best in their late 40s, and decline significantly after that. Mattingly will turn 46 in April. Torre will turn 66 in July. I'd like to see Donnie as the manager with Joe Girardi moving from the YES booth to the bench coach position.

- More Arod shite. It's really getting out of hand - I mean it was before, but it's so ridiculous now. He did an interview on a local sports radio station in NYC (a station that I haven't listened to in 5 years), and gave some frank answers. My opinion on his opt-out clause (if you don't know, Arod can void the three remaining years of his contract and become a free agent after this season): he will opt-out. I am 99% sure. Why wouldn't he? He has a chance to make even more money. He can go to a town with less scrutiny and pressure. And last but not least, his agent is Scott Boras (which is reason enough). It's a win-win clause for him. If he has another disappointing season (with all the given negativity), he'll opt-out claiming New York doesn't want him and he wants to play for a team/city that does want him. If he has a stellar season, he'll opt-out because he's at his highest value (again, Boras wouldn't allow anything else).
This doesn't necessarily mean Arod won't be a Yankee in 2008. It just means he'll be getting paid even more than he is now.

Of course, if Arod does opt-out, I also foresee a win-win for the Yanks. If he leaves, the team won't suffer too much. He's a distraction to the organization, players and fans. Perhaps in 2008 the focus will be on baseball and not the Arod Saga. Remember Seattle shattered the AL win record the season after Arod left? Who to replace him with? How about the in-house scenario of moving Jeter to 3b and making Alberto Gonzalez the everyday SS? The offense would suffer, but the defense would be upgraded. I'd buy that for a dollar. Not to mention the trade opportunities presented now to Cash Money with the plethora of young arms at the Yanks disposal.

And if Arod does re-sign with the Yanks, then we have (arguably) the best third-baseman in baseball for a few more years.