But now that he has gotten a taste of life on the bench

...he has more time to pick up hot chicks in the stands?

I'm not seeing the punishment here.

The headline writer apparently used to work for Duh Aficionado Magazine.

I don't see the game chatter for today so:

Girardi has posted tonight's lineup. ARod is out, Swisher is out, Chavez and Gardner are in, Granderson is batting 8th.

And the ARod benching has been co-signed by Cashman.

Look, this is lunacy. Whatever the merits of the ARod benching in isolation - and if we're going by 2012 postseason performance then Chavez is 0-11 - you don't sit Swisher against a RHP, you don't bat Granderson eighth against a RHP, you don't start an injured player who hasn't hit all year.

You... don't weigh 7 games more heavily than 162 or 324. Or 648.

I expect this nonsense from Girardi, but sometimes Cashman acts as if he's taking his cues from Mike Francesa. And that is why - like Burnett, like Ian ("I had a good start but they found holes") Kennedy - Cashman is likely to run ARod out of town. And I believe they will
eat half of ARod's contract to do it. ARod is about to become a market inefficiency.

Swisher seems gone as well, from his latest comments, and because... Mike Francesa predicts it. Yes, we've reached this point with the Yankees, where major decisions are driven by talk radio.

You say that like it's a bad thing.

And I believe they will eat half of ARod's contract to do it.

NY would take that in a heartbeat. They'll have to pick up more like 2/3rds or 3/4ths of that contract to get someone to take him, unless LA hasn't sobered up yet.

Even if you could find a taker at pennies on the dollar, doesn't AROD have full no trade protection? I can't imagine he would be eager to be traded to any team that would want him...

Some contenders would probably want Rodriguez for the right price -- White Sox, Angels, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Phillies, Orioles, A's. I don't see why he wouldn't find at least one of those teams acceptable if he gets to play every day.

I suspect after this post season it'll be harder for NY to sign top talent - a higher premium to go there now as many stars will not want to be benched if they go into a slump for a few games. Seeing Swisher and A-Rod being benched like this is a big sign screaming 'dont come here'.

Of course, the Yanks do have the raw dollars to deal with stuff like that so it probably won't matter too much. Plus just knowing the playoffs are almost guaranteed will draw older players.

Some contenders would probably want Rodriguez for the right price -- White Sox, Angels, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Phillies, Orioles, A's. I don't see why he wouldn't find at least one of those teams acceptable if he gets to play every day.

Hmm, the Red Sox need a 1bman. I'd be happy with the Sox taking the Rod off the Yankees for pennies.

The Yankees have been paying a premium for awhile now. I doubt these moves change the dollar amounts by even a penny.

Even if you could find a taker at pennies on the dollar, doesn't AROD have full no trade protection? I can't imagine he would be eager to be traded to any team that would want him...

Unless he's secretly a masochist, and I have to believe that would have been on the front page of the Daily News if he was, I can't imagine why he wouldn't jump at the chance to play in Japan, let alone KC or Pittsburgh or Seattle.

The Yankees have been paying a premium for awhile now. I doubt these moves change the dollar amounts by even a penny.

+1

They've had to go over other guys for CC for A-Rod; people sign with the Yankees cause they pay more money for more years not because they inherently want to play there. But if they get more money and years, most guys bite. I can't see that changing.

I suspect after this post season it'll be harder for NY to sign top talent - a higher premium to go there now as many stars will not want to be benched if they go into a slump for a few games. Seeing Swisher and A-Rod being benched like this is a big sign screaming 'dont come here'.

Of course, the Yanks do have the raw dollars to deal with stuff like that so it probably won't matter too much. Plus just knowing the playoffs are almost guaranteed will draw older players.

It won't be an issue. Money is still money, and most FAs will go to whoever pays the most. Also, professional athletes are a confident bunch; I'm pretty sure if they think about this sort of thing at all, they'll probably just brush it off with a "Won't happen to ME. I'm no choker!".

If I were Ruben Amaro I'd at least make a phone call. The Phils need a 3B, Chollie would stick A-Rod out there every single day and not jerk him around, plus he would see it as a challenge to try to help "fix" A-Rod's swing. One last run with that core before Chollie retires, with the addition of A-Rod, would be awfully tempting.

For Phils fans, the entertainment value would be high whether A-Rod thrived or failed.