A-Rod’s resignation
How important is money, really? What about security? A steady job? Knowing where you’re going to live in the forseeable future?
Late last night, third baseman Alex Rodriguez decided to opt out of his crazily lucrative contract with the New York Yankees. The rest of the deal guaranteed him $72-million with more millions as incentives and bonuses.
A-Rod’s decision sparked some discussion in the newsroom about people who have previously turned down megabucks on principle.
Julianna Margulies quickly comes to mind. The actress turned down a reported $27-million to stay with the medical drama ER for two more seasons. At the time, Margulies said, “That whole thing is surreal. That kind of money just isn’t real.” She wanted to do movies and other projects, which she has done, although not to anywhere near the attention and acclaim she gained while doing ER. But does that matter to anybody but her?
A-Rod’s departure from the Yankees isn’t going to hurt his career. Far from it. He knows what he’s worth and he’s willing to roll the dice that he’ll get what he wants. It probably seems like an insane thing to do if you’re earning a modest salary and anticipating the annual cost-of-living increase, but in the world of stupidly big salaries, A-Rod may end up looking very smart, indeed.