Alex Rodriguez will always be a lightning rod for attention, but this spring all the attention has been positive. The embattled Yankee has hit .324 this spring with three home runs and four RBI in 44 plate appearances, drawing rave reviews from some important people in the organization.
"I didn't know what to expect," general manager Brian Cashman said. "The distraction stuff was there. I thought he's handled himself both on the field and in the clubhouse and in his interviews with (reporters) extremely well. It's been about baseball and he's done really well on that level, too. Camp's gone really well for him."
The last time Rodriguez played a meaningful amount of time was in 2013, under the specter of a looming, historically long suspension. In 44 games A-Rod underwhelmed with a .244 batting average, seven home runs and 19 RBI. He proved he still had a knack for reaching base though, registering a .348 on-base percentage.
He showed he has pop left in his bat too; of his 38 hits seven were doubles and seven were homers. A scout who watched him play told The New York Daily News that Rodriguez can lengthen the Yankees' lineup if he can prove he can hit high fastballs.
"If Alex can show early that he can turn on a good, big-league fastball and make a pitcher pay for a mistake, it would give the Yankees some much-needed depth," the scout said. "I'm not saying he can't do it, but I can't say for certain he will, either."
Rodriguez has also done well by not causing controversy about playing third base, which he will not be doing very often. This offseason the Yankees re-signed Chase Headley to a four-year, $52 million deal to do that. A-Rod is going to be serving mostly as a designated hitter, and even played a little first base.
"I'm happy to be playing baseball," Rodriguez said. "I'm here to do exactly what my bosses want me to do, and I just want to help the team win."
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