What's on tap A-Rod wants out July 31, 2003 Print it Archived Sports Bahr (Editor's note: Be sure to read the brief message at the bottom of today's column.) Surprise, surprise: Alex Rodriguez is starting to hint at his desire to leave the Texas Rangers. Sure, Wednesday is the first time he has gone public with the idea, but you can bet that he has been contemplating this for quite a while. Not even all of that money can replace the feeling of being on a winner. This is all happening too fast to expect Texas to make any kind of move this season, and I really doubt a deal can be made at all. You see, there is that little matter of the absolutely ridiculous contract ($252 million over 10 years) that Rangers owner Tom Hicks gave A-Rod. That decision -- both by Hicks and A-Rod -- seems worse now than it did in December of 2000. And that is saying something! Both A-Rod and Hicks have dreams of winning, but by combining forces at that $252 million price, they really foiled each other. With one player making so much money, it is very hard to afford quality players (and pitchers) to put around him. It boggles my mind why that wasn't obvious when the deal was signed. Making things worse is that fact that three "small-market" teams are ahead of the Rangers in the AL West -- again. The Rangers are dumping salary, but it is much easier to dump Carl Everett's salary than it is to dump A-Rod's, even if he is the best player in the game. And how about the spin by Rodriguez that he wants what is best for the team and wants the team to move him if that is in Texas' best interest? Does anyone buy that? This is what I hear A-Rod saying: Get me outta here! The Rangers are stuck with A-Rod, and A-Rod is stuck with the Rangers. You can't blame the guy for accepting that much money, but you also can't believe that he seriously thought Texas could compete with so much money tied up in one player. Hicks outbid everyone else by a wide margin and got his guy, but not much has changed in the standings since then. And not much will. What do you think about A-Rod's comments? Should Texas try to trade him? Will it be able to? Send your thoughts to fans@sportingnews.com, and look for them in my next column. Because of some changes here, the Sports Bahr column no longer will be posted daily, and it will be completely gone by August 16. I'll still be around, but I'm moving to the Fantasy Source part of our site. Here is my personal email address in case any of you want to argue about hot sports topics from time to time: cbahr@sportingnews.com. There will be a farewell column at some point, but in case you miss it, thanks for making this column so fun for the past 5 1/2 years. Chris Bahr The Sporting News

Still Brewin' Rushing McGahee back Here are some of your responses to my previous column, which asked when Willis McGahee should see action with the Buffalo Bills. I think the Bills would be wise to put McGahee on the physically unable to perform list and give him all the time he needs to recover from that devastating injury. They certainly don't need him on the field this season; they have a potential All-Pro in Travis Henry, a solid backup in Olandis Gary and Sammy Morris, who pulled his weight during the running back by committee years. The Bills drafted McGahee for the chance that he could become the next Marshall Faulk. Why screw up those chances by putting him on the field earlier than necessary? Make sure his knee is rock-solid first. Taking McGahee was a gamble, but it was basically a free draft pick. A less shrewd GM would have lost Peerless Price and had nothing to show for it but some cap room. By franchising and then trading Price, Donahoe got something for nothing. If McGahee doesn't pan out, the team is no worse off than if Price had just walked away as a free agent. Mike Vago Brooklyn, N.Y. I tend to agree with the Bills' position. There is nothing to be gained by rushing him back too soon. They invested a first round pick, which is a big gamble if it doesn't work out. So I can see why they want to be cautious. Anyone who watches football knows that a serious knee injury requires a lot of time to heal (usually a year or so). The Bills have Travis Henry, so they can take their time working Willis McGahee back. I think McGahee's agent is posturing to get him a market-value deal. Al I think Drew Rosenhaus is just doing his job by sounding off about Willis McGahee being able to be ready by opening day. But I don't think he has Willis' best interests in mind. It normally takes two years for a running back to come back from an ACL injury. Just look at fellow Miami alum Edgerrin James' 900-yard season one year after his knee injury as an example. It would be foolish for the Bills to try to play Willis this year. They have plenty of talent at the position anyway. I think they should wait until the 2004 season to let him play -- a year and a half after his knee injury. The kid has a really, really bright future, so why risk it by trying to put him in this year? It just makes sense to sit him for a year, especially when you consider Travis Henry's season last year. Jared Henry Kingsport, Tenn. Tom Donahoe has proven to be far too good a GM to waste a first-round pick. As with all of his moves as he rebuilds the Bills' roster, adding Willis McGahee is designed to help the team down the road. Any interference from McGahee's agent won't be tolerated because Donahoe is too sharp to get into a contract that exceeds his worth. The current lineup looks very strong with starter Travis Henry and solid backup Olandis Gary. With Sam Gash blocking, they should be prepared for the important bad weather games at the end of the season when running the ball is the only option. It will be very interesting to see how Donahoe uses McGahee in the future. Moving Peerless Price earned the team a first-round pick, and a healthy McGahee could as well. Mike I think the Bills made the right pick in Willis McGahee. I look at it as if they got McGahee for free since their second-round pick, Chris Kelsay, was projected to go in the first round. I think the Bills will wait until the other mid-to-late first rounders are signed before they sign McGahee, and then they should put him on the physically unable to perform list. This way, McGahee can rehab his knee and take his time until he is 100 percent. The Bills will not let McGahee play until he is 100 percent. Drew Rosenhaus is saying that McGahee can play now so he can use that as leverage for contract negotiations. Unless Rosenhaus has a medical degree, the Bills will listen to their own doctors. The Bills will sign him before the season starts, and then he will be put on the PUP list. Expect McGahee to see limited action after the 10th week of the season. Matt Vukelic Hamburg, N.Y.