[翻譯]Yankees May Pay Rodriguez for Home Run Record

Yankees May Pay Rodriguez for Home Run Record



By TYLER KEPNER

Published : November 16, 2007 / The New York Times



The Yankees are close to having one future Hall of Famer officially in the fold, working out contract language on a new deal for Alex Rodriguez that will reach at least $300 million if Rodriguez sets the career home run record. But closer Mariano Rivera remains unsigned as he waits for a four-year offer.

洋基球團目前正著手爲一位準名人堂球員擬定新合約, 要是A-Rod能夠身穿條紋球衣改寫大聯盟全壘打紀錄的話, 這份合約的總值將會超越三億美金。在此同時, 隊友Mariano Rivera則仍痴痴等著洋基球團提出一份四年期的新約。



“Things with Alex Rodriguez are looking good,” the senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner said last night. “As far as Mariano goes, we hope he decides to stay.”

"我們和A-Rod的合約談判看來一切順利," 洋基球團資深副總裁Hank Steinbrenner在昨晚表示, "至於Mariano的部分, 我們衷心希望他最終能選擇留在隊中。"



Rodriguez and his wife, Cynthia, met with Hank and Hal Steinbrenner on Wednesday in Tampa, Fla. Rodriguez told the Steinbrenners that he wanted to stay with the Yankees, and a 10-year contract that will guarantee him about $275 million is expected to be completed soon.

A-Rod夫婦在星期三前往Tempa和Steinbrenner兄弟會面, 在面談過程中, A-Rod向兩位小老闆表明自己想要留在洋基陣中的決心, 而兩造雙方針對一份為期十年、總價值約兩億七仟五百萬美金的合約內容也即將達成共識。



The Yankees typically do not offer bonuses for making All-Star teams or winning postseason awards. But Rodriguez’s pursuit of the career home run record would bring increased revenue to the Yankees, and they are willing to share some of it.

洋基球團通常不會在和球員簽訂的合約中附帶被選入明星隊或是得到個人獎項的獎勵條款, 但由於A-Rod要是能穿著條紋球衣挑戰聯盟全壘打紀錄, 將無庸置疑地爲球隊帶來可觀的周邊收益, 於是洋基球團決定和A-Rod分享這筆收入。



The sides are discussing a marketing plan in which Rodriguez, 32, would benefit financially as he passes home run benchmarks in the coming seasons. He has 518 home runs and is 17th on the career list. If he passes Babe Ruth, who had 714 homers, and Hank Aaron, who had 755, he would trail only Barry Bonds, who has 762.

球團和球員雙方正在討論讓現年32歲的A-Rod能在打破全壘打紀錄時同時荷包滿滿的可行方案, A-Rod目前以總計518支全壘打的成績排名史上第17, Babe Ruth和Hank Aaron則分別以714和755支的成績名列榜上二三名, 而暫居榜首的則是總計擊出762支全壘打的Barry Bonds。



“These are not incentive bonuses,” Steinbrenner said. “For lack of a better term, they really are historic-achievement bonuses. It’s a horse of a different color.”

"這並不是一般的獎勵條款," Steinbrenner解釋道, "我目前也想不出更好的說法, 或許我們可以暫且用"締造歷史性紀錄的紅利條款"來形容它, 這和一般認知的獎勵條款有所不同。"



Steinbrenner said that the team president, Randy Levine, has been in contact with Major League Baseball to make sure the bonus package complies with a rule that does not allow teams to tie payments to certain individual statistics.

Steinbrenner還表示, 球團總裁Randy Levine目前正就該合約內容是否和聯盟官方禁止球團以球員個人數據作為合約中但書的政策有所牴觸, 徵詢聯盟方面的意見。



Rivera, meanwhile, has told the Yankees he wants a fourth year added to their three-year, $45 million proposal. General Manager Brian Cashman spoke yesterday with Rivera’s agent, Fern Cuza, but Steinbrenner has no plans to improve the offer, which would make Rivera, who turns 38 this month, the highest-paid closer in baseball.

在此同時, 總經理Brian Cashman也在昨天正式向Rivera的經紀人Fern Cuza提出三年四仟五百萬美金的合約提案, 但是Rivera表示他希望該合約能至少讓他續穿條紋球衣四年, 針對此要求, 目前Steinbrenner並沒有對該合約作出加碼動作的打算, 洋基球團目前所提出的合約已經足以讓現年38歲的Rivera成為棒球史上最高薪的終結者了。



“They haven’t rejected it outright, as far as I know,” Steinbrenner said. “It’s pretty much known that they’re seeking a fourth year, or more for three years.

"就我所知, Rivera方面還沒有正式回絕我們所提出的合約," Steinbrenner說道, "不過我們對他們想要延長合約年限、或是提高平均年薪的要求心裡有數。"



“I want him back, and that’s why the offer is as high as it is. We don’t have to change anything. Everyone in baseball knows it’s a great offer; we’ve even gotten a couple of complaints about it.”

"我想要他繼續在球隊中效力, 因此我才會對他提出條件如此優渥的合約, 我不認為該合約有任何被修改的必要, 我想所有關心棒球的人都會同意我的說法, 甚至還有部分人士對我們的大方舉動有所抱怨。"



The Yankees also have interest in signing Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell with the idea of moving him to first base. Two Boston television stations reported yesterday that the Yankees had offered Lowell a four-year contract.

洋基同時也對簽下紅襪隊的三壘手Mike Lowell深感興趣, 計畫讓他移防一壘, 有兩家波士頓當地的電視台在昨天報導了洋基已經向Lowell提出四年合約的消息。



Steinbrenner would not comment on those reports, but he said he was not concerned about filling first base, adding that Jorge Posada could move there at the end of his four-year, $52.4 million deal. “There are a lot of things we’re looking into,” Steinbrenner said.

Steinbrenner選擇不對該報導作出回應, 他只表示一壘並非他的補強目標, 並提及那位剛和洋基就為期四年、總價五仟兩百四十萬美金合約達成共識的Jorge Posada, 也可以勝任一壘守備任務。"我們還有許多事情需要考慮," Steinbrenner補充道。



The Rodriguez deal, though, is in the final stages, with his agent, Scott Boras, leaving Rodriguez’s hometown, Miami, to work on the contract language. Boras was not present at the meeting with the Steinbrenners on Wednesday, when an open dialogue intensified negotiations.

A-Rod和洋基的合約協商即將告一段落, 並未出席星期三那場關鍵會談的Scott Boras也已經離開Miami, 準備進行合約訂定的相關事宜。



“Alex and Cynthia visited with the Steinbrenners and Yankees officials yesterday, and following the meeting, Alex instructed me to discuss contract terms with the Yankees,” Boras said in a statement, his first since the Wednesday meeting.

"A-Rod夫婦在昨天出席了一場Steibrenner家族成員及球團高層也共同列席的會議, 會議結束後, A-Rod希望我能出面就合約內容和洋基球團方面進行協商," Boras在聲明稿中指出。



Two managing directors for Goldman Sachs — John Mallory and Gerald Cardinale — were pivotal in brokering the peace between Rodriguez and the Steinbrenners, who were miffed at Rodriguez for opting out of his contract on Oct. 28.

兩位任職於高盛證劵 (Goldman Sachs) 的高階主管 - John Mallory和Gerald Cardinale, 也在這次A-Rod和洋基球團的破冰面談中扮演了關鍵性角色。



Mallory works in Los Angeles and knows the Rodriguezes from Miami. The Rodriguezes reached out to Mallory, who called Cardinale, who is based in New York and is a YES Network board member. Cardinale called Levine several days ago and has since been instrumental in putting a deal together.

目前人在洛杉磯工作的Mallory和A-Rod本是舊識, 他幫A-Rod聯繫了人在紐約分公司並身兼YES Network董事會成員的Cardinale, Cardinale在幾天前致電Levine、並且竭力協助雙方就合約內容達成共識。



The Yankees had looked into the trade market for third basemen, but they preferred to save their chips for a run at Minnesota starter Johan Santana, who could become available soon. Rodriguez had sniffed the market, too, but both sides decided they were each other’s best option.

洋基曾經試圖在球員交易市場中找到可以填補三壘空缺的球員, 但他們還是傾向於把可用作交易籌碼的球員留下, 作為交易Johan Santana的底牌。A-Rod也曾試著在自由球員市場測試身價, 但是A-Rod和洋基球團最終還是發現對方才是自己最好的選擇。 



The timing of the reconciliation is intriguing, coming the day after open negotiations began for free agents. No other team had come forward as an aggressive pursuer of Rodriguez. Yet the Yankees made sure to all but lock him up before other teams could realistically make a strong push.

雙方也選了一個關鍵的日期來上演這齣大和解的劇碼, 就選在自由球員可以正式開始和所有球隊進行接洽的第二天, 目前還沒有任何球隊向A-Rod提出值得一提的合約提案, 洋基盡快簽下A-Rod也避免了未來可能上演的搶人大戰。



Boras is famous for negotiating massive contracts, but even with the bonus package, this deal will fall short of the 12-year, $350 million contract the Yankees believed Boras sought last month.

Boras一向以能爲其客戶爭取到天價合約聞名, 但即使把合約中的獎勵方案都納入計算, A-Rod和洋基即將簽下的合約金額也將和Boras心中所預期的12年、總價三億五仟萬美金相去甚遠。



Boras had said all along that Rodriguez deserved to explore his right to free agency to determine his market value in a booming industry. In the end, that seemed to be less important than staying in New York. 

Boras不斷強調A-Rod有權利選擇進入自由球員市場來測試自己的市場價值, 不過現在看起來, 能留在紐約似乎才是A-Rod真正在乎的事。



In making the deal after the start of open free agency, the Yankees committed to 10 years, which was more than their initial overtures to Rodriguez.

爲了能在自由球員市場開啟後順利簽下A-Rod, 洋基球團拿出了一份為期十年、比起之前預計向A-Rod提出的合約內容更為優渥的提案。



In October, the Yankees were prepared to give Rodriguez a five-year extension beyond the three years left on his contract, which included a $21.3 million subsidy from the Texas Rangers. 

在今年十月, 洋基準備向A-Rod提出一份為期五年 (含原合約所餘三年共計八年) 的續約方案, 而遊騎兵將協助支付其中兩仟一百三十萬美金的薪資。



Boras believed that was as far as the Yankees were willing to go. But the Yankees believed that through negotiation, they would have split the difference on years with Boras — he wanted 12, they wanted 8, so they would have met in the middle. 

Boras認為這就是洋基所能表現出的最大誠意了, 但洋基球團心中所打的算盤並非如此, 他們其實是想預留談判空間以便後來和Boras周旋時能有所轉圜, 洋基球團的想法是 : Boras想要12年約, 而我們想要8年約, 到最後應該就是雙方各退一步以10年約成交。



The 10-year deal is in place now, after weeks of acrimony stemming from a messy break-up. The Yankees and Rodriguez are engaged again, to honor and cherish, to have and to hold, for richer and richer and richer.

歷經過去幾週的言語交鋒和隔空交火, 這份十年合約終究還是談成了, A-Rod還是繼續身穿條紋球衣, 和洋基球團手牽手、心連心, 為更具"錢"景的未來共同打拼。