Yankees Owner Hal Steinbrenner Once Criticized Superstar Third Baseman Alex Rodriguez for Creating Off-Season Chaos

Alex Rodriguez spent the majority of his career with the New York Yankees and achieved great things with the team. But there were also some turbulent moments that occurred along the way. Hal Steinbrenner, the Yankees owner, once reprimanded Rodriguez for off-season chaos that he created. At the time, A-Rod was having some of the best form of his life, and playing some truly great baseball.

Rodriguez will remain one of the best baseball players to suit up for the Bronx Bombers. No doubt about that. But this incident left Steinbrenner upset with him and even jeopardized A-Rod’s future with the team. 

Alex Rodriguez announced he was opting out of his contract during the 2007 World Series

In 2007, Alex Rodriguez had one of the best seasons of his career, taking home the AL MVP award. To capitalize on his top form, the Yankees’ star third baseman opted out of his contract to look for a new long-term deal. But he and his agent announced the opt-out during the 2007 World Series, angering Yankees’ owner Hal Steinbrenner. What angered Steinbrenner was not that he announced it during the World Series, but his lack of commitment to the Yankees organization. 

According to Boston.com, Steinbrenner said, “We wanted him to stay a Yankee. We wanted to let him know how much we wanted him. The bottom line is . . . do we really want anybody that really doesn’t want to be a Yankee? How the heck can you do that? Compare him with [Derek] Jeter. Jeter, since he was a little kid, all he ever wanted to do was play shortstop for the Yankees. That’s what we want.” 

Read More: Alex Rodriguez and Billionaire Partner Marc Lore Turn 5x Grammy Winner Into a Minnesota Timberwolves Fan

This was a big incident that had seemingly ended Rodriguez’s Yankees career. But both sides recovered from it and came to an agreement on a new contract. A-Rod agreed on a 10-year $275 million pact with the Yankees and eventually ended his career with the team. Today he uses his in-depth baseball knowledge to analyze the game.

A-Rod has criticized the Yankees for their approach to building their team

In the years since retiring, Alex Rodriguez has turned to broadcasting. He works as an analyst for FOX, using his baseball knowledge and IQ. He has criticized the Yankees for their approach to building their team, pointing out a crucial flaw that has limited their capability to win World Series titles. In particular, he recently criticized the team for missing out on Trea Turner in free agency.

Watch This Story: Here’s a Quick Look At Five Things Legendary Alex A-Rod Can’t Live Without

What do you think of Alex Rodriguez’s 2007 opt-out incident? Was Hal Steinbrenner justified in getting angry at him? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!