Bob Nightengale|USA TODAY Sports
BOSTON -- Just when it looked like everyone was playing nice, getting along better than ever, and even celebrating with one another, along comes Saturday afternoon.
It's a drama that refuses to end.
It's A-Rod. It's the New York Yankees. It's the Mayweather-Pacquiao of baseball.
Rodriguez hits the most historic home run Friday since Barry Bonds became the home-run king in 2007, tying Willie Mays with the 660th homer of his career, but the moment is now shrouded in controversy.
The Yankees, who were supposed to hand over a $6 million marketing bonus to Rodriguez once he tied Mays, came out publicly for the first time Saturday, saying they refuse to pay it.
Rodriguez did not make himself available to comment after the Yankees' 4-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox Saturday, but the union is "prepared to intervene on Alex's behalf, spokesman Greg Bouris said.
This likely means that a grievance will be filed in the next two weeks, which likely will head to an independent arbitrator this winter.
Let's get ready to rumble!
The marketing dispute is the first wrinkle in this newly repaired relationship with the Yankees and Rodriguez, and although it won't boil over lawsuits, surely it will lead to further distrust.
The Yankees, of course, privately told Rodriguez this winter they had no plans to pay his bonuses, and just to make it clear, Yankees GM Brian Cashman made it public for the first time.
"We have the right, but not the obligation to do something, and that's it,'' Cashman said. "We're going to honor our responsibilities of the contract.
"So there is no dispute, from our perspective.
Rodriguez is due $30 million in possible bonuses if he hits five milestone home runs, beginning with his 660th homer. He also can receive $6 million for tying Babe Ruth at 714, Hank Aaron at 755, Barry Bonds at 762, and becoming the home-run king for surpassing Bonds.
Yet, since Rodriguez was suspended all of last season for performance-enhancing drug use, the Yankees insist they can't market his feats, which voids any bonuses.
Rodriguez's camp views that as the Yankees' problem.
The Yankees blame A-Rod.
The bonuses, negotiated as part of his 10-year, $275 million deal signed in 2007, was billed as a marketing agreement. The Yankees have the "right to designate" the home runs as historical milestones, according to the wording.
"It's the sole discretion of the New York Yankees to determine whether each of these milestones is commercially marketable as the home-run chase,'' according to the contract. "The Yankees have the right, but not the obligation, to determine whether it's a commercially marketable milestone.''
"We have the right,'' Cashman said, "not the obligation to do something. And that's it. It's not you do this, you get that. It's completely different.
"I'll let the other people above me handle it the rest of the way, but it's not this two [homers] away, three away, four away, and all of a sudden, we're choosing not to do something.
"If we choose to pursue something [marketing rights], we will choose to pursue it. If we choose not to, it's our right not to. In both cases, we're honoring the contract.''
The wording in the contract, the Yankees say, avoids having to pay the bonuses.
Rodriguez could point to the other wording in the contract that require the Yankees to act "in good faith.'' Yet, since Rodriguez was suspended, the Yankees could argue he's the one who didn't act in good faith.
The Yankees have shown no effort to market the homer. There are no T-shirts or any memorabilia with Rodriguez and No. 660. How can they, the Yankees say, since it's a tainted feat? Even his home-run ball, collectors say, has almost no value.
Now, it will be left in the hands of an independent arbitrator to decide.
"The great thing about contracts, if there are any disputes,'' Cashman said, "there's a system in place to determine if there is some misunderstanding.
"I don't think there's any misunderstanding.
I think it's pretty clear.
"There's nothing to address. He's got a copy [of the contract] too.''
Why, if you listen to Cashman, he'll have you believing the team no longer has a strained relationship with Rodriguez. It's business as usual, he says, forgetting as if those lawsuits are all forgotten.
Cashman, who didn't speak to Rodriguez for fear of legal ramifications while Rodriguez was suing Major League Baseball and the Yankees, says they now have a normal player-GM relationship.
"He came in and apologized this winter,'' Cashman said. "We accepted it. I thought that stuff was dead and buried.
"He's been great in the clubhouse. He's been saying all the right things with the press. And we've got a nice thing going on with the club.
"So there are no issues with us moving forward.''
Cashman, to illustrate his point, said he went into the clubhouse Friday night and personally congratulated Rodriguez.
"He was like a kid,'' Cashman said. "He was just giddy. He was really happy for what he had done, but also, when he did it, because it was a meaningful hit for our club.
"It was like turning back the clock. I saw his comments where he felt like he was 18 again. And I could tell that was genuine and sincere.''
Yet, when asked how Cashman viewed Rodriguez's historic homer, he didn't offer an opinion, much less include that "milestone'' word.
"I think given a lot of the circ*mstances,'' Cashman said, "that's for other people to discuss and debate, where and what it means. From my perspective, I just care about him performing on the field for this team. In 2015, I want him to be the best he possibly can to help this team win games.
"And that's what he's been doing.''
Rodriguez, 39, has been the Yankees' biggest surprise this season. He's hitting .243 with six homers and 14 RBI -- just two homers and four RBI shy of the team lead.
"He's been all business since he's been back,'' said Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner, who lockers next to Rodriguez at Fenway Park. "Last year obviously was very, very tough for him. And tough for a lot of people.
"But ever since he's been back, he's been all about working hard and trying to help the team. The way he was able to help everyone around him, and kind of rally everyone together, obviously is pretty special. It's a lot of fun watching him work, and playing alongside him.''
And if the bonus controversy bothers Rodriguez, well, he's certainly not showing it.
"I think that will work itself out,'' Gardner said, "he doesn't seem too worried about it. So I'm not going to worry about it, either. He's going to stay focused on what he's got to do on the field.
"He loves playing the game, and that seems to be all he really seems to care about.''
Really, he's been the model citizen, perhaps surprising the Yankees, as much as his play on the field.
"I didn't know what to expect,'' Cashman said. "He said all of the right things, went about his business in all of the right ways. Obviously, he's performing on the field for us and helped us win games.
"That's all we've ever wanted.''
Just not a penny more, or a penny less.
Follow Nightengale on Twitter: @Bnightengale
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