Stray-Rod Unlikely To Be Stay-Rod

"In my mind it's over," the Bergen Record's Bob Klapisch quotes a Yankee official as saying. "It's not just him leaving; now you have to wonder how many free agents are going to have second thoughts about coming here. After this, who knows." At one point, popular opinion was that such a move would expose A-Rod's yellow belly and cement the legacy of an all-time great who melted in the bright spotlight. But as the season progresses, could anyone honestly blame him for checking out? With the Bombers plummeting and the Mets surging, no doubt there are many fans investigating their own opt-out clauses.