Should Miami Marlins Add A-Rod?

Insert PED joke here. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Crazy as it might seem, when the 2016 season comes to an end, there might actually be someone on the roster with more hits than Ichiro Suzuki.

And not just on the season. But over the length of an entire career.

Obviously, that can only mean one thing: the Miami Marlins are considering bringing aboard Alex Rodriguez.

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That’s right, rumors are abuzzing that the Fish have had “internal discussions” about bringing aboard the soon to be ex-Yankee, with Jon Heyman being among the first report. Only three players in history have recorded more home runs than the controversial Rodriguez; one of them would be sharing a dugout with him, tasked with doing something about that .203 average.

Which begs the question – provided you play along and assume that there is some fire to this smoke- is this something the Marlins should do?

And the answer to that question…well, the answer is an extremely convoluted one.

On performance alone, you’d go with no. As noted earlier, the batting average is .203 for the year. There’s a reason he’s barely played the past month, and is being released in August instead of after the season. Chris Johnson has him beat with a .227 mark, and Cole Gillespie‘s .235 blows him out of the water.

Of course, even at this possibly final stage, there’s no confusing Johnson or Gillespie for Alex Rodriguez. The plate presence, the veteran savvy, the postseason experience…every on-field intangible would seem to tilt in his favor. Even the power, provided someone really hangs a mistake out over the plate. All of that holds true, before even getting to the very real possibility that a change of scenery and actual chance to make the playoffs could somewhat revitalize his season.

There’s also the draw to consider. Rightly or wrongly, people would show up to watch A-Rod play what would likely be the final games of his career. Others to watch a player with such deep roots to the South Florida community. Some would come to cheer, some would come to boo, some to watch the world’s most amazing Jekyll and Hyde hitting race, but all would pay admission and be physically present in a stadium that could do with some more filling as the Marlins battle for a playoff spot. Whether it’s all about the benjamins, or a Machiavellian scam to bring in fans to support a club they should be supporting, the signing would be a shrewd business move on the part of Michael Hill and Jeffrey Loria.

As such, I’m going to go with a very conditional yes. A tri-conditional yes to be precise. If these qualifications are met, I take little issue with the dice roll Heyman outlines, as it could provide an answer to two big problems the Marlins have on their hands.

What are those conditions you ask? Let’s take a look.

Next: First Condition

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