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NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 04: Alex Rodriguez #13 of the New York Yankees bats against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game Six of the 2009 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium on November 4, 2009 in the Bronx borough of New York City. The Yankees won 7-3 to win the Series 4 games to 2. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
The New York Yankees<\/a> are known for making waves financially. Dropping massive deals on box office talents is the way of The Bronx. When superstar Alex Rodriguez got his deal renewed by New York<\/a>, it caught one NFL<\/a> legend by surprise.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Sean Taylor Couldn\u2019t Believe How Much Money Yankees\u2019 Alex Rodriguez Was Making\u00a0<\/p>\n In a recent post on All The Smoke Baseball<\/a>, Howard Bryant revealed NFL legend Sean Taylor\u2019s reaction to the A-Rod contract news.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI remember when I was at the Washington Post, I remember sitting there when A-Rod reupped his deal,\u201d said Bryant. \u201cHe had gotten $275 million, and I was sitting there, it was me, Sean Taylor, Phillip Daniels, Reynaldo Wynn, and Andre Carter. And we\u2019re talking about A-Rod\u2019s contract. We\u2019re going back and forth, and they\u2019re nodding. Sean nods his head and goes, \u2018Damn, he\u2019d better not get hurt. $275 million,\u2019 And I was like, \u2018Well, his contract\u2019s guaranteed,\u2019 he\u2019s like, \u2018Not if he gets hurt,\u2019 I was like, \u2018GUARANTEED.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n Taylor, the late NFL legend who tragically passed away in 2007, couldn\u2019t believe his ears.\u00a0<\/p>\n NFL Players Never Thought of Money as \u2018Guaranteed\u2019<\/p>\n Bryant continued, \u201cYou tell that to a football player, where you can just get cut at any time. They were so stunned. And the reason why this was interesting was that Sean Taylor grew up in Liberty City, right? All these guys, all the Miami guys, they all came up playing baseball. Reynaldo Wynn, from Chicago, came up playing baseball. And then they made a business decision. College was either paid for if he played football or not paid for if you played baseball. So once again, when people say that baseball just doesn\u2019t appeal to black people, that\u2019s nonsense, it\u2019s THE MONEY, right?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Bryant\u2019s recounting of such an incredible story highlights the appeal of baseball to the African American community. When confronted with such a life-altering dilemma, like choosing the sport you love or being in debt, the obvious choice is anything but the latter. In recent times, baseball money has become so substantial that it has attracted a more diverse crowd to pursue MLB<\/a> dreams. Not to mention that collegiate NIL money has helped squander the problems that former athletes like Wynn ran into. Baseball money has always been a bit different than the rest.\u00a0<\/p>\n Reactions were mixed to Bryant\u2019s story.\u00a0<\/p>\n People React to Howard Bryant\u2019s Story\u00a0<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what some people were saying about the A-Rod Yankees\u2019 story (via Instagram):\u00a0<\/p>\n @Hey_kc_157: \u201cBaseball has become an elitist sport similar to golf and tennis. Parents need money for travel ball and AAU.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n @Aberas2529: \u201cI had to take a second job as a substitute teacher when I was signed to the Mets<\/a> in the minor leagues just to have extra meal money during the season. Football pays quicker, baseball is several years, and making it to the show before you see a payday. Could be five weeks, 5 years, or never. It\u2019s all a gamble!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n @Briandenina: \u201cTexas overpaid A-Rod by 10 million when they didn\u2019t have to.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n @Pedromartinezjr45: \u201cThis is awesome, I\u2019ve always wanted to hear what other athletes thought about baseball.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Modern Baseball Money is No Different<\/p>\n Now, in 2026, the narrative hasn\u2019t changed; it\u2019s cemented. It seems like every team is spending like they\u2019re the Yankees.<\/p>\n Stars like Dodgers\u2019 Shohei Ohtani and the Mets\u2019 Juan Soto have both been locked in as $700+ million players<\/a>. In addition to superstars getting their paydays, rookies are running rampant with checks, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n Just this season, the Brewers, Mariners<\/a>, and Pirates dished out long-term contracts<\/a> to players 21 years old or younger. Baseball is turning a corner<\/a>, and fast.\u00a0<\/p>\n Technology, analytics, and the growth of modern baseball have deemed top talent as rare as diamonds. That\u2019s why when it becomes available, money comes second<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tAJ Stone<\/a> AJ Stone is a baseball writer for Heavy, covering MLB news and various trends. His work has also appeared on Redbird Rants, Inside Halos, District on Deck, and other digital outlets. With a focus on analytics, he aims to blend data with storytelling for an engaging experience for his readers. More about AJ Stone<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \t