Alex Rodriguez: ‘It’s great for baseball when the Boston Red Sox are good’

Is Major League Baseball better when the Boston Red Sox are good? According to Alex Rodriguez, yes.

Before Tuesday’s All-Star Game in Atlanta, the MLB on Fox crew discussed the biggest takeaways from the first half of the season. David Ortiz, predictably, went with the Red Sox, citing how well the team has played since it shockingly traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants in June.

Rodriguez shared that opinion.

“Papi, I agree with you,” Rodriguez said. “Look, bottom line, boys, if we zoom out, it’s great for baseball when the Boston — I can’t believe I’m saying this — when the Boston Red Sox are good. And right now they’re playing great.”

He further compared the Devers situation to what the Seattle Mariners experienced in 2000 after trading Ken Griffey Jr. and again in 2001 after A-Rod himself left in free agency.

“And sometimes when you clear a clubhouse of whatever perceived energy, I remember when Griffey left us in Seattle, we got better,” he said. “And then when I left the next year, we got even better. And sometimes, you need the big brother to get so all the other big brothers can excel and thrive. And they’re doing that in a beautiful way.”

Host Kevin Burkhardt joked, “I can’t wait for the headline tomorrow. Alex Rodriguez loves Red Sox.”

Regarding the comparison of the Devers trade to what Seattle experienced after Griffey and Rodriguez left. The Mariners were 79-83 in 1999, Griffey’s last season before getting traded to the Cincinnati Reds. In 2000, they went 91-71 and reached the ALCS. In 2001, after Rodriguez signed with the Texas Rangers, they set the single-season wins record, going 116-46 and once again reached the ALCS. It’s interesting to hear Rodriguez being so frank with that comparison.

That said, the Red Sox post-Devers aren’t quite there, at least not yet. It’s been a month. If they continue to win and reach the postseason, something that seemed improbable for much of the first half of the season, the comparison will be more even.

Regarding the point that the league is better when the Red Sox are good. Every league has teams that have a longer, more successful history than others. The Red Sox are not only one of MLB’s oldest teams, but despite their 86-year championship drought from 1918 to 2004, they’re also one of the most successful teams. People care about them (whether it’s love or hate) more than most teams. So, his point there is correct.

So, while Rodriguez might not love the Red Sox, we can say that he loves their impact on the sport.