Alex Rodriguez Bashes Competitive Imbalance: ‘The American League Stinks’

The Boston Red Sox aren’t just suffering through a disappointing season; their future looks equally bleak. Firing manager Alex Cora failed to spark the turnaround the front office hoped for, and the club has since stalled out at 15-17 under interim manager Chad Tracy. While Boston falters, the American League East remains in a tight race between the Tampa Bay Rays (36-23) and New York Yankees (37-25). FOX Sports analyst Alex Rodriguez looks at the division and sees a broader issue, flatly stating that the entire AL “stinks.” Appearing on FOX Sports’ First Things First, Rodriguez didn’t hold back with co-hosts Nick Wright, Chris Broussard and Kevin Wildes. While discussing the Red Sox, he criticized what he sees as a major competitive imbalance between the American and National Leagues. “I don’t think anybody’s out of it,” Rodriguez said. “The American League stinks. They really do, actually. The National League is the opposite, right? If you look out West, I think if the playoffs started today, the Mariners (33-30) are in.” By comparison, the NL West is the polar opposite of the top-heavy AL East. Instead of a two-team race, the NL West features three highly competitive clubs, with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and San Diego Padres all sitting well above .500. Rodriguez has lacked faith in the Red Sox since they fired Cora and game-planning coach Jason Varitek in early April. He claimed Cora was the best manager in baseball, adding that deep down, the franchise knows this isn’t their year. “I would use a different measuring stick,” Rodriguez said. “I think the minute you got rid of Alex Cora, the [Red Sox] manager, who I think is the best manager in the game and Jason Varitek, they decided that this is not going to be their year.” For a team that appears to have already thrown in the towel, Rodriguez believes the rest of Boston’s season is simply a countdown to October.