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Brian Cashman reiterates Yankees won't pay A-Rod's $6 million bonus

Mark Townsend
·Yahoo Sports Contributor

As we expected all along, things are about to get very interesting between Alex Rodriguez and the New York Yankees on the heels of his 660th career home run.

A-Rod offiicially reached that mark in Friday's 3-2 win against the Boston Red Sox, which tied him with Willie Mays for fourth place on the all-time home run list. Once that ball landed in the hands of Mike Shuster, who was seated third row above Fenway Park's Green Monster, we officially moved on to perhaps the most interesting phase in the process, and that's whether or not he'll receive the $6 million "milestone" bonus included in the contract he signed in 2007.

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The Yankees have said all along they don't intend to pay the bonus because his achievements lost their value once he was suspended for his connection to Biogensis. What would have been a major marketing tool for the ballclub had A-Rod stayed clean, was reduced to background fodder as the Yankees focus on competing in the AL East.

The stance was reiterated by general manager Brian Cashman prior to Saturday's game in Boston. Cashman also sought to clarify that it's the Yankees "right, not their obligation" to pay the bonus, so in their eyes they're honoring the contract as it's laid out.

Here's more from Cashman courtesy of NJ.com:

"I just don't think it's been reportedly properly," Cashman said. "We're going to follow the contract, as we follow all contracts, so there is no dispute from our perspective. We're going to honor out responsibilities of the contract."

Cashman continued:

"It's not: you do this, you get that. It's completely different. I'll let the other people above me handle it the rest of the way...we have the right but not the obligation, in quotes, it's as simple as that. If we choose to pursue something we'll choose to pursue it. If we choose not to, it's our right not to and that means in both cases we're honoring the contract."

That, Cashman said, is where he feels it's been misreported.

"Yeah, it has, no question," Cashman said. "But, it is what it is."

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Jack Curry of the YES Network added the following on Twitter, which basically confirms the Yankees have the upper hand.

It's only a matter of time now before A-Rod's camp files a grievance, which will quickly become a bigger story than anything A-Rod or the Yankees are doing on the field. It almost makes you think the Yankees would be better off just paying it and getting it over with, but they apparently would rather avoid setting a precedent on the outside chance A-Rod hits another 54 homers to tie Babe Ruth.

According to the collective bargaining agreement, Rodriguez has 14 days from the time of the Yankees’ refusal to file a grievance, so it wouldn't be surprising to hear news on this front early next week.

Buckle up, baseball fans. 

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!