Records for the last year Alex Rodriguez played for a team and the following season:
2000 Seattle: 91-71, wild card, lost ALCS
2001 Seattle: 116-46, division title, lost ALCS
2003 Texas: 71-91
2004 Texas: 89-73
2007 Yankees: 94-68
2008 Yankees: ?
And, the team's records the year before getting A-Rod and the first year with him:
1994 Seattle: 49-63
1995 Seattle (142 A-Rod at-bats): 79-66, wild card, lost ALCS
1996 Seattle (first full year): 85-76
2000 Texas: 71-91
2001 Texas: 73-89
2003 Yankees: 101-61
2004 Yankees: 101-61
I think this trend of improvement post-A-Rod and little change by adding him will not be altered by much. Right now, the Yankees are a mess, but unless they re-sign nobody, they'll find a way to 90+ wins. The leading contenders for A-Rod, as rumored, already had a lot of wins (Mets, Angels, Cubs) or have lots of other potential problems (Dodgers, Giants). What does it mean? I have no idea, but it's fodder for the "to hell with A-Rod" crowd.
