Alex Rodriguez provides a litmus test to alleged Dodgers budget

Whatever budgetary limits we might have thought the Dodgers had went out the window on Aug. 25, when the Dodgers absorbed over $260 million in salary commitments in their nine-player trade with the Red Sox that brought Adrian Gonzalez to Los Angeles. But there is one litmus test left to see if for the Dodgers money is no object.

Alex Rodriguez.

The chant for Rodriguez at Yankee Stadium sounds a lot like the one at Dodger Stadium for Luis Cruz, only nobody is yelling "Cruuuuuz" in the Bronx. Perhaps it was for this familiar sight.

or

A-Rod is just 2-for-19 (.105) with 10 strikeouts this postseason. He was pinch hit for in Game 3 of the ALDS against the Orioles (setting the stage for the Raul Ibanez super show), he was benched in Game 5, and has generally been a mess of late.

So it's only natural for sportswriters to speculate that Rodriguez might be on the block, and since the Dodgers have shown a willingness to absorb massive contracts they naturally are an obvious guess as a team that could take on that contract, which has a mere $114 million remaining:

2013: $28 million
2014: $25 million
2015: $21 million
2016: $20 million
2017: $20 million

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe engaged in such speculation, throwing out the idea that Rodriguez could in fact supplant Cruz at third base in Los Angeles next season:

Thinking out loud: Why wouldn’t the Dodgers take on Alex Rodriguez? The Yankees would gladly eat some of the contract. With Carl Crawford joining them in May (or sooner) after his surgery, the Dodgers will likely not re-sign Shane Victorino, saving a few bucks (not that money matters).

Mike Petriello of Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness doesn't like the idea, and Jon Weisman at Dodger Thoughts used the A-Rod musing as an opportunity to look back at the contract demands of Manny Ramirez after his historic 2008 post-trade performance with the Dodgers.

At least Rodriguez is still a good baserunner.

Bringing on a 37-year old with that much money and that many years left on his contract seems like something for Bad Idea Jeans, but I find the speculation at least fascinating.

Acquiring Rodriguez would be the definitive signal that the Dodgers simply don't have a budget. Will it happen? Probably not. But it is a little bit weird for the Dodgers to be considered on the receiving end of these types of deals. If it did happen, it would a surprise. Even A-Rod agrees:

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