4 Reasons Why Alex Rodriguez's Contract Could Still Be Traded

Much to the dismay of the New York Yankees' brass, Alex Rodriguez is back.

With the 39-year-old set to return to the diamond for the first time since 2013, the crucial question entering the season is just where exactly he fits into the plans in the Bronx.

As ESPN's Buster Olney explained to John Lund and Greg Papa on 95.7 The Game, the answer could be that he doesn't:"The practical reality is that the Yankees are not counting on him at all ... If they went into the season with Alex Rodriguez having zero role on that team, it wouldn't surprise me."

If the Yankees believe Rodriguez will be a non-factor in 2015, it's worth wondering if there's any reason to keep the right-handed hitter around.

From a financial perspective, there are 61 million reasons to keep him in pinstripes. That's the amount of money that Rodriguez is slated to make over the next three seasons. Plus, he has the potential to earn up to $30 million more in home-run milestone bonuses.

Then again, without a role on the team and with a history of being an organizational headache, the best course of action could simply be to send Rodriguez away. Here are four reasons why the Yankees could still manage to trade Rodriguez's contract.

Rodriguez Is Getting Paid Anyways

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

A-Rod is getting paid.

Whether or not Rodriguez ever plays another game for the Yankees, the former star is still going to make all $61 million remaining on his contract (and potentially millions more in milestone bonuses). As a result, the Yankees have nothing to lose.

Even if the Yankees have to pay all but $5 million to $10 million of his salary, that's still $5 million to $10 million that the club otherwise wouldn't have. That's obviously a ton of money for the Yankees to eat. Then again, if another club only had to make a small financial investment in Rodriguez, there's a significantly higher chance that a trade could actually happen.

It's Extremely Difficult to Find Power

Power is the most elusive tool in baseball.

Last year, there were only 11 big leaguers who cracked the 30-home run plateau. It's ridiculous to think Rodriguez will approach that figure in 2015, but it's entirely possible that he could still supply some pop. According to Ryan Hatch of NJ.com, Yankees' broadcaster David Cone told WFAN that he believes A-Rod could go yard 15 to 20 times in the upcoming season.

That kind of production could have a lot of value to a lot of power-starved clubs around the league. The Oakland Athletics, who shipped out impact bats like Josh Donaldson and Brandon Moss this offseason, definitely fit that description.

The Miami Marlins, who play in the city in which Rodriguez grew up in, also fall into that camp. In 2014, the Fish ranked No. 24 in baseball in home runs. Of course, the fact that the Marlins play in the National League is a major stumbling block.

The Potential to Have Rodriguez Play as a Full-Time Designated Hitter

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With a couple of surgically repaired hips, A-Rod is a serious liability from an injury perspective

The 14-time All-Star has had all sorts of problems trying to stay healthy. The last time that Rodriguez racked up at least 500 at-bats was way back in 2010.

One way to keep Rodriguez in the lineup would be to keep him out of the field. As a full-time designated hitter, the veteran would have a substantially better chance of staying off the disabled list and remaining productive at the plate. As a result, a trade to another American League club is by far the most logical potential move.

Wherever the 'Walking Train Wreck' Plays, He'll Sell Tickets

DAVID KARP/Associated Press

During his run with the Yankees, Rodriguez has produced an absurd number of negative headlines. As Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports points out, that might not be the worst thing for business.

"A-Rod is a walking train wreck, and we can’t take our eyes off of him. In fact, he might be precisely the distraction the Yankees need, because if you haven’t noticed, their team not only is full of questions, but also lacking in legitimate star power."

The Yankees aren't the only team around the league that fits that description. The same label could be applied to an array of clubs that are unlikely to contend in 2015. It's possible that the addition of Rodriguez to another team's roster would drive the fans away. It's also possible that they would show up simply to see the train wreck for themselves.

Note: All stats and videos courtesy of MLB.com. All salary information courtesy of Cot's Baseball Contracts on BaseballProspectus.com.

If you want to talk baseball, find me on Twitter @KarlBuscheck.