WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT THE CONTRACT

“At first they were talking about $200 million--$250 [million] came out of nowhere. It’s just incredible. . . . I don’t see a problem with money. If you don’t ask for it, you don’t get it.”

--Rafael Palmeiro, Texas Ranger player

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“The sooner we run this up the flagpole, the sooner we get to D-day and a catastrophic event.”

--Gerry Hunsicker, Houston Astro general manager

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“[It’s] stupefying . . . This amount of money spread out over 10 years could probably buy three franchises or so at the bottom end of market value.”

Sandy Alderson, executive vice president for baseball

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“Never at any time did he ask for anything that any other player hasn’t asked for.”

--Tom Hicks, Texas Ranger owner, regarding Rodriguez’s perks

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“There would have had to have been a major hometown discount to get us into the ballpark [of signing Rodriguez].”

--Pat Gillick, Seattle Mariner general manager

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“People are talking about the money, but you have to recognize the type of player he is and what he can accomplish. And he’s only 25 years old.”

--Billy Beane, Oakland A’s general manager

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“We made every effort within the restrictions and structure of our club. But there’s no way in the world we were in position to be at that level, nor did we have the desire to do that.”

--John Schuerholz, Atlanta Braves general manager

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“I’m the whipping boy for ‘baseball games will destruct.’ ”

--Scott Boras, Alex Rodriguez’s agent