Yankees will not pay A-Rod home run bonus

Alex Rodriguez is due a $6 million bonus for achieving a milestone of hitting 660 home runs, tying him with Willie Mays for 4th most all time.

The New York Yankees have confirmed through general manager Brian Cashman that they will not be paying out that bonus to A-Rod according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

"We have the right, but not the obligation to do something, and that's it,'' Cashman said. "We're going to honor our responsibilities of the contract. So there is no dispute, from our perspective."

How they got here

This is just another part of the saga that is going on between the Yankees and Rodriguez. It all started when Rodriguez signed a 10-year, $252 million contract with the Yankees, at the time the largest contract in MLB history. Over that 10 years, it has been a roller-coaster ride for Yankees fans. Most recently, he was suspended for an entire season for another steroid related incident, prompting those fans to ask whether or not he would ever step foot on the diamond again.

As part of the wording of the contract, it is a marketing bonus that A-Rod is due for hitting the 660th home run of his career. The Yankees contend that because they do not plan to pursue anything in terms of marketing, that they are acting in good faith.

Where is this thing going?

With the Yankees and A-Rod looking like they were just beginning to repair their historically troubled relationship, the two sides are back in some sort of legal battle.

The players' union plans to file a grievance on behalf of Rodriguez, which means this dispute will be headed to a independent arbitrator in the winter, says Nightengale.

Whether or not A-Rod gets paid his bonus or not, it is same-old, same-old for the sometimes unpopular star. He is making headlines for the wrong reasons, this time it's the Yankees front office starting it.