The Mariners’ 50th Anniversary Is the Perfect Time to Make Peace With Alex Rodriguez

The fake money was funny. 25 years later, holding a grudge wouldn’t be.

Apr 02, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves owner Alex Rodriguez watches the action against the Detroit Pistons in the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Twenty-five years is a long time to boo anybody. Alex Rodriguez heard exactly what Mariners fans thought about his record-breaking departure for Texas every time he returned in another uniform. The message was delivered. The fake dollar bills had their chance to fly. No one can accuse this fan base of leaving its feelings open to interpretation. Now, it’s probably time to let it go. 

Rodriguez will return to T-Mobile Park for the Mariners’ 50 Seasons Celebration Weekend, which runs Aug. 7-9 against the Tampa Bay Rays. On Aug. 8, the M’s will honor its 50 greatest players in a pregame ceremony. No matter how you look at him, A-Rod belongs on that field with his peers. On top of that, he deserves to hear cheers when/if his name is announced.

It might feel like a surrender to fans who have spent a quarter-century treating A-Rod as the patron saint of sports betrayal. But it isn’t. We made our point a long time ago. Continuing to hold a grudge now just doesn’t hit the same. A lot has happened over the last 25 years.

To refresh our memory, not like it needs it, Rodriguez left after the 2000 season and accepted a 10-year, $252 million contract from the Rangers, then the richest deal in professional sports. Mariners fans were furious because he had talked about winning and then signed with a last-place division rival offering a mountain of money. The anger was real and fans felt betrayed. Their feelings about it were reasonable and properly expressed.

The Mariners Cannot Tell Their Story Without Alex Rodriguez

Again, this also happened in 2000. He signed with the Rangers 18 days before Julio Rodríguez was even born. We’ve literally watched an entire generation grow up since then. The Mariners have changed ballpark names — begrudgingly, might I add — ownership personalities, uniforms, front offices and expectations. This dude is 51 years old. Fans who were children when he left now have children of their own. At some point, an old grudge stops protecting anything worth protecting.

What remains is the baseball, and the baseball was outrageous.

Rodriguez arrived as the No. 1 pick in the 1993 draft and reached the majors at 18. By 20, he was batting .358 with 36 home runs and 123 RBIs, winning the AL batting title and finishing second in MVP voting. Two years later, he smashed 42 home runs and stole 46 bases. In seven Mariners seasons, he slashed .309/.374/.561 with 189 homers and accumulated a 38.1 WAR.

He is one of the most gifted players who ever wore a Mariners uniform. We cannot tell the story of this franchise honestly while cropping Rodriguez out of the picture like an ex-partner. He was there as the Mariners emerged from irrelevance. He played beside other M’s legends like Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martínez, Randy Johnson and Jay Buhner. He helped carry the club to the postseason in 1997 and 2000. For a few brilliant years, the Mariners had a shortstop who could hit for a batting title and complete 40-40 seasons. 

Yes, that relationship imploded. The PED history came later, but that didn’t help. It exacerbates the fans' relationship with him, and it remains part of any honest evaluation of his career. He served a full-season suspension and damaged his standing in the sport. We’re not trying to erase that here. The Mariners’ anniversary ceremony, however, is an accounting of franchise history. And Rodriguez’s place in that history is undeniable.

During his appearance on Brock and Salk, he called the Mariners his “first love” and said he was “over the moon” about returning. He remembered arriving as a teenager and credited Griffey, Johnson, Joey Cora and Lou Piniella with teaching him how to become a professional.

As fans, we should be willing to meet him halfway. A 50th-season celebration is supposed to bring the whole Mariners family together. The beloved icons, the cult heroes, the overlooked contributors and even the superstar who left a giant mess on his way out of the door. Rodriguez is part of this family. Which means he’s part of the story precisely because his departure hurt so much. Fans don’t spend 25 years booing players who meant nothing to them.

So, we’ve had that anger. We’ve gotten it out. Now let’s show A-Rod some love when he comes home.