Alex Rodriguez - Do the Yankees need him?

Here's an interesting question- Just how important is Alex Rodriguez to the NY Yankees championship run?

The Yankees won the championship last year and A- Rod was a key component to that run. He finally broke out of his historic playoff funk and was able to contribute to the Yankees justifying his huge $27 million per year contract. Before last year Rodriguez could not help a a hall of fame batting lineup and pitching staff get to the World Series despite the Yankees having the largest payroll in baseball. He joined the Yankees in 2004.

This year Alex Rodriguez landed on the disabled list and the Yankees subsequently went 12-1. This begs the question- just how important A-Rod is to the Yankees World Series hopes. With a lineup consisting of Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano, Nick Swisher, Mark Texeira and a dominant pitching lineup led by Andy Petite and CC Sabathia, I'm not sure A Rod is the missing piece.

No doubt Rodriguez is a great player- youngest to both 500 and 600 home runs in MLB history. He has logged 100 RBI's in 14 straight seasons and the only player to do so surpassing Babe Ruth, Lou Gering, and Jimmie Fox. His 10 year $272 million dollar contract is the richest in MLB, but is his contract based on the fact that he will break majority of the offensive statistical categories in baseball rather than winning championships?

The Yankees are a championship team without Rodriguez. Most experts and I included believe that if Rodriguez did not play another game this season, the Yankees would still be favored to win the World Series. The Yankees have too many other talented players to make up for A-Rod. Paying someone $27 million per year is a lot to have a player break all of the offensive baseball records in a Yankees uniform.