Alex Rodriguez makes more than the 2013 Astros so deal with it

I took a moment from - what feels like - endless packing to write about a disturbing but not shocking story that came out yesterday involving Alex Rodriguez. The Yankees third baseman is no stranger to controversy but this time the issue lies within his wallet more than his body. For the first time in a while Rodriguez may be answering questions regarding his salary than his whereabouts during a specific night, on a specific day while in the offseason.

The story I'm referring to was published on ESPN New York yesterday with a headline that simply read, "Alex Rodriguez will make more than Astros." I thought it was a great header too, but what followed - within the body of text - was an unfortunate display of the current state of baseball. It would be unfair to put the blame on Rodriguez (clearly he's an easy target) when, in reality, it's the Yankees and their 15th straight year at the top of the payroll mountain that have fans rolling their eyes - well except for the Evil Empire fanatics.

Once again I have to ask another objective question: Is it really the Yankees' fault?

The short concise answer is no. Major League Baseball has a systemic issue regarding unchecked team payrolls that act like a no-limit poker game where the Yankees, Dodgers and, yes, even the Red Sox can bully the smaller money players (teams) into folding or going all in. So what does that say for Rodriquez and the Astros?

Probably nothing at this point but what can MLB do in regards to payroll adjustments (both increased and decreased)? The current collective bargaining agreement runs through the 2016 season. Plus, do fans really want the same kind of parody we see in college basketball or even the NFL? The reality is baseball and it's fans love the "America's past time" slogan you've all come to accept as solid truth. But with that comes the expectations behind it which means the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers and any big market team are all vying for a World Series championship every year.

At this point we have to ask one finally question: Are we are pissed off at the system that's been established for decades or the fact that our favorite team's sworn enemy (Yankees) has once again foiled our plans for a championship season? If I'm honest it's probably the latter.

Follow Scott Levesque on Twitter at @scottlevesque.