The New York Yankees have held discussions with the Miami Marlins about a trade involving their third baseman in crisis, Alex Rodriguez.

Sources close to both organizations confirm the Yankees would pay all – or virtually all – of the $114,000,000 Rodriguez is owed in a contract that runs through the rest of this season and the next five. One alternative scenario has also been discussed in which the Yankees would pay less of Rodriguez’s salary, but would obtain the  troubled Marlins’ reliever Heath Bell and pay what remains of the three-year, $27,000,000 deal Bell signed last winter.

None of the sources could give an indication as to how serious the discussions have already gotten, but one of them close to the Marlins’ ownership said he believed the trade made sense for both sides, and would eventually be made in some form.

– Keith Olbermann, MLB.com.

That sounds pretty strongly worded for a rumor story, so maybe Olbermann — who’s not typically a scoops guy by any measure — either got something really juicy or isn’t accustomed to using the language needed to qualify these things.

Either way, it makes a hell of a lot of sense for the Marlins. They get a potential draw in a local guy pursuing a bunch of historic benchmarks, not to mention an upgrade to their woeful offense. And if A-Rod’s got a home in Miami he can’t get rid of, maybe it makes sense for him too.

What’s not really clear is how it works for the Yankees. Would they really pay all of the rest of his salary just to get rid of him? And if they were willing to do that, wouldn’t nearly every team in the Majors want him? Why only the Marlins — is that a function of his no-trade clause? Still, shouldn’t the Yanks hope to get something more than Heath Bell in return? Sure, A-Rod’s not the guy he was a few years ago, but he’s still a pretty good player. I mean, hell, if he’s free, let him play left field for the Mets.

As a Mets fan, I’m not opposed to A-Rod being sent south, no matter the deal. Though he would certainly make the Marlins better, he’d also make them indisputably more hilarious. Jose Reyes stealing bases, Giancarlo Stanton mashing home runs and making that ridiculous thing light up, and A-Rod sending clubbies into the Clevelander with “Do you like me? Check yes or no” notes for the dancers. I’m on board.