Now we know why the Yankees won't meet with A-Rod: They're planning to weasel out of the contract they signed

It's no fun, being the last frozen outpost in the solar system to defend Alex Rodriguez. It's downright depressing, like missing the playoffs. But MLB (the true Evil Empire) and the Yankees (who own the name Evil Empire) are still moving in their quest to blame the entire steroid era on A-Rod... pretending that, 1) Nobody else did it - (Talking to you, Redsocks,) and 2) The owners were shocked - shocked! - to learn what was going on. Thus, the Armani suits get to act even more self-righteous, deluded and hypocritical than usual. Plus, they can demand their hard-inherited money back! Anything goes, as long as it's in the name of ridding baseball of A-Rod.

This morning's Daily News reports that the Steinbrenners want to void the contract they themselves foisted upon A-Rod, after he opted out of his old deal in October of 2007 - a move that angered the Yankiverse so much that most fans were happy to see him go. But the Yankee brass, guided by Warren Buffett, cobbled together a set of incentives designed to keep the wayward slugger in the bunker. Today's story - by-lined by Billy Madden, though obliviously re-written, because it has none of his bluster - says the Yankees are planning to go to war.

Now, the Yankees will argue that Rodriguez signed the agreement under false pretenses and has rendered the marketing opportunities worthless based on years of lies, deception and, finally, admission to DEA agents last year that he had paid $12,000 a month to Anthony Bosch for steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs.

You can look at this any way you wish. And those who hate A-Rod - seriously, who doesn't? - can see 25 million reasons per season to scrap the old deal and fight this out in court. The article goes on to mention one final phase of the A-Rod battle - the trial of his cousin - which looms on the Yankee horizon like an iceberg the size of Manhattan.

A-Rod, who has told friends and associates in the past that his No. 1 goal was to break Bonds’ record, still faces the possibility of appearing in a trial in the federal prosecution of his cousin, Yuri Sucart, a defendant in the Biogenesis case. Sucart, who allegedly provided Rodriguez with performance-enhancing drugs procured through Bosch and others, is gravely ill, however, and it is unclear if his trial will go forward as scheduled.

If so, that trial will begin on April 6, the same day the Yankees open the season at home against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Oh, my, God.

Wall to wall coverage of the A-Rod trial... as the season gets underway.

It's over.

For. Get. A. Bout. It.

At last, we can where this is headed. A-Rod will never again swing a bat for the Yankees. Our cleanup hitter will be Chase Headley. Whatever A-Rod does, it will be for someone else... because the Yankees - the wannabee Evil Empire - are simply too pure and pristine to let someone like him soil their roster.

It's no fun defending A-Rod. These days, truth be told, it's no fun rooting for the Yankees.