The New York Yankees have announced that their 14-time All-Star Alex Rodriguez will play his final game with the Major League Baseball team on Friday.
The 41-year-old Rodriguez will then be released and has been offered a job in the front office as a special advisor and instructor, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said.
Rodriguez, whose career was tainted by his use of performance-enhancing drugs, said his decision to accept a front office role was a difficult one. But he did not rule out playing for another team down the road.
A-Rod’s release will cap a legendary but contentious career with the Yankees which saw him repeatedly embroiled in controversy since arriving in New York in 2004 from the Texas Rangers.
“This is a tough day,” Rodriguez said. “I love this game and I love this team. Today, I say goodbye to both. This is also a proud day. I was 18 when I broke into the big leagues. I never thought I could play for 22 years. I want to thank the Steinbrenner family for giving me this opportunity and making me part of this team and giving me the opportunity to stay involved and mentor the next generation of Yankees.”
The Yankees made him a designated hitter in a resurgent 2015 season but he has slumped mightily this season and has started just one game since July 22.
He is in a four-for-36 batting slump and has struck out in five of his last six at-bats.
In March, Rodriguez said he planned to retire at the end of the 2017 season. He now says he still feels he can play baseball.
“Sure, I think I can play baseball,” Rodriguez said.
“You always think you have one more hit. No athlete ever ends his career the way you want to. We all want to keep playing forever.”
The Yankees felt otherwise and decided to part ways with him as part of a roster overhaul. “That was the Yankees’ decision and I accept it,” he said.
Rodriguez’s career has been marred by his admitted use of performance-enhancing drugs. He missed the entire 2014 season after his acceptance of a 162-game suspension from the league.
Rodriguez is four home runs shy of 700 for his career. He has two homers since June 3, leaving his career total at 696. He trails only Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714) on the career list.
Many of his Yankee teammates
attended Monday’s news conference, sitting in a row of seats in the back of the room. Manager Joe Girardi said he is going to sit down and talk to Rodriguez and ask him how he wants to end his playing days with the team.
“I am going to talk to him and see where he is at,” Girardi said. “He has the right to change his mind if he gets home and says ‘You know what, I want to keep going.’ Players die two lives. Once when you take the uniform off and once when you die naturally.”
Rodriguez has a $20 mn salary this year and is owed $20mn more in 2017, the final season of a $275mn, 10-year deal that was the league’s largest when he signed it.
“He gets everything he deserves. The contract he negotiated is in full force,” Cashman said.
The Yankees said Rodriguez in his new role would be assigned to work with
various players at all levels of the farm system, including some of the club’s top prospects.
He will offer instruction to players in conjunction with the Yankees Baseball Operations and Player Development Departments.
Rodriguez said he would leave the team after Friday’s game and doesn’t expect to start working as an instructor until next spring training.
“It’s been very painful and embarrassing to sit on the bench. It’s been awkward,” Rodriguez said.
MLB Results
TORONTO 7 Tampa Bay 5
San Francisco 8 MIAMI 7
Atlanta 4 MILWAUKEE 3
MINNESOTA 3 Houston 1
ST. LOUIS 5 Cincinnati 4
Texas 4 COLORADO 3
OAKLAND 3 Baltimore 2
SEATTLE 3 Detroit 0
LA DODGERS 9 Philadelphia 4
(Home team in CAPS)
Alex Rodriguez
