New York Yankees Roster Rumors: A-Rod Denies Retirement Claims
Alex Rodriguez isn't quite sold on the perks of retirement just yet. While New York Yankees fans will have to start acquiescing to the fact that the 40-year old may finally call it a career, the slugger himself apparently isn't going down that path, at least for this season.
Although he initially was quoted saying that he was going to retire after the 2017 season, he later said that his comments were misconstrued. According to A-Rod, he merely was talking about his current contract that ends in 2017.
Rodriguez became a recipient of one of the most outrageous contracts signed in professional sports when the Yankees gave him a 10-year deal worth $275 million. In the ESPN interview, he said, "I won't play after next year. I've really enjoyed my time. For me, it is for to go home and be Dad."
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There is little doubt that Rodriguez still has what it takes to contribute. There aren't that many 40-year old players in the league who has the same level of talent and competitiveness as he has. In more than two decades in the major league, he hit .297/.382/.554, with 687 homers. Those numbers make him a surefire Hall of Famer once he retires.
His career isn't perfect, though. Later in the 21 years of playing baseball, he has been subjected to ridicule due to steroid use accusations while admitting that he indeed used some time in his career. The lowest point in his MLB career came in 2014 when the league handed down a 162-game suspension for steroid use.
But even that kind of adversity didn't stop him from creating a legacy in New York. After missing the entire 2014 season, he bounced back in style, hitting 33 homers and in the process completely avoiding any off-field issue.
Although he's still in denial about retiring, his age will tell otherwise. It may not be long before he eventually changes tune and tell the world he's ready to hang it up. After all, he's made more than enough from the sport.
