A-Rod Opts Out of Contract With Yankees

[Maikeru]

Any MLB baseball fans here?

DENVER (AP) -- Alex Rodriguez opted out of his $252 million, 10-year contract with the Yankees on Sunday in what appears to be the end of his career with New York.

Rodriguez's decision, announced by agent Scott Boras during Game 4 of the World Series, makes him eligible to become a free agent.

Rodriguez loses the final $72 million in guaranteed salary in the contract, of which $21.3 million was to be covered by payments from the Texas Rangers to the Yankees. New York had said it would not attempt to re-sign A-Rod if he opted out.

Boras said during a telephone interview Rodriguez made his choice because he was uncertain whether Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte would return to the Yankees.

"Alex's decision was one based on not knowing what his closer, his catcher and one of his statured pitchers was going to do," Boras said. "He really didn't want to make any decisions until he knew what they were going."

IIRC Rivera said he would opt out if A-Rod isn't signed.

The management and ownership of the Yankees appears to have jaded the Yankees players just a bit.

I wonder who will spend the cash to sign A-Rod? If Mike Lowell chooses to not sign with the Sox for next season, even though it appears Lowell and the Red Sox are happy with one another, A-Rod is a possible candidate to go to Boston.