New York Yankees: Alex Rodriguez Says He Is Officially Retired

Former New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez officially announced his retirement and is set for life in baseball other than being a player.

The New York Yankees began Spring Training last week with a number of veterans coming back as special guest instructors. One of those former players is Alex Rodriguez.

Many people speculated about whether or not Rodriguez would try and making a comeback at some point. After Rodriguez and the Yankees agreed to a buyout last August, there were rumors that Rodriguez would make a comeback.

Nothing happened, but there was still some speculation as Rodriguez never officially announced his retirement. Maybe he would get the itch being in Spring Training after being a special guest instructor during the Arizona Fall League.

Rodriguez put any comeback talk to rest during his first day at Spring Training. Unsurprisingly there was added media with Rodriguez arriving in town. Rodriguez said he briefly thought about returning, but ultimately decided against it.

"“I thought about it for a minute,” Rodriguez said. “I flew the whole family home after that Friday night. I thought about it a little bit that weekend. I was fortunate to have a few offers. I called them back and said, ‘No thank you.'”"

Rodriguez said that he had a few offers from teams following his departure from the Yankees. He will not reveal which teams those were, but the Miami Marlins were one that reportedly showed interest in bringing Rodriguez aboard.

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While Rodriguez may not return to the field as a player, he will not be leaving the game. In addition to the Spring Training work with the Yankees, he has spent time with Fox Sports as an analyst during the postseason. He has received strong praise for his work, and the Yankees are going to try taking advantage of that as well.

Rodriguez said when he returns for his second three-day visit with the team that he will be meeting with John Filippelli, who is the President of Programming for YES Network. Eric Handler, a YES spokesman, confirmed that there are talks between the team and Rodriguez to figure out a role for Rodriguez.

While they figure out what to do with Rodriguez on the YES network, the Yankees already have a plan in place for him as an instructor. He has a lot to offer younger players, evident by the reality television show he is going to be a part of as a counselor for younger players on how to handle their finances.

That is what Rodriguez spent the first day of Spring Training doing. He chatted with coaches and players and said the most he has to offer is advice on how players should handle their business off the field.

"“I could spend all the time in the world on the field,” Rodriguez said. “But these guys are great talents. They are the best players in high school and college. I think my value is taking them out to dinner and having a three-hour dinner. Recognizing that the first hour-and-a-half, they will probably pretty nervous and pretty tight. By the second half of that dinner, they will start asking real questions.”"

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The Yankees have a number of young players that could benefit from some tips from Rodriguez. He has probably forgotten more about baseball than the normal person learns in their life. He is a wealthy of knowledge that the players and coaches alike should use to their advantage. It is not everyday that a team has a Hall of Fame worthy player walking around the field willing to share advice.

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