Who'd sign Alex Rodriguez after Yankee exit? A look at the slim pickings
Alex Rodriguez's last game with the New York Yankees is Friday against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium.
While it will be his last game in pinstripes, it's not necessarily his last in a major league uniform.
During his 20-minute news conference on Sunday, Rodriguez, 41, avoided the term "retirement."
He said he was "at peace with the organization’s decision," but didn't rule out the chances of ever playing again.
"I have not thought past the pinstripes," he said. "My horizon is Friday. I have not thought much more than that."
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Column: Alex Rodriguez bows out gracefully, so let's hope it sticks
A-Rod is four home runs shy of 700, 18 short of Babe Ruth. It is highly unlikely that the three-time American League MVP will reach that milestone by Friday.
“Of course, I think I can play baseball,” said Rodriguez, batting .204 with 65 strikeouts in 234 at-bats. “You always think you have one more hit in you. That wasn’t in the cards. That was the Yankees’ decision."
Rodriguez won't be an easy match, either this year or in 2017, even if it would only cost the acquiring team a pro-rated portion of the minimum salary with the Yankees paying the remaining $26 million on his contract. Here are a few potential landing spots should he want to take aim at 700:
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Rays – Rodriguez's only full-time role potentially could be at designated hitter. The Rays, 20 games under .500 in the American League East, have 0% chance of reaching the playoffs, according to Fangraphs.com. Rodriguez could DH against left-handers. And the Rays are always in need of a boost at the gate. Why not promote Rodriguez and his pursuit of 700 homers?
Miami Marlins – A perfect fit? Miami is Rodriguez’s hometown. Hitting coach Barry Bonds and Rodriguez are friends. And Rodriguez committed to the University of Miami before he signed with the Seattle Mariners. But without a DH, the Marlins' chances of picking up Rodriguez and using him as a pinch hitter are slim, mostly because they are in the thick of the National League wild card race and they have Ichiro Suzuki, 42, on the bench. The club also holds an option on Suzuki for 2017.
New York Mets – The team took a second chance and re-signed Jose Reyes, who was suspended 51 games for a domestic violence incident in 2015. With Yoenis Cespedes, Reyes, David Wright and Lucas Duda out, there's at least a mild need. If nothing else, it'd serve to again muddy the semi-functional relationship between Rodriguez and the Yankees after years of acrimony. And that might be more satisfying than any production A-Rod would bring to Citi Field.
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