New York Yankees Rumors: Alex Rodriguez Returning For 2017 MLB Season?


New York Yankees rumors about an Alex Rodriguez return have taken over social media. Rodriguez and the Yankees seemed to part ways during the 2016 MLB season, but it appears the All-Star shortstop may not be done with baseball. A report from Yahoo! Sports on Saturday, Oct. 8, puts the whole situation in a new light after a comment that Rodriguez made during the live pre-game broadcast for the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals.

Pete Rose posed a question of Alex Rodriguez that led to a very interesting response. Rose wanted to know Rodriguez’s thoughts on David Ortiz lacing up his spikes for the last time, so he asked, “How’s that feel?” When Rodriguez responded with, “Stay tuned,” baseball fans around the country immediately felt he was leaving bread crumbs. So is A-Rod really hinting at a return to the Yankees for the 2017 MLB season? Or was he just using the platform to get back on the front of the sports page?

[Image by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images]

There was a lot of mystery when Alex Rodriguez left the New York Yankees on August 12, 2016. While there were a lot of Yankees rumors about the former MVP retiring, Rodriguez never actually said that he was leaving baseball. The Yankees did end up releasing A-Rod, but he is still under contract with the team for the 2017 MLB season. The Yankees have to pay him $21 million next year, whether he plays another game for the team or not. The comments Rodriguez made on Saturday raise some interesting questions.

An earlier report from CBS Sports explained in detail how the Yankees would still be on the “hook” for the remainder of Rodriguez’s contract. At the time, it was reported that the Yankees still owed him an estimated $27 million on the deal, which he was scheduled to receive even after possibly playing his final game for the team. This information was confirmed by Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, which cleared the way for the team to start calling up more young players from the Minor League system.

There had been various New York Yankees rumors for a number of years, all dating back to the 2013 MLB season, where the franchise looked into voiding its contract with Alex Rodriguez. The Biogenesis doping scandal was at the center of the controversy, where Rodriguez admitted to taking PEDs during his time with the Texas Rangers (2001-2003). Though he stated that he never took PEDs as a member of the Yankees, his third Major League team did everything it could to part ways with Rodriguez.

At that point, Rodriguez still had $117 million left on his $275, 10-year contract. By the end of the 2017 MLB season, Rodriguez will have earned roughly $392 million during his time in Major League Baseball. That is still a record for player salaries, with most of the money earned after he left the Seattle Mariners following the 2000 MLB season. He did miss out on some money during a 162-game suspension by MLB, but Rodriguez ended up returning to the Yankees as soon as he was eligible to do so.

[Image by Christopher Pasatieri/Getty Images]

So what is Alex Rodriguez hinting at for the 2017 MLB season? If he signs a contract with a new team, it could be at the minimum wage for a veteran player, giving a new franchise a discount for giving Rodriguez a shot. It would keep the Yankees culpable for the remainder of his salary, still, even if he isn’t on the team. It seems highly unlikely that the Yankees would take a step back from the recent “youth movement” and allow Rodriguez to play for the team again.

The most likely scenario is that Rodriguez remains with the Yankees as a special advisor, unless another franchise really feels he has enough left in the “tank” to warrant a spring training invite. During a great start to the 2016 MLB Playoffs, somehow Alex Rodriguez has made himself a story again. This will keep New York Yankees rumors flowing during the offseason, suggesting the team isn’t quite dome with this drama.

[Featured Image by Michael Heiman/Getty Images]

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