Hey Alex Rodriguez, give that retirement a bit more thought
Alex Rodriguez, No. 13, of the New York Yankees, at bat in the third inning during the game against the Boston Red Sox at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 5, 2016 in Tampa, Fla. Credit: Getty Images / Justin K. Aller
DUNEDIN, Fla. — Say it ain’t so, Alex.
The Yankees may be counting the days until A-Rod’s remaining $40 million comes off the books after the 2017 season, but not us. Two years ago, during the 162-game suspension, we had Derek Jeter’s farewell tour to keep us distracted, to fill the empty spaces. But it wasn’t the same.
There is Alex Rodriguez, and then there is everyone else. The Mets famously claimed he would need 24-and-1 treatment in Flushing. Instead, A-Rod became a 699-and-1 player, a stand-alone entity in a league full of stars. So if Rodriguez is to be believed, and he truly plans on retiring at the end of his Yankees’ contract, we politely ask him to reconsider.
“I won’t play after next year,” Rodriguez told ESPN. “I’ve really enjoyed my time. For me, it is time for me to go home and be Dad.”
We certainly respect the motivation here. And A-Rod will turn 42 midway through next season. But let’s not go full LaRoche just yet. Can’t we let this play out a bit?
Rodriguez is coming off a 33-homer season for the Yankees — after a full year in exile, no less. From what we’ve seen of him so far this spring, A-Rod seems to be in great shape, and as a DH, the physical toll of baseball’s daily grind can be minimized.
What if Rodriguez can average 25 home runs over the next two seasons, a pace that would put him at 737 and in striking distance of Barry Bonds’ all-time mark of 762? Would that really be so easy to walk away from? But we’re not asking Rodriguez to digest all that now. Think about it. Maybe after another 30 bombs this season.
“His mind is on playing the next 324 games,” said Ron Berkowitz, a spokesman for Rodriguez. “It’s not like he’s looking toward retirement.”
A-Rod did not make Wednesday’s long trip to Viera with the Yankees, so he was not immediately available for follow-up questions to the ESPN report. Berkowitz cautioned, however, that Rodriguez was speaking matter-of-factly about his future employment. When this Yankees’ contract expires, he’d still have to find another club that wants him.
Should A-Rod be gaining on Bonds, that obviously won’t be a problem. Otherwise, as long as Rodriguez is productive at the plate, even in limited duty, we could see a handful of AL teams kicking the tires. Of the most recent generation, Julio Franco played until he was 49. Pete Rose, Carlton Fisk and Omar Vizquel retired at 45. Why not A-Rod?
“If you know Alex the way I know him, and you know how much baseball means to him, you kind of have an inclination that he might play as long as his body is able to hold up,” said Mets’ hitting coach Kevin Long, who worked with Rodriguez on the Yankees. “I think he’s at the point in his career where it’s becoming tougher and tougher to stay in shape . . . and play at the level he expects himself to play at.”
It’s likely that Rodriguez cheated Father Time with his Biogenesis dabbling, but we don’t know for sure how much that enhanced his performance — or for how long. And it’s also possible the year away helped Rodriguez recharge, like sipping an Arnold Palmer in the shade before hitting the back nine.
That seemed to be the case last season, when Rodriguez thrived in his return to center stage. Even with his September fade, A-Rod’s .842 OPS ranked 28th overall, between Kendrys Morales (.847) and Prince Fielder (.841). Yoenis Cespedes was an .870. This spring, Rodriguez said he learned from that first post-suspension year, and now has a smarter plan to conserve his battery for the full 162. After 21 seasons in the majors, who would know better?
Maybe at this moment, with spring training winding down, two years feels like an eternity for Rodriguez. But a lot can happen in two years. And people tend to forget the bad if they have something good to cheer, as A-Rod already has proved. Time and again.
“With his love of playing the game and competing,” Joe Girardi said, “I wouldn’t be surprised if he changed his mind.”
Listen to your manager, Alex. No need to be hasty about this.
David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.
