Source: Alex Rodriguez has no plans to retire

[pwaldo]

http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/stor...-retire-source

A message to the New York Yankees and their fans from Alex Rodriguez: I'm not going anywhere.

"Alex has no plans at all to retire,'' one source with close personal ties to the embattled third baseman told ESPNNewYork.com on Thursday.

Another source, authorized by Rodriguez to speak on his behalf, passed this along: "Alex says he's working diligently on his rehabilitation and is looking forward to getting back on the field as soon as possible.''

Although neither of those statements mention Rodriguez returning to the Yankees, with whom he has been at odds since last October's playoffs, he is under contract to the team through 2017, and he is owed $114 million plus a possible $30 million more in incentive bonuses based on reaching career home run milestones.

Since the disclosure this week of the presence of Rodriguez' name in the records of Anthony Bosch, a "nutritionist'' whose Miami anti-aging clinic is suspected of supplying HGH and other performance-enhancing drugs to professional athletes, speculation has run rampant that perhaps Rodriguez would never play another game for the Yankees.

One report even went so far as to suggest that Rodriguez might retire from baseball, leaving behind the remaining money on his contract. But the word coming out of Miami, where Rodriguez has been rehabbing since undergoing hip surgery earlier this month, tells a different story indeed.

Both sources paint a picture of a player who, although stung by what he believes is a campaign by the Yankees to rid themselves of his onerous contract, is working hard to return to action sometime after the All-Star break.

When informed of Rodriguez' comments, Yankees GM Brian Cashman, who has avoided commenting publicly on Rodriguez's latest incident, responded with one word: "Good.''

Earlier this week, ESPNewYork.com reported through sources that the Yankees would explore multiple options to void Rodriguez's contract, which was extended for 10 years following his MVP season in 2007.

"(The Yankees are) looking at about 20 different things,'' said a source with knowledge of the team's thinking, although it did not appear that a PED violation would be one of them.

Baseball's collective bargaining agreement gives all power to punish drug offenders to the commissioner's office, and prohibits teams from taking any further action over and above the penalties stipulated in the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

In Rodriguez's case, that would be a 50-game suspension for a first offense, despite his 2009 admission of earlier steroid use, and only if MLB's investigators can establish a legitimate link between Rodriguez and the entries in Bosch's notebook.

That would mean either an admission of wrongdoing, evidence of a prescription written to Rodriguez for an illegal substance, or a sworn affidavit from Bosch that is accepted as fact by an impartial arbiter.

One avenue that appeared open to the club, the possibility that they could penalize Rodriguez, and perhaps even void the rest of his contract, by establishing that his hip injury was the result of PED use. However, that may have been eliminated when Dr. Bryan Kelly, the surgeon who repaired the torn labrum in Rodriguez' left hip, told reporters that the injury was the result of a congenital condition and not drug-related.

However, if Rodriguez were unable to play again due to the injury, the Yankees could recoup a good portion of the money owed him through the insurance policy on his contract.

[ajcorleone]

Oh how i hope that contract gets voided.

[mess0312]

Oh how i hope that contract gets voided.

Yeah really, Alex before you telling everybody you're not going anywhere, you should talk to the management that is looking for any excuse to ship you out of town!

I do like the Hafner deal though, he'll have a solid year with the Yanks.....

[ajcorleone]

If healthy and that is a big IF he will benefit from the porch in right.But Hafner has not shown his power of 4 years ago at all.

Yeah really, Alex before you telling everybody you're not going anywhere, you should talk to the management that is looking for any excuse to ship you out of town!

I do like the Hafner deal though, he'll have a solid year with the Yanks.....

[baseballboy2]

It's almost like A-Roid knows that he has backed the Yankees into a corner. I interpreted that statement as a wise ™™™ comment. "I'm not going anywhere". It's like he's rubbing it in their faces. This is just one of the many reasons why I dislike Brian Cashman. He doesn't think before he throws around outrageous contracts. The Phillies are facing the same problem as well. They got themselves tied up in all these big contracts with old dinosaurs, and now, it's coming back to haunt them. I just wish the Yankees can hold onto one friggin good prospect when they have one. I understand that as a result of their success, they have wealth, but that doesn't mean you can't build your team from the ground up once in a while.

[baseballboy2]

Since the Yankees like throwing money around so much, they should go after Roy Oswalt. They can probably fetch him for close to nothing. The back end of their rotation is bound to have some problems like it always does, so why not?

[BigBaller23]

This is unfortunate.

[angel0430]

If I am the Yankees GM, I would do anything I can to cancel that contract. He is old, he is not producing, he is injured and now he is being accused of ussing PEDs again. Just cancel the contract and spend the money on a couple more players. That is a lot of money to throw around.

[gladdyontherise]

I hope A-Rod enjoys the fans booing him even worse than normal for 5 years then. It might get nasty during home games with him.

[ProspectorDave]

I hope A-Rod enjoys the fans booing him even worse than normal for 5 years then. It might get nasty during home games with him.

I'd be very surprised if Rodriguez comes back, to be honest. First with the hip issue, and now with the PED allegations. He may just as well hang it up.