Former New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez on Tuesday said he is through playing baseball.
Rodriguez said he is retired and that there is "zero" percent chance that he will change his mind.
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New York Yankees Alex Rodriguez walks off of the field with daughters Natasha and Ella after his final game in the MLB against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium in New York City on August 12, 2016. Alex Rodriguez will end his 22-year playing career with the fourth-most homers in Major League history at 697. Rodriguez will remain in the Yankees organization as an instructor. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
The 41-year-old Rodriguez made the declaration during a press conference in Tampa, Fla., trumpeting his new role as a special adviser to the Yankees. He will serve as a special instructor during spring training.
Rodriguez finished his career with 696 homers, narrowly missing on becoming just the fourth player in baseball history to reach 700.
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His 22-year career was plagued by steroid use allegations and he was suspended for the entire 2014 season due to his use of performance-enhancing substances.
The Yankees are paying Rodriguez $21 million in 2017 in the final season of a 10-year, $275 million contract. The team released him as a player last August.
Rodriguez said he was tempted to continue playing last season when a couple teams expressed interest.
"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.'"
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Rodriguez batted just .200 with nine homers prior to his release last season. He said it was hard to recover from 2015 when he returned from the one-year suspension and stunningly clubbed 33 homers and drove in 86 runs.
"After serving the suspension, I just put so much effort into 2015, and I honestly think I emptied the tank," Rodriguez said. "Having the opportunity that (owner Hal Steinbrenner) gave me, to not only come back and finish strong but also kind of get my life back together. To me, that's where the win was."
Only Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714) hit more homers than Rodriguez in baseball history.
Rodriguez concludes his career with a .295 batting average, 3,115 hits and 2,086 RBIs. Only Aaron (2,297) had more RBIs.
Rodriguez was a three-time American League MVP and 14-time All-Star. He broke into the majors with the Seattle Mariners in 1994 and joined the Texas Rangers as a free agent following the 2000 season.
The Rangers traded Rodriguez to the Yankees after he won the 2003 AL MVP award and the return package included Alfonso Soriano.
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