There’s been sufficient speculation about the possibility of Alex Rodriguez signing with another team now that he’s formally cleared release waivers — the Marlins, most notably, have been mentioned — but Rodriguez’s publicist, Ron Berkowitz, has released a statement definitively stating that said scenario will not come to fruition. Via Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News (links to Feinsand on Twitter):
“I want to put all this talk to rest about Alex playing for any team this season. It’s not happening. Like he said Friday night, he is happy and he is going to take some time to relax and hang with his family and friends.”
It should be noted that Berkowitz specifically references the current season only, suggesting that he’s not willing to rule out the possibility of Rodriguez pursuing a contract — and his 700th career home run — in a new uniform next season. That would seem to open up a number of additional opportunities for Rodriguez, as there are potentially American League clubs that would be open to an opportunity for A-Rod over the winter that don’t feel they have a roster spot to spare in the midst of a playoff push.
Rodriguez, 41, played his final game with the Yankees on Friday night and will reportedly transition to an advisor/instructor role with the organization. He batted .200/.247/.351 with nine home runs in 243 plate appearances this season, leaving him with 696 long balls in his historic career.