Alex Rodriguez is going to call it quits after his contract ends.
The New York Yankees slugger told ESPN’s Andrew Marchand that he will retire following the 2017 season – the last year of his 10-year, $275 million contract.
“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.”
A-Rod, who will turn 41 on July 27, had a renaissance last year after being suspended for the entire 2014 season for taking performance-enhancing drugs. Rodriguez hit 33 home runs and drove in 86 runs in 151 games in 2015.
Rodriguez came to the Yankees in 2004 in a trade that rocked the baseball world when New York sent Alfonso Soriano to the Texas Rangers.
Despite winning two MVPs and a World Series with the Yanks, the mercurial slugger has never been viewed as a fan favorite, seemingly playing second fiddle to Derek Jeter.
Last season, the Yanks tried to block Rodriguez from receiving contract escalators after passing Willie Mays on the all-time home run list. The two came to a compromise as the Yankees donated the money to charity.
Over 21 seasons, A-Rod has tallied 687 home runs and 3,070 hits with a .297 average. Despite the gaudy numbers, it’s unlikely he will ever reach the Hall of Fame due to his PED use.
Source: New York CBS Local