TAMPA, Fla. _ Alex Rodriguez's first day as a Yankees' spring instructor also turned out to be the last for any speculation about a possible comeback. When asked Tuesday if he was now officially retired, A-Rod didn't hesitate in his reply.
"Yes I am," Rodriguez said.
No itch to return to the majors, not a tiny urge to maybe give it another go?
"Zero," A-Rod answered. "I haven't had those thoughts."
And with that, Rodriguez moved into the next phase of his baseball career, the non-playing portion, in which he flourished as a Fox analyst during last year's playoffs and now will involve spending three days this week as a guest instructor. All while being paid $21 million this season for the final year of his contract.
Rodriguez made the decision shortly after his Aug. 12 farewell at Yankee Stadium. He said a "few" teams called him that same weekend with interest, but he wanted the Bronx ending to be his final goodbye on that stage.
"I thought about it a little bit over that weekend," Rodriguez said. "But the pinstripes mean so much to me."
Rodriguez also didn't need to be convinced after hitting .200 with nine home runs and a .351 slugging percentage in 65 games last season. Did A-Rod believe his skills had just eroded too far?
"That's a good question," Rodriguez said. "After the suspension, I put so much effort into [the 2015 season] I think I just emptied the tank."
Also, by officially announcing his retirement Tuesday, Rodriguez is eligible to be on the Hall of Fame ballot five years from now.
