Listen, we know it’s tough to catch up on everything happening in the baseball world each morning. There are all kinds of stories, rumors, game coverage, and Vines of dudes getting hit in the beans every day. Trying to find all of it while on your way to work or sitting at your desk just isn’t easy. It’s okay, though. We’re going to do the heavy lifting for you each morning, and find the things you need to see from within the SB Nation baseball network, as well as from elsewhere. Please hold your applause until the end, or at least until after you subscribe to the newsletter.
A-Rod accidentally announced his retirement, then said he’s not retiring yet
Thursday’s Say Hey, Baseball includes A-Rod’s retirement “announcement,” what to do with Aaron Sanchez and David Ortiz tearing apart Goose Gossage’s ranting.
Photo by Darren McCollester/Getty Images
* * *
On Wednesday afternoon, word came out that Alex Rodriguez planned to retire after 2017. It made a lot of sense: he’s 40 years old now, and two more seasons would mean his Yankees contract was over. It turns out that what A-Rod thought he was talking about was the end of that deal, and not the end of his career, as later on Wednesday he announced that previously, he was not aware he was making an announcement about retiring -- he only meant to say we’ll see what happens when his current deal is up two years from now.
It is not any less confusing if you read the quotes he gave both ESPN and the New York Post. “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.” As for the Post: “I’m thinking in terms of my contract which ends in 2017. After that, we’ll see what happens. I’ve got two years and more than 300 games to play.’’ So, uh, does he just mean he won’t play for the Yankees after 2017? This is the most A-Rod thing possible.
So, you might as well put away your plans to calculate whether A-Rod has enough at-bats left in him over the next two years to surpass Barry Bonds on the all-time homer list, because if he’s feeling good and he’s close enough, he just might try to squeeze 2018 in there before he goes. It all depends on whether anyone would sign him, of course -- or how much he feels like being a Dad with a capital D -- but if he manages to string together three seasons without any kind of PED incident, and he’s still performing at a level where dingers are leaving the park often, someone will sign him.
You know, unless MLB blacklists A-Rod the Free Agent. Not that they would ever do anything like that.
- Thanks to a little tweak, Sports Illustrated's cover for the Mets is now perfect.
- This 4-year-old had a dance party at first base after flipping his bat. Take that, Goose Gossage.
- Speaking of Goose, David Ortiz's response popped the "old school" bubble that Gossage refuses to leave.
- MLB commissioner Rob Manfred isn't against computerized balls and strikes, but he doesn't believe the technology is in a place where it can be done.
- The Dodgers are having a miserable spring training, but they are also in a position to survive it.
- Remember when the Braves traded Justin Upton before 2015? After 2015, they were willing to sign him to a long-term deal, but the Tigers obviously ended up being the ones who got him.
- Aaron Sanchez might not have the repertoire to start, but the Blue Jays might not have a better option, either.
- The Braves introduced some new ballpark food that looks like it was made out of whatever was around after making actual food and then someone dumped Monster energy drinks all over it, which feels like the 2016 equivalent of putting a "z" at the end of a 1990s product.
- I'd eat that everything dog, though. Not professionally, just to, you know, try it.
See More:
