Alex Rodriguez has five years and $114 million remaining on his contract. And while there have been several reports that the Yankees will try to move him in the offseason, Rodriguez said Thursday that he plans to return to New York in 2013 and indicated that he won’t waive his no-trade clause.
“I love New York City. I plan to be here and I plan to come back and be productive for this team for a while,” Rodriguez said. “I will be back and I have a lot to prove and I will come back on a mission.”
Rodriguez did not start Game 4 of the American League Championship Series, though he came off the bench to go 0-for-2 as the Tigers completed their sweep of the Yankees.
Rodriguez finished the postseason 3-for-25, a .120 average. He was hardly the only Yankees hitter to turn cold when the playoffs began, but as is often the case with the three-time American League MVP, he was the center of attention throughout New York’s entire postseason run.
“What just happened here, I just don’t think it’s reflective of Alex’s abilities — and I think that’s true of a lot of the guys, not just Alex,” general manager Brian Cashman said. “We didn’t shine here at the most important part of the season the way we have throughout the season.
“That’s why we were one of the more potent offenses in the game and big threats, but at this particular time in this particular week especially, the last 10 days, we weren’t able to demonstrate what got us here. That’s obviously disappointing.”