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Alex Rodriguez could be appearing on-air during Yankee games in the near future. According to Andrew Marchand of ESPN, Rodriguez and the YES Network are in talks about a role for the former third baseman.
It wouldn’t be a new gig for A-Rod, who has shown some strong analytical ability while calling postseason games for FOX Sports in the last couple years. His on-air abilities have been pretty much universally praised, and it’s easy to see how he could bring his wealth of baseball knowledge over to YES.
The Yankees continue to find expanded roles for the now-retired Rodriguez. He is appearing in camp as a instructor down in Tampa this year, and works in an official capacity as a special advisor in the front office. Taking on the role of mentor with young Yankees is nothing new for Rodriguez, but having it be his sole focus is.
Rodriguez said this week that he has zero desire to return to baseball, despite receiving offers from unnamed teams after the Yankees cut him last season. It seems like A-Rod’s ultimate goal after baseball might be to own a team rather than serving as a manager, but he would be a valuable asset in any on-field capacity.
It’s nice to see the Yankees extending an olive branch to Rodriguez after some nastiness between the two sides in the final years of Rodriguez’s tenure with the team. It is obvious how he can help the on-field product by giving pointers to current Yankees, but he can also share his immense knowledge of baseball with those of us watching at home by being brought on as an announcer.