The Yankees are smart to keep Alex Rodriguez involved in the organization

Alex Rodriguez has been a busy man since walking away from the diamond in 2016. He remained with the Yankees as a special adviser before becoming one of the best on-air analysts with Fox Sports,. Plus, you can sprinkle in some Shark Tank appearances, an adorable segment on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and hanging out with Jennifer Lopez.

Now Rodriguez has joined the Sunday Night Baseball booth on ESPN, all the while keeping his job with Fox Sports for the postseason. It’s been an active retirement for the three-time MVP. Despite all the commitments, though, A-Rod is now reportedly in talks with Hal Steinbrenner about taking on a role with the Yankees, one the long-time third baseman is apparently quite optimistic about.

Whatever the role is, it is clear it won’t be revealed just yet. The talks seem to be ongoing. There will be logistics that need to be cleared up, like how Rodriguez will navigate his role with the team around his new commitments at ESPN. Plus, they would have to hammer out a job title.

No matter the role, keeping A-Rod as a part of the organization is a good move. Many former teammates of Rodriguez have marveled at his work ethic and thirst for baseball knowledge. Whatever analysts are talking about when they say a player has “a high baseball IQ,” Rodriguez has it in spades. Plus, he has shown he can pass it along to younger players.

Remember when a struggling Gary Sanchez made lunch plans with Rodriguez, and promptly turned into The Kraken again? The young catcher was thrilled about how the lunch went and how helpful A-Rod was in getting him back on track. Rodriguez might be the most baseball-obsessed personality we’ve ever seen, and would bring an unparalleled enthusiasm to assisting younger players advance their careers.

When you consider some of the new faces that will be in pinstripes this season, the need for Rodriguez becomes even more obvious. Recent moves — or lack thereof — from Brian Cashman suggest that Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar will play prominent roles with the Yankees in 2018. Both youngsters are right-handed infielders, and would have the luxury of learning from one of the best right-handed hitters in baseball history, who was a heck of an infielder himself.

Andujar would occupy third base, the position Rodriguez switched to in 2004 and remained for the next decade. Torres will be at second base, moving over from his normal shortstop position. Rodriguez knows exactly what it’s like to adapt to a new position from shortstop, and could help both of them make the necessary adjustments.

A-Rod is a wealth of baseball knowledge, and one of the best all-around players in the game’s history. He has always expressed a desire to remain a part of the organization, and now that it appears he will have another role, it would be in the best interest of the Yankees to get it done.