Alex Rodriguez announced he will retire after the 2017 season.
The New York Yankees designated hitter shared the news during an interview with ESPN on March 23. His spokesman, Ron Berkowitz, confirmed Rodriguez’s announcement.
The slugger said he will step off the field for good after his 10-year, $275 million contract with the Yankees ends in 2017.
Berkowitz said, “at the end of the contract he’s going to be 42 years old, but we still have (324) games to go until we get to this point.”
“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,” he added.
Tampa bound with my girls!!#springbreak pic.twitter.com/U3L0frQ7eT
— Alex Rodriguez (@AROD) March 22, 2016
Rodriguez, who has had a controversial career, returned to the Yankees last season after a one-year drug suspension.
The 20-year veteran entered 2016 with 687 home runs, just 28 shy of passing Babe Ruth for third on the all-time list.
Last season he hit 33 home runs, the sixth most in Major League Baseball history for a player over 38.
According to ESPN, by the end of the 2017 season, the slugger will have made $420 million in career on-field earnings, making him the first professional athlete to surpass the $400 million mark.
Alex Rodriguez, known to fans as A-Rod, was selected as the first overall pick in the 1993 Draft by the Mariners. He debuted in July 8, 1994, and is a 14-time All-Star and three-time American League Most Valuable Player Award winner.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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