A-Rod opts out of contract, likely to part ways with Yankees

DENVER -- Alex Rodriguez and agent Scott Boras picked quite a time for their big announcement.

Smack in the middle of Game 4 of the World Series, Boras ended months of speculation and said A-Rod is opting out of the final three seasons of his contract with the New York Yankees.

Oh, and Boras let the Yankees know by leaving a voice mail for general manager Brian Cashman.

"Kind of strange timing," Red Sox president Larry Lucchino said after Boston completed its sweep of Colorado.

Red Sox fans sure took notice fast. After their team won the title for the second time in four seasons, they stood behind the visitors' dugout at Coors Field and chanted: "Don't sign A-Rod!"

In a decision that likely ends four tumultuous and unfulfilling seasons with the Yankees, Rodriguez forfeited $72 million he was owed over the final three seasons of his record $252 million, 10-year deal, which he signed with Texas before the 2001 season. The Yankees lose $21.3 million in remaining payments from the Rangers, a subsidy agreed to at the time of his 2004 trade.

New York, which failed to make the World Series in all of Rodriguez's seasons, has said it would not attempt to re-sign A-Rod if he opted out. Hank Steinbrenner, a son of Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, reiterated that point Monday, dismissing the possibility of negotiations.

It looks like Alex Rodriguez will be packing his bags and moving on to a new team. (Getty Images)

"No chance," he said from Tampa. "Not if it's made official (filing letters on opting out). I haven't talked with Brian yet today."

Hank Steinbrenner did not make much of the announcement coming during the World Series.

"It doesn't matter to me, the timing," he said. "But I'm sure there's a lot of people that aren't very happy about it. Other baseball people, the commissioner's office, the Red Sox."

Hank Steinbrenner said the team left messages with Rodriguez, and "we really wanted to meet with him."

"We wanted him to stay a Yankee. We wanted to let him know how much we wanted him," he said. "The bottom line is ... do we really want anybody that really doesn't want to be a Yankee? How the heck can you do that? Compare him with Jeter. Jeter, since he was a little kid, all he ever wanted to do was play shortstop for the Yankees. That's what we want."

As for the possibility of A-Rod winding up in Boston, Lucchino said: "We're staying out of that discussion."