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Yankees' slugger Alex Rodriguez will retire after the completion of the 2017 season, according to a report from Andrew Marchand of ESPN.com. Rodriguez told Marchand that he will play two more seasons, and will walk away from the game at the completion of his current contract.
Rodriguez' announcement is not a shocking one, as he will be 42 at the completion of the 2017 season and likely does not want to go through the free-agency process. He is set to earn $42 million over the next two years, which will bring his career earnings (in just base salary) to over $378 million.
Rodriguez currently sits at 687 home runs, just 75 short of the all-time record of 762 held by Barry Bonds. After hitting 33 home runs last season, he is considered unlikely to break Bonds' record in the next two seasons despite an expectation from fans that he would play until the record is broken. Rodriguez currently ranks fourth on the all-time home run list, behind only Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714).
In 21 major-league seasons with the Mariners (1994-2000), Rangers (2001-03) and Yankees (2004-present), Rodriguez owns a career .297/.382/.554 line with 687 home runs and 2,055 RBI. He has been named AL MVP on three occasions, and is a 14-time All-Star, though his Hall of Fame candidacy is in doubt due to the steroid allegations that have followed him throughout his career.