It seems A-Rod will have the option to option out of his contract next year. Buster Olney has some ideas on  why he might do it.

"Alex Rodriguez can't see himself playing after his current contract expires, when he's 35 years old.

The more that I think about it, the more I'm convinced that Rodriguez will exercise his right to opt out of his contract after next season. Here's why:

A) If A-Rod has a great season, regardless of whether the Yankees win or lose, it would make sense for him to go back out on the market, considering how inflated the prices are these days.

Imagine if A-Rod hits 45 homers, drives in 130 runs, bats .300. A-Rod would be 32, and while he couldn't match the average annual salary of $27 million that he is owed for 2008-2010, he could conceivably get a deal for $160 million. If Alfonso Soriano, a corner outfielder, can get $136 million at age 31, A-Rod -- usually a terrific infielder -- could get more at 32. With Soriano, you get the offense. If A-Rod becomes a free agent next fall, interested teams would get the offense and the history, because soon, A-Rod, who got off to such a great start at a young age, will start to come into range of all-time records. That'll help fill seats.

And if the Yankees were to win the World Series next year and A-Rod were to conquer all those he's-not-part-of-the-club demons next year, then he'd have nothing more to prove.

B) If A-Rod struggles again, if he has another rough season in which he goes through slumps and throwing issues and gets hit by wave after wave of boos, and the Yankees don't win the World Series, then the contract option will be a convenient way out. He could say, 'Sorry, this is business, and I have a chance for opportunities (translated: guaranteed cash) elsewhere.' If he hits 30 homers, 110 RBI, a .280 average, somebody will throw a big offer at him.

And if A-Rod were to struggle again in 2007, I'd bet that the Yankees would be privately rooting for him to move on.

Market forces could nudge him into free agency, as well. We are still at high tide in this spending spree, and probably will be next year, when Carlos Zambrano could be the most coveted free agent pitcher, Andruw Jones the most coveted free agent position player. A-Rod would be the most prominent free agent next fall, if he chose that route.

But if he merely plays out his contract and waits until after 2010, then he would be 35 and a market correction will probably have taken effect the way it did from 2002-2005. There is a good chance he would hit free agency then at low tide."

Problem: Your franchise faces having an alltime home-run champ who is dogged by performance enhancing drugs.

Solution: Sign the odds on favorite to beat the alltime record.

Will McGowan sign A-Rod?