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Alex Rodriguez's Retirement Plans Not So Clear After All

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- If Alex Rodriguez hopes to have a career in broadcasting after baseball, he'd better make his points clearer than he did when discussing his retirement Wednesday.

A-Rod seemingly revealed to ESPN that he was preparing to call it quits after the 2017 season.

"I won't play after next year," the Yankees slugger said. "I've really enjoyed my time. For me, it is time for me to go home and be Dad."

Seems definitive enough, right?

Wrong.

Hours later, despite that A-Rod's spokesman confirmed the retirement plan to The Associated Press, Rodriguez was backing off his comments, telling both the New York Post and New York Daily News the same exact thing in an email and text message, respectively: "I'm thinking in terms of my contract which ends in 2017. After that, we'll see what happens. I've got two years and more than 300 games to play."

So was he misunderstood? Is he leaving his options open beyond 2017? Or is he trying to put the cat back in the bag?

One thing is for certain: Retirement is at least on Rodriguez's mind, which isn't surprising considering he turns 41 in July.

"It's been a lot of fun," A-Rod told ESPN, reflecting on his career, which began in 1994. "It has been very challenging at times, but it has been an incredible learning experience. I would say that the two years that I've probably enjoyed the most were my first when I was 19 and won the batting title with [Ken] Griffey and last year. The contrast of those two, at 40 and 18 or 19. It is hard to believe."

Rodriguez is due $21 million in each of the final two years on his contract. He enters his 22nd season with 687 career home runs, which ranks fourth all-time behind Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth.

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