Alex Rodriguez said he will exhaust all his options in appealing his suspension from Major League Baseball, but if that doesn’t work, a door has been opened to another alternative for playing ball this year.
The Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League have extended an offer to Rodriguez for him to join their team for the summer, according to Newsday. Rodriguez’s 211-game ban was reduced to 162 games, and he will effectively miss the entire 2014 season with the Yankees.
“While some MLB suspensions have been honored by the Atlantic League in the past, if Alex Rodriguez were unable to participate in the major leagues this season, we would be open to exploring giving him a chance to play, stay sharp and compete against a high level of competition while helping the Ducks chase a third consecutive championship,” Ducks president Michael Pfaff said in an email.
The Yankees would have to give A-Rod permission for him to play in an independent league since he is still under contract. It’s likely to be difficult for Rodriguez to find another place to play this season, considering that teams in Japan and Korea also tend to uphold MLB suspensions.
