Report: Yankees could release A-Rod before season ends

With the New York Yankees clearly looking toward the future, having traded away Carlos Beltran, Ivan Nova, Andrew Miller, and Aroldis Chapman in recent days, slumping designated hitter Alex Rodriguez may be the next to go.

On Monday, as the Yankees bolstered an already impressive farm system by sending Beltran to Texas and Nova to Pittsburgh, one source told the New York Daily News that the 41-year-old getting released before the end of the season "could happen."

"There’s a lot that’s happened today that we haven’t had a chance to really sit down as a staff, sit down with (general manager) Brian (Cashman) and talk about what we think is best," manager Joe Girardi said. "I'm not so sure there won't be other things done during the course of this week, too."

After returning with aplomb in 2015 following a season-long suspension for PED use, Rodriguez has struggled mightily this year, hitting just .205/.253/.358 (63 OPS+) with nine homers in 61 games while also missing more than three weeks with a hamstring injury in May. Rodriguez, whose -1.1 WAR in 2016 represents a career-low, is owed about another $8 million this summer and is set to earn $21 million next year in the final season of a 10-year extension.

Currently four home runs shy of 700 for his career, Rodriguez has accrued 113 WAR over his 22 seasons in the big leagues, hitting .295/.380/.550 (140 OPS+) while earning three American League MVP awards, 14 All-Star appearances, 10 Silver Slugger awards, and a pair of Gold Gloves.