Japanese team reached out to Yankees about A-Rod in offseason: source

AP

Alex Rodriguez is rehabbing from a torn labrum in his hip.

OAKLAND — There is very little doubt the Yankees would love to delete Alex Rodriguez’s budget-choking contract but the Yankees never followed up on an inquiry made last year through a third party representative by the Fukuoka Soft Bank Hawks who were interested in bringing the troubled slugger to Japan.

According to a person with knowledge of the situation after Rodriguez failed and was benched in the postseason and before news of him needing hip surgery got out, the Hawks sent word to the Yankees they were interested in talking about a transfer for Rodriguez, who will be 38 late next month.

“An unofficial inquiry was made,” the person said, confirming a story first reported by The New York Times.”There was no direct contact between the clubs and there was no engagement by the Yankees because he was an injured player.”

Hurt or not, the person said Rodriguez would never have agreed to such a move which would have been required to make such a move work. At the beginning of this year Rodriguez was owed $114 million through the 2017 season.

Rodriguez, who is linked to the Biogenesis scandal in Miami, hasn’t played this season while recovering from Jan. 16 hip surgery. The Yankees say he will return following the All Star break (July 15-18) but refuse to be more specific than that.

Rodriguez is in Tampa working out at the Yankees’ minor league complex but no date has been set for him to start a rehabilitation assignment.