Wow...former FWST beat writer Kat O'Brien with the story:
Rodriguez opted out of the final three years of his 10-year, $252-million contract, a decision that became public during Game 4 of the World Series. He said this morning that that was a huge mistake. All along, he wanted to remain a Yankee, he said, but he was given information by Boras that led him to think the Yankees were not interested in resigning him. Rodriguez's resigning was officially announced today.
"I opted out simply because, let me preface it by saying it was a mistake," Rodriguez said. "I was pretty sure based on the information that I was getting was that the Yankees were not interested in my services. ... As far as the World Series, that was handled very poorly. My understanding was the letter would not go public until a day or two after the World Series was over. The timing was distasteful and very inappropriate. The whole thing was a mistake, it was a huge debacle."
Rodriguez and Boras were skewered by the public and the media alike for the timing of the optout. Weeks later, word got out that Rodriguez was negotiating with the Yankees - without the help of Boras - to arrange his return.
Steinbrenner, the son of longtime owner George Steinbrenner and a Yankees senior vice-president, had vowed that the Yankees would not negotiate with Rodriguez if he opted out. The reason was that the Yankees would lose the subsidy the Rangers - who originally gave Rodriguez the $252-million contract - were paying. But Rodriguez called Steinbrenner directly, he says, "shortly after" the optout, and the two sides eventually reached agreement on a contract.
Rodriguez said he made a mistake in taking verbatim what Boras told him. Boras has represented him since before he was drafted. Though Rodriguez did not fire Boras, the relationship has clearly been altered.
"I was very angry about the whole situation, I was very upset, and I voiced that to him the one time I talked to him," Rodriguez said.