Alex Rodriguez may not be able to play with the Yankees during the regular season, but he may be able to play baseball nonetheless. The Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League, an independent league that is not associated with Major League Baseball, have invited Rodriguez to play for them this season.
Players of Rodriguez’s caliber tend not to populate the rosters in the independent leagues. They are typically made up of players who couldn’t cut it in the Minor Leagues, older players who served no use to Major League teams even in the lower levels, and players attempting to make a comeback. Among those on the Ducks roster last season were Dontrelle Willis, Ian Snell, Bill Hall, and Josh Barfield. In the past, the Ducks have given uniforms to Jose Canseco, Jose Offerman (who ended up assaulting pitcher Matt Beech and catcher John Nathans with a bat in 2007), and John Rocker.
Rodriguez will turn 39 years old on July 27. Despite $64 million remaining on his contract between 2015-17, many believe that the 162-game suspension handed down to Rodriguez today by arbitrator Fredric Horowitz could end Rodriguez’s career as a Major Leaguer.
Update: As Keith Law points out on Twitter, the Uniform Player Contract would prevent Rodriguez from playing for the Ducks. Craig Calcaterra posted a link to the UPC about three years ago, which you can still see here. To quote from the contract:
5.(a) The Player agrees that, while under contract, and prior to expiration of the Club’s right to renew this contract, he will not play baseball otherwise than for the Club, except that the Player may participate in post-season games under the conditions prescribed in the Major League Rules. Major League Rule 18(b) is set forth herein.