YANKS HAVE JOB FOR A-ROD EVEN IF HE PLAYS FOR FOE

The New York Yankees plan to retain Alex Rodriguez as a special assistant and instructor as long as he desires, even if he plays again in 2017 for another club, managing general partner Hal

Steinbrenner said Wednesday at the quarterly owners’ meetings. Rodriguez, who was owed about $27 million when he was released Saturday, announced that he would not resume his baseball career this season but has not ruled out the possibility of returning in 2017 for another club. Yet even if Rodriguez attempts a comeback, Steinbrenner said, the door will remain open for him to work in the front office as a special assistant, in a similar capacity as Yankees Hall of Famers Reggie Jackson and Goose Gossage and former Yankee Hi

deki Matsui. “It’s very flexible,” Steinbrenner said, “and it was intended to be a very flexible situation. We talked to him about it as an option. And I just wanted to let him know about his option. When we talked about ’17, it was just that was when the contract was up. It was just logical to get everything done quickly.”

— Bob Nightengale