Alex Rodriguez to play last game Friday, to become adviser for Yanks

The New York Yankees have announced thatAlex Rodriguezwill play his final game Friday then assume a position asa special adviser and instructor with the team.

Following Friday's game, Rodriguez will be unconditionally released by the Yankees from his player contract in order to sign a contract to serve as a special adviser and instructor with the Yankees through December 31, 2017.

The Yankees, who are pushing to playing younger players, are contractually obligated to pay Rodriguez the remainder of his $21 million salary for this season and the $21 million he is owed for 2017.

Statistically speaking, Rodriguez is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but he may never get in because he was suspended a then-record full season in 2014 for performance-enhancing drug use. It was the second time he had admitted to using PEDs.

The Yankees had basically made Rodriguez a full-time bench player this season a year after he was a vital member of the lineup during his 33-home run comeback in 2015. But he never could get going in 2016, hitting just .204 with 9 home runs and 29 RBIs in 62 games. His OPS is .609.

Rodriguez, 41, has won three MVPs and has made 14 All-Star teams during his 19 full seasons in the big leagues. He is fourth on the all-time home run list with 696, trailing leader Barry Bonds (762) by 66.

The announcement comes just two days after Yankees first basemanMark Teixeiraannounced he would retire at the end of the season.