Alex Rodriguez opted out of his $252 million, 10-year contract with the New York Yankees on Sunday in what appears to be the end of his career with New York. Agent Scott Boras said in an e-mail to The Associated Press that Rodriguez had made the decision. On Saturday, the Yankees asked to meet with the third baseman and league sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney that the team was prepared to make him an offer that would have exceeded, in average salary, the $27 million per year that he was scheduled to make over the next three seasons -- and A-Rod would have be in line to set yet another salary benchmark. The offer would have been for something in the range of five years -- beyond the three years Rodriguez is already under contract for, from 2008-10 -- and perhaps $30 million a year.