Scott Boras says the New York Yankees could still negotiate with Alex Rodriguez if they wanted to. Boras maintained Wednesday that the Yankees should treat A-Rod the same way they deal with reliever Mariano Rivera and catcher Jorge Posada, who also are free agents. "Why is it that Alex is the only Yankee who can't become a free agent?" Boras said Wednesday. "That question was not answered, and we think it's a question that's going to be asked for years to come." The Yankees had repeatedly said that they wouldn't negotiate with Rodriguez if he opted out because they would lose the subsidy the Texas Rangers agreed to as part of the 2004 trade that sent A-Rod to New York. Rodriguez terminated his contract on Sunday. "We were very sincere and honest and direct with Scott Boras. ... It's a lot of money -- to any franchise, even the New York Yankees," general manager Brian Cashman said Tuesday. "It was just a representation of simple economics: $30 million is nothing to sneeze at." New York was owed $21.3 million from Texas over the final three years of Rodriguez's contract, which also called for the Rangers to pay him $3 million annually in money to be deferred.