A-Rod relishes 'incredibly fun year' despite early exit

In a somber New York Yankees clubhouse, moments after they were eliminated from the postseason with a 3-0 loss to the Houston Astros in the American League wild-card game, Alex Rodriguez couldn't help but acknowledge how much he enjoyed playing baseball this summer.

“It’s been an incredibly fun year,” Rodriguez told reporters. “I’ve had a lot of fun. I’m grateful for the opportunity to come back and re-establish myself as a major-league player. Obviously, today was very disappointing.”

Rodriguez, the 14-time All-Star who missed all of 2014 serving the longest PED-related suspension in the history of the game, returned with aplomb this season, largely defying expectations with his performance at the plate. As the club's everyday designated hitter, Rodriguez clobbered 33 homers with an .842 OPS in 151 games, his most since 2007, when he earned his third career MVP award.

"I felt pretty good. I played in a lot of games," Rodriguez said. "I think that was the biggest surprise of the whole year, for me and for everyone. I certainly didn't think during Spring Training I'd post up over 150 times. I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful for the opportunity."

Rodriguez, like so many of New York's veterans, will be back next year, too. The 40-year-old remains under contract for the next two seasons, with a combined $42 million heading his way through 2017.

"We'll continue to expect good things," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said.