Hal Steinbrenner may consider honoring Alex Rodriguez in Monument Park

Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner may consider honoring retiring slugger Alex Rodriguez in Monument Park.

Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner may consider honoring retiring slugger Alex Rodriguez in Monument Park, he said Monday.

When asked on ESPN Radio’s “The Michael Kay Show” if Rodriguez would receive a plaque out in centerfield next to the likes of Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and Derek Jeter, Steinbrenner wouldn’t rule it out.

“That is a bridge to cross when I come to it,” he said. “But he has done a lot for this organization and it hasn’t just been on the field. I’m talking about players way back, like [Robinson] Cano. He was a mentor, too. He has done a lot for this organization on the field, but also off the field that a lot of people don’t know about. He has been a great leader and he’s been a great mentor.”

The Yankees announced on Sunday that Rodriguez would play his final major-league game on Friday, and become a team adviser and instructor through Dec. 31, 2017. He will report directly to Steinbrenner.

• Alex Rodriguez was a legend and it wasn't due to PEDs

Rodriguez was suspended for the entire 2014 season after he was found to be using performance-enhancing drugs in the Biogenisis scandal. There is, however, precedent for the team honoring a PED user such as Rodriguez; the Yankees gave Andy Pettitte, who admitted to HGH use, a plaque last season.

The 41-year-old enters his final week with 796 career home runs, which ranks fourth all-time. He is in his 12th season with the Yankees, and helped lead the team to a World Series title in 2009.

– Kenny Ducey