His agent convinced him he needed the money and a change of scenery…and frankly, the Yankees are better off without the circus.

Here’s Brian Cashman’s official press release on A-Rod opting out of his contract:

“I received a message from Scott Boras last night informing me that Alex Rodriguez formally opted out of the final three seasons of his contract. We always understood that it was his contractual right to do so.

“We expressed our interest in keeping him in pinstripes, and requested the opportunity to convey those feelings to him directly with the Steinbrenner family in an open, face-to-face dialogue.

“Alex was a key part of our success over the last four seasons, and I appreciate having the opportunity to work with him. I wish Alex, Cynthia and their growing family the best of luck in the future. I only wish we could have raised a championship trophy together during his time here, which was the ultimate goal we all shared.”