Rodriguez tells Yankees he wants to stay with the team

~ Agent Scott Boras isn't involved in the latest discussion with New York.

NEW YORK -- Stay-Rod?

In a startling turn of events, Alex Rodriguez and his wife met with New York Yankees executives Hal and Hank Steinbrenner on Wednesday in Tampa, Fla., and told them he wants to stay in pinstripes.

His longtime agent, Scott Boras, wasn't involved in the talks. Yankees officials sounded confident the negotiations could lead to an agreement.

"The past is the past. I don't know what brought about him approaching us," Yankees senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner said in a telephone interview. "I guess you could say things didn't go the way before that he intended on and weren't handled properly or whatever.

"But the bottom line, the only thing that really matters, is he wants to stay a Yankee. And it could be very well that he's always wanted to stay a Yankee and we just didn't know it."

Rodriguez, likely to win his third AL MVP award next week, had not made any public statements since becoming a free agent following the Yankees' first-round loss to Cleveland in the playoffs. After consulting with his wife and family, Rodriguez reached out to Hank and his brother, Hal, through a third party.

"It became clear to me that I needed to make an attempt to engage the Yankees regarding my future with the organization," Rodriguez said in a statement. "Prior to entering into serious negotiations with other clubs, I wanted the opportunity to share my thoughts directly with Yankees' ownership. We know there are other opportunities for us, but Cynthia and I have a foundation with the club that has brought us comfort, stability and happiness."

When first contacted, the Yankees wondered whether the message was serious. Before Rodriguez terminated his record $252 million, 10-year contract Oct. 28 -- forfeiting $72 million over the final three seasons -- Boras told the Yankees they would have to make a $350 million offer just to get a meeting with the third baseman.

New York was notified of A-Rod's decision to opt out during Game 4 of the World Series, and the timing angered commissioner Bud Selig and his staff.

Hank Steinbrenner and general manager Brian Cashman said talks were over because the Yankees lost the $21.3 million subsidy the Texas Rangers agreed to at the time of the 2004 trade that sent A-Rod to New York.

But after A-Rod hit the open market, the Los Angeles Angels were the only team that expressed a public desire to explore signing him.

Ill will was plentiful.

New York let A-Rod know that giving up the $21 million was pretty much a precondition for any talks.