For Rodriguez and Yankees, It's All but Over  —  Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, who had one of the best statistical seasons in the storied history of the Yankees, opted out of the final three years on his 10-year, $252 million contract Sunday, according to his agent.

A-Rod to opt out of contract  —  Newly crowned Aaron Award winner ends Yankees tenure  —  NEW YORK — Alex Rodriguez has opted out of the final three years of his contract with the Yankees and will become a free agent, likely ending his four-year stay in New York.

Agent: A-Rod opts out of contract with Yankees  —  DENVER — Alex Rodriguez opted out of his $252 million, 10-year contract with the Yankees on Sunday in what appears to be the end of his career with New York.  —  Rodriguez's decision, announced by agent Scott Boras during Game 4 of the World Series …

Yankees to offer A-Rod 5-year extension in ballbark of $140M  —  By MARK FEINSAND in New York and BILL MADDEN in Denver  —  The Yankees are putting together an offer for Alex Rodriguez designed to keep the superstar in pinstripes through his 40th birthday.

Sox scale peak again … DENVER - Back in 2004, New England cried collective tears of joy when the Red Sox [team stats] brought 86 years of futility to a resounding end, exorcising the restless souls of lost generations that never had the opportunity to see their beloved team win a World Series title.

Sox two good to be true  —  Golden era of titles for team  —  DENVER - Now, when history repeats itself, the refrain is one of celebration, not condemnation.  —  Same old Red Sox [team stats].  —  And so the team without a world championship for nearly a century now has two in the span …

Lowell named World Series MVP  —  DENVER —Mike Lowell is much more than some throw-in on a Red Sox trade.  He's the World Series MVP.  —  The steady third baseman capped an outstanding October with a big performance Sunday night, earning MVP honors as Boston finished a four-game sweep with a 4-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies.

Near end, there's no hint Rockies belong here  —  Um, Matt Holliday never touched the plate.  —  In the aftermath of another Colorado defeat, that's looking kind of relevant again.  For it was Holliday's phantom run in the 13th inning of a one-game playoff against San Diego that sent …

Joe Girardi apparent leader in race for Yanks' manager  —  By MARK FEINSAND in New York and BILL MADDEN in Denver  —  The Yankees apparently have reached a decision on a new manager, which they are prepared to announce Sunday or Monday, and there were increasing signs Saturday night pointing to Joe Girardi.