MVP Alex Rodriguez may get traded by the Rangers

Alex Rodriguez heads for first base after hitting his 300th career home run against the Angels at Edison Field in Anaheim, California, on April 2. PHOTO: AP

Alex Rodriguez became the second player from a last-place team to win a Most Valuable Player award, then confirmed that the Texas Rangers have talked to him about a possible trade.

"Management has approached me with a situation and some choices, and I'm just going to keep my doors open right now," Rodriguez said Monday from Mexico during a conference call.

Rodriguez 242 points for the American League award in voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Toronto first baseman Carlos Delgado was second with 213 points, followed by New York Yankees catcher Jorge Posada with 194.

Showing split among the writers, 10 players received first-place votes, one short of the record set in the 1947 NL vote and matched in the 1977 AL vote.

Last year, Rodriguez finished second in MVP voting to Oakland shortstop Miguel Tejada and in 1996 he finished three points behind the Rangers' Juan Gonzalez.

"It means the world to me," Rodriguez said. "I'm so proud. It really is a validation to all the hard work and dedication.''

Rodriguez completed three seasons of a US$252 million, 10-year contract, the richest in baseball history. He has been paid US$56 million and gets another US$500,000 on Dec. 1. He also is owed US$12 million plus interest in deferred payments from the contract's first three seasons.

Rodriguez he thought there had been talks about a possible trade with ``three of four teams'' but didn't elaborate.

"I did not approach management, management approached me," Rodriguez said. "I'm just going to leave the door open."

Texas manager John Hart said last week he wasn't looking to deal his star.

"We're not having any conversations with any team about Alex Rodriguez," Hart said. "If anybody were to call, of course we'd listen."

While Rodriguez praised Texas owner Tom Hicks, he refused comment several times when asked about his relationship with Hart and manager Buck Showalter.

Rodriguez, who has the right to veto trades, said that after he was approached by the team about a possible trade, he thought about it for a few days, then gave the team "flexibility" to discuss a deal.

He realizes it would be difficult to trade such a large contract.

"I'll probably end up being the shortstop for the Texas Rangers this year, and that's fine with me," Rodriguez said.