Former Mets' GM Steve Phillips once admitted Alex Rodriguez almost became a Met, but his salary was a roadblock

Before Alex Rodriguez's final game with the Yankees in 2016, Former New York Mets GM Steve Phillips recalled A-Rod's negotiations as a free agent after the 2000 campaign.

Phillips told the New York Daily News that the infamous "24-plus-1" remarks were wrong. Those comments were about the contract demands of Rodriguez and then-agent Scott Boras wanted to be included in a deal, such as personal office space at Shea Stadium and maximum billboard exposure in New York.

Phillips noted that "other organizations have had success doing that," citing the Yankees as an example. They permitted top pitchers Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson to fly home between starts.

In addition, Phillips acknowledged that he had "thought about" how a signing of that nature may have changed New York baseball during the previous 12 to 15 years.

Another issue, per Phillips, was the salary:

"The Mets weren't going to pay $25 million a year."

Instead, Rodriguez went on to play for the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees, where he became a legend for the team.

Alex Rodriguez's MLB career and current endeavors

Former American professional baseball shortstop and third baseman Alex Rodriguez is a philanthropist and a businessman.

Rodriguez played for 22 MLB seasons with the Seattle Mariners (1994–2000), Texas Rangers (2001–2003), and the New York Yankees (2004–2016). He retired a Yankees legend, with career stats boasting a .295 batting average and 696 home runs.

Rodriguez is the CEO and Chairman of A-Rod Corp, in addition to being the Chairman of Presidente Beer. He also has equity in the NBA team Minnesota Timberwolves.

Rodriguez is recognized as one of the all-time greats of the game and was one of the most highly awaited prospects in baseball at the time of his professional debut.