Yankees GM: Rivera 'Not Sure' Whether He'll Return Or Retire
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Have we seen Mariano Rivera's final pitch?
The surefire Hall of Famer vowed he wouldn't retire after tearing his ACL in early May, but now it seems his future in the Bronx -- check that, in baseball -- is very much up in the air.
"I talked to Mariano Tuesday night, and he is not sure what he's interested in doing just yet," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said, according to the team's official website. "I think in spring training he was intending to retire at the end of the year, so I don't think he knows what he wants to do just yet.
"Am I surprised by that? No."
Before surgery, Rivera said his return could be written down "in big letters."
He's reportedly having second thoughts amid rigorous rehabilitation. The draw of family life could prove to be enough for MLB's all-time saves leader -- a 43-year-old next month -- to call it quits.
"If you're asking me if I know if he's going to pitch or not, the answer is, I don't know," said Cashman.
If Rivera decides to return, Cashman will have to get him to sign on the dotted line. He'll become a free agent this offseason.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi doesn't have any answers -- but he has an inkling of what Rivera may decide.
"From watching how he rehabbed and everything that he was going through -- (he) picked up a baseball sooner than he was supposed to and got his hand smacked a little bit -- that would tell me that Mo probably wants to play," Girardi said during his season-ending press conference Wednesday.
Whenever Rivera retires, he'll exit as the greatest closer in baseball history with 608 saves, 12 All-Star selections and five World Series titles.
What do you think Mo will do? Be heard in the comments below...
