NEW YORK – Scott Boras says the New York Yankees could still negotiate with Alex Rodriguez if they wanted to.

Boras maintained Wednesday that the Yankees should treat A-Rod the same way they deal with reliever Mariano Rivera and catcher Jorge Posada, who also are free agents.

“Why is it that Alex is the only Yankee who can’t become a free agent?” Boras said Wednesday. “That question was not answered, and we think it’s a question that’s going to be asked for years to come.”

The Yankees had repeatedly said that they wouldn’t negotiate with Rodriguez if he opted out because they would lose the subsidy the Texas Rangers agreed to as part of the 2004 trade that sent A-Rod to New York. Rodriguez terminated his contract on Sunday.

“We were very sincere and honest and direct with Scott Boras. … It’s a lot of money – to any franchise, even the New York Yankees,” general manager Brian Cashman said Tuesday. “It was just a representation of simple economics: $30 million is nothing to sneeze at.”

New York was owed $21.3 million from Texas over the final three years of Rodriguez’s contract, which also called for the Rangers to pay him $3 million annually in money to be deferred.

Boras, Rodriguez’s longtime agent, said the Yankees knew Rodriguez was planning to opt out.

“On Thursday we had two extended conversations with Cash discussing a number of variables regarding the Yankees and Alex,” Boras said.

He added, “We advised the Yankees that Alex, like other Yankee players, had the right to elect free agency.

“We spoke twice on Thursday. And the week before I had a 45-minute conversation with Hal Steinbrenner regarding the new structure and policies of the Yankees, with Hal and Hank heading the organization.”

Detroit general manager Dave Dombrowski said it would not be accurate to say the Tigers were in the mix for A-Rod.

“He turned down about $28 million a year from the Yankees, and we got a player we like a lot to fill our need for a shortstop,” Dombrowski said after acquiring Edgar Renteria from Atlanta. “We made the deal that we think makes the most sense for us.”

AP Sports Writer Larry Lage in Detroit contributed to this report