Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975) is a Dominican American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "A-Rod", he currently plays third base for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. He previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers. Rodriguez is considered one of the best all–around baseball players of all time. He is the youngest player ever to hit 500 home runs, breaking the record Jimmie Foxx set in 1939.In December 2007, Rodriguez and the Yankees agreed to a 10 year, $275 million contract. This contract was the richest contract in baseball history (breaking his previous record of $252 million).In February 2009, Rodriguez admitted to using banned substances from 2001 to 2003, citing "an enormous amount of pressure" to perform.