NEW YORK -- Warren Buffett advised Alex Rodriguez to

approach the New York Yankees and go around agent Scott Boras, The

Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.



The newspaper cited a person familiar with the matter, whom itdid not identify.

"A-Rod really loves being a Yankee," Buffett was quoted assaying. He wouldn't comment on the substance of any discussionswith the player.

The two became friends several years ago.

Rodriguez, on Boras' advise, opted out of the final threeseasons of his record $252 million, 10-year contract on Oct. 28.The Yankees had said many times that if he opted out, they wouldn'tnegotiate because they would lose $21.3 million from Texas for thefinal three seasons that was agreed to at the time of the 2004trade, money to offset the $72 million New York owed from 2008-10.

Upset with developments after he opted out, Rodriguez contactedBuffett, and the investor told him to approach the Yankees withouthis agent, the Journal said.

After speaking with the investor, Rodriguez contacted a managingdirector at Goldman Sachs that he knew, John Mallory, who then gotin touch with Gerald Cardinale, a Goldman Sachs managing directorwho has worked with the Yankees and their YES Network.

With the assistance of the two Goldman executives, Rodriguez andthe Yankees negotiated a $275 million, 10-year contract that is inthe process of being finalized.

"This year was a magical season,'' Rodriguez told MLB.com."The way things went, we came up a little short at the end. Butother than that, I'm happy with the way the year went. My wife andI finally feel like we're New Yorkers.''