Alex Rodriguez salary eclipses Astro-nomical proportions (VIDEO)

Alex Rodriguez, the oft-derided New York Yankees’ third baseman, will become Major League Baseball’s highest-paid player this season thanks to his $29-million salary.

According to an analysis of MLB payrolls by The Associated Press, the Yankees will pay their players about $228 million with Rodriguez at the top.

What makes that more intriguing is, A-Rod said earlier this season that he will likely miss the entire first half of this season recovering from hip surgery.

So what’s a guy to do while on the injured reserve? Here’s a list of things A-Rod can do, or buy, while he mends.

The Houston Astros
Yes, his salary is more than the entire Houston Astros, combined. The AP estimates Houston’s payroll at a mere $25 million. Carlos Pena, at first base, makes $7.25 million annually as the squad’s top earner.

Does that mean Houston will just give up this season? Of course. No, wait, that’s not right.

“When we get on the baseball field with whomever the opponent is, they are not sitting there saying: ‘Well, their players make more money than us so therefore you’re deemed a winner and we're deemed a loser,’” Astros manager Bo Porter told the AP.

Michael Jordan’s House
M-J’s sprawling Chicago estate is on the market, and for exactly $29 million, Yahoo Sports reported. It’s more than 56,000 square feet, nine bedrooms, 15 bathrooms and five fireplaces. And, of course, a basketball court.

Al Gore’s Apple Stocks
The former vice president exercised his Apple stock options this January, paying $441,000 for 59,000 shares, or about $7.475 per share. His total investment is now $29.5M, CNET said, based on a stock price of $500.

Houston Astrodome
Is A-Rod destined to invest in Houston? According to the Texans and Houston Rodeo, they would need to spend $29M to raze the now-defunct Astrodome and replace it with a 1,600-space parking lot. That's not a bad investment, hey? Just think of all the parking fees you could collect.

Settle Toyota’s Lawsuit
A-Rod could become a national hero in Japan should he spend his salary helping Toyota settle a lawsuit with 29 US states. Toyota agreed to the payments stemming from allegations it hid safety concerns between 2005 and 2010 on thousands of vehicles.

Run the NFL
Hey, if he’s bored with baseball, he could always become commissioner of the NFL. Roger Goodell earns that much, although A-Rod will really have to work for it. Goodell’s base salary is just little more than $3 million, meaning his leadership through labor negotiations with the players and refs over the last two seasons netted him a $22.3-million bonus and “other reported compensation.”

Fly Into Space (and back)
Rehab can get so boring, so why not travel? Virgin Galactic charges about $200,000 for a few brief seconds of weightlessness on a suborbital flight. Just $200K? He could take the whole team … and the Astros, and the Mets, and the Red Sox …