Alex Rodriguez is struttin’. Even when he strikes out, he’s struttin’. Of course, if you ran up the numbers he did in the first month – 14 home runs, 34 RBIs – you’d be struttin’, too. You know, after watching New York beat him down in 2006 -and seeing him struggle the past two Octobers – it’s fun to see A-Rod playing with arrogance.

His awesome April certainly has given the baseball world much to wonder about. What has gotten into him? How long could his hot streak last? Would a push for 73 steal some spotlight from 755? Will any of his April achievements mean diddly come October? Will the Yankees even make October?

There is plenty to ponder, so let’s ponder away.

An April for the ages forecasts a season of superiority.

Until cooling off last week, Rodriguez had not gone more than two games without a home run. He finished the month hitting .355 with a 1.314 OPS. He tied Albert Pujols’ record for most homers in the month and came within one RBI of equaling Juan Gonzalez’s record total for April.

And he who starts fast enjoys a huge season. Only three other players have hit as many as 13 home runs in the past 50 Aprils, and all finished the season with their career high. Pujols totaled 49 last year, Luis Gonzalez finished with 57 in 2001, and Ken Griffey hit 56 in 1997.

Being a Yankee means avoiding the Barry Bonds treatment.

It’s tough to pitch around anyone in a lineup of All-Stars that led the majors in runs the first month, including the cleanup hitter. A-Rod bats between Bobby Abreu and Jason Giambi, who both began the week with on-base percentages of at least .360 even though neither had found his power stroke. When Griffey was talking about A-Rod’s April last week, he pointed out that getting pitched to can go a long way toward keeping a hitter hot. “What’s Alex on pace for? About 130 home runs,” Griffey says. “If people keep pitching to him, you never know how many he might hit.”

The $100 million question: Will A-Rod walk?

No matter how much Rodriguez says he loves playing in New York, he would be wise to exercise the opt-out clause on the final three years of his contract, even if it means forfeiting more than $80 million. Though another $252 million deal is out of reach, A-Rod could come closer to that neighborhood than any other player.

Consider Alfonso Soriano, just six months younger than A-Rod. He signed with the Cubs for eight years and $136 million. Consider A-Rod is a better player and figures to be closing in on the all-time home run record. Consider A-Rod – who appears physically and mentally stronger than last year – could have another five months like the past one. Consider all that and $150 million doesn’t look so crazy.

Assuming A-Rod walks, he still could land back in New York.

When A-Rod talked opt-out this spring, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman’s reaction basically was this: See you later. And why not? Because a chunk of A-Rod’s salary still is being paid by the Rangers, the Yankees probably would have to more than double their outlay (around $60 million for the remaining three years) to keep Rodriguez if he opts out. Not many in New York would have said he warranted such an investment – before April. If his early performance hasn’t swayed Cashman, looking at his team’s lineup sans A-Rod should. Without him, the Yankees don’t have a righthanded power hitter. So maybe the Yankees need A-Rod more than he needs them.

Other potential suitors, all with large revenue streams, include:

¢ Dodgers. L.A. has needed a superstar bat for the past three years.

¢ Angels. See Dodgers, then factor in that the Angels play in the American League. They need more than Vladimir Guerrero.

¢ Cubs. A move back to shortstop would be necessary for A-Rod to end up with Lou Piniella, his first big-league manager.

¢ Red Sox. Their third baseman, Mike Lowell, is due to become a free agent, the Sox already went for A-Rod once, and you know they’d love to keep him out of the Yankees’ lineup.

Exactly what have A-Rod’s good deeds meant?

Despite A-Rod’s two walk-off homers in April, the Yankees started the week in last place. Having a superb individual season on a lousy team is nothing new to A-Rod, who won his first MVP for a last-place club.

Pitching was the problem in Texas, and it has been with the Yankees. New York’s starters began the week in the AL’s bottom four in ERA and innings pitched, and the bullpen was the last in the majors to earn a save. Things were so ugly last weekend that Joe Torre’s job security was questioned by the overzealous New York media.

Though it was ridiculous to talk about firing Torre less than a month into the season, no one was blaming A-Rod.