Over his many decades in the public eye, Alex Rodriguez has made some enemies, but considerably more friends. Recently, the MLB player-turned-entrepreneur offered a public shoutout to one of his lesser-known associates.

On June 12, photographer Nedim Vrabac graduated from Santa Monica College in California. Among the family and friends in attendance at Vrabac’s graduation was A-Rod, who snapped a picture of the new graduate to share on his personal Instagram.

Alex Rodriguez congratulating photographer Nedim Vrabac on his graduation. Instagram/a-rod

Rodriguez was first put into contact with Vrabac after the latter worked on-set with A-Rod’s ex, actress Jennifer Lopez. Vrabac has photography credits on two of Lopez’ films, “Marry Me” and “Halftime,” both produced in 2022.

Following Vrabac’s work with J-Lo, he was approached by Rodriguez for a project befitting of the former New York Yankees star. Vrabac met with A-Rod to produce a series of polaroid portraits, which the photographer was happy to share on his own Instagram page.

Although Rodriguez and Lopez split in 2022, the pair remain friendly. Lopez was a known favorite of A-Rod’s two daughters, although Rodriguez is now dating Canadian fitness guru Jaclyn Cordeiro.

“Soon to be offered in a limited edition book as well as a unique NFT collection. #nft #collection” – nedimvrabac

A former first overall Seattle Mariners draft pick in 1996, A-Rod spent 22 seasons as a member of three teams. After finishing his career with three MVP Awards, 14 All-Star nods, a World Series and a .295 batting average, the 48 year-old made his turn to business, the area where he spends most of his time.

Since retiring in 2016, A-Rod has kept himself busy, mainly through his fund, called A-Rod Corp. Though the investment outlet, Rodriguez has delved into various business ventures including real estate, E-sports and more recently, a minority ownership stake in the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves.

Alex Rodriguez’s long career has made him many friends along the way

Although the former MVP may not be playing anymore, he remains close to the game. As a regular contributor to FOX Sports, Rodriguez recently weighed in on the Mets’ season, suggesting they acquire a certain member of the Yankees:

“Look, the Red Sox broke the curse with getting this guy, today’s ‘this guy’ is Juan Soto. You get Juan Soto in a three-year process and start again.”

As a man who seems to have friends in a lot of places, at least A-Rod finds the time to celebrate with whoever he can.