New York Mets general manager Omar Minaya got the winter meetings off to a fast start by nabbing closer Francisco Rodriguez off the market. It is a sign of how desperately the Mets need to shore up a bullpen which has struggled to keep lead in the past two years.
It is the first step towards recovering from two straight seasons with mid-September collapses.
Rodriguez signed for three years, $37 million. That is much less than the five-year, $75 million deal he was looking for when he decided to test the free-agent market.
The deal could reach a maximum value of $51 million if the option for a fourth year is picked up. Getting Rodriguez for less than what was expected should help the Mets shore up the 'pen (they’ve already taken a step towards doing that by trading for J.J. Putz) and the starting rotation.
So what should be expected of Rodriguez, coming off a season in which he broke Bobby Thigpen’s single-season save record? Well, if the team does its job they might not need him to get so many saves, but they should expect to have a stable presence in the ninth inning.
He’s had great numbers against N.L. clubs (in 50.1 innings he’s posted a 1.07 ERA, 67 strikeouts, and a .137 BAA). Those numbers would probably increase, but not by a lot. He is a quality closer, who has shown he can perform on the big stage of the World Series.
So the Mets have their man, but they know one man will not help them go all the way and conquer their September woes. They still need reliable relievers to get the ball to Rodriguez, and Putz can be one of those guys.
But what about the sixth and seventh innings? Well, that question still needs to be answered, but for now, Met fans can rest assured that they now have one of the top closers at the end of the game.
0 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete