Closer Fernando Rodney is said to be seeking a deal worth $10MM per season over two years or possibly three, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The Mariners are among the clubs with interest but they can't be enthused about that price, Heyman notes.
Rodney is coming off a strong season in which he pitched to a 3.38 ERA with 11.1 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9 in 66 2/3 innings for the Rays. However, he has a history of command issues and they resurfaced in 2013. ERA estimators FIP (2.46), xFIP (2.88) and SIERA (2.69) were all kind to Rodney in 2013. The veteran ranks seventh among all qualified relief pitchers from 2012-13 in fWAR at 3.6.
Back in November, our own Steve Adams predicted that Rodney was in line for a two-year, $18MM deal.
Thanks Brian Wilson and the Dodgers.
Sincerely,
Mr. Rodney
being a dodger fan I haven’t seen much of rodney, but there was a game last year where the dodgers came back to score 4 runs off him in the bottom of the ninth. something like 3 doubles, a triple and a throwing error by himself to cap off the night. and he wants 10 mil per? lol
I’m not saying Rodney is worth $10m… I’m just saying Wilson helps him get what he’s asking for.
I’m seeking winning lottery tickets too. Just letting anyone that has one know.
The thing is: Rodney will get close to $10M.
You’re probably never gonna win the lottery.
Both of those things are sad.
Pretty sure a team in need of a closer will give him 2 years at $20 million. Many closers or strong set-up men seem to want money in about that range. (Wilson/Nathan/Johnson). I could see Balfour in that range too.
Just silly the kind of money relievers get. Biggest waste of money in sports.
Closers are valued a lot higher than they used to be nowadays
It really is.
He does realize that he’s not even the best closer available right?
Is he as good as, or better, than Brian Wilson? I would say yes. It’s all in relativity to the others in his position.
I’m not talking about Wilson, Wilson isn’t available. I’m talking about the best available closer, who is Grant Balfour, not Rodney.
I get what you’re saying, but availability is a moot point. The fact remains, Brian Wilson earned $10m (and he may not even be the closer in LA)… any closer of equal or greater talent can now ask for that money… it’s the market for closers.
That Balfour is the best available is also a moot point. He could demand $10m if he wishes to, and he wouldn’t be out of line. The point is: Wilson’s deal with LA set the market high for closers this off-season.
I disagree. The Dodgers don’t care about money and are already way over the luxury tax. What they sign people to shouldn’t and isn’t the standard. Wilson’s deal was universally lauded as an overpay. Joe Nathan’s deal of 2/20 should be the ceiling for closers this offseason seeing as Nathan is far and away better than anybody who hit the market this offseason.
Overpay or not, every closer available is going to look at that and say they want similar money… I wouldn’t blame them. The litmus test is simply, am I better than the other guy who made $10m? If yes, I should be able to ask that kind of money… it’s that way in every business anywhere. That one team overpaid a guy, especially early on in the game set a standard. I’m fairly confident you’ll see other closers asking for this kind of money all winter long.
He’s riding a fluky 2012 campaign.
as much as i love what he did for us in 2012, in 2013 i felt like i needed a bottle of Pepto everytime he came in a game.
I have a question could a team give an incentive contract like this? 4 mil based salary. with incentives worth another 4 mil if he pitches 50 plus IP and sub 2.00 era? or can you only give incentives on finishing games for RP? Not saying he would accept a deal like this nor am i suggesting a team should sign him to something like this, just is it possible?
You can have it for games finished or innings pitched as a reliever. But not for any results.
thank you.
Based on what we saw when he was with the Angels, he’s not worth 10 dollars per season.
I wonder what Craig Kimbrel is gonna get if he sustains his performance through his arbitration years……
Biggest contract a relievers ever gotten that’s what
No doubt. Sure hope Wren can fetch something valuable for him before that happens….
If he signed with the Yankees would they make him wear his hat straight?
They never made CC adjust his hat (granted Rodney brings a whole new meaning to crooked cap), and R. Soriano would begin to “undress” on the field after finishing a game. I just wish someone would put the kibosh on Fernando’s post game antics on the field.
can we push the reset button on this offseason so decent talent doesnt think they are superstars
10 MM a year *is* decent talent money this year, not superstar money… Feldman, Vargas, Haren, Wilson, Colon, Hughes, Josh Johnson, Nolasco. What do they all have in common? They signed for between 8 and 12.25 MM per year.
Joe Nathan got less than what Rodney’s asking, despite being widely regarded as the best closer on the FA market.
with the 1M buyout on Nathan’s option year, its the same amount per year
I bet the Yankees get either him or Balfour.
id take that bet
So is that magic plantain still in his house getting rotten?
Wow huge.
If Rodney gets twelve million dollars, I swear I am a monkey’s uncle. I mean I guess if you are a top 5 relief pitcher, maybe its justified, but Rodney is aging and shaky.
I would love to see japan sign him just so I don’t have to see him in MLB anymore. Cant stand this guy and his attitude. And Im going to throw one more thing out there, has anyone else noticed that he could barley top 95 when he threw for the angels, then he goes to tampa and can hit 101mph? Just throwing it out there…
Craziness.
He might, but he’ll likely get close to what he’s asking. Have you not been paying attention to the kind of money relievers are getting these days?