The Marlins will decline reliever Fernando Rodney’s 2017 option, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter) — and as various reporters, including MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro, have previously suggested would occur. Previous reporting had indicated the Marlins were interested in trading Rodney, but it appears they couldn’t find a deal they like, and Rodney will become a free agent. The Marlins will pay Rodney a $400K buyout.
Rodney’s contract, originally signed with the Padres, called for the option to carry a base salary of $2MM, but he cleared bonuses in 2016 that brought the value of the option to $4.5MM. That was, evidently, more than the Marlins were willing to pay, which perhaps is understandable — Rodney will be 40 before the start of the 2017 season, and he struggled in Miami, posting a 5.89 ERA, 10.1 K/9 and 6.1 BB/9 in 36 2/3 innings there after arriving in a June trade for prospect Chris Paddack. He eventually lost the closer role to A.J. Ramos, the same pitcher he had originally displaced.
Nonetheless, Rodney pitched very well for the Padres at the start of the season, and his overall numbers for the year (3.44 ERA, 10.2 K/9 and 5.1 BB/9 in 65 1/3 innings) suggest he’ll attract real interest on the open market this winter, particularly given his experience closing. He still gets grounders, too, with a 55.2% groundball rate on the year. If teams believe that the veteran can tamp down his home run susceptibility — 16.1% HR/FB rate in 2015, 13.5% last year — then he ought to hold quite a bit of appeal, particularly with his average fastball still averaging better then 95 mph.
Hmm… maybe Preller should bring him back so he can flip him for another prospect at the deadline. Hopefully this time he gets a prospect who doesn’t need Tommy John surgery a month later.
Rodney had a really bad season. Who knows who will want him….
You might need to watch other games besides the Red Sox. Overall 3.44 era is bad in what league?
@BoSox27 Do you follow baseball? In what league is a 3.44ERA 10.2 K/9 and 5.1 BB/9 in 65 1/3 innings “a really bad season”, not to mention the fact that he had a 0.00ERA till 21 June and 14 saves till that date. His form went off or became inconsistent when he went to the Marlins and was no longer the closer, being used as set up man and at times he was the closer… By no means did he have “a really bad season”.
He was really good for the Padres but not so much for the Marlins
He’s 40, was pretty awful last year besides his couple months with San Diego. Declining a 2 million dollar deal – which is basically nothing – shows that he has no real value. Look at it this way: the Padres traded him for a guy who was injured. That’s how much they thought of his value.
At the time, I don’t think they knew Paddack was injured
I’m sure they did. I doubt AJ Preller was managing the Marlins injury database