Ex-Closer Francisco Rodriguez Looking For Relief From Ex-Agents

By Rob Neyer - National Baseball Editor

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Feb 20, 2012 - Do you remember last season when Francisco Rodriguez got traded to the Milwaukee Brewers, and seemed to think the Brewers were going to give him a chance to earn at least a few saves? You know, just to give John Axford an occasional night off?

Rodriguez, it turned out, didn't earn a single save.

Shortly before getting traded, Rodriguez fired his agents and hired Scott Boras. Now we have a better idea why. According to Rodriguez's counsel, his then-agents told him earlier there was a no-trade clause when there wasn't. USA Today's Bob Nightengale:

Attorney Richard Johnson said Rodriguez was pondering a malpractice or fraud suit after a 10-hour mediation hearing last week with his former agents, Paul Kinzer and Arn Tellem of the Wasserman Media Group, did not produce a settlement. He could file a grievance with the MLB Players Association.

"They did something atrocious," Johnson said. "Their arrogance makes this so evil. It's like rear-ending somebody but instead of stopping your car and trading insurance information they blew up the car and ran away. They committed negligence and turned it into a fraud case."

Rodriguez made $12 million last season in the last year of a three-year contract. But in the absence of any big offers, he accepted arbitration from the Brewers and wound up settling for $8 million this season. So despite pitching well last season, he's taking a serious pay cut. Which can't be a great deal of fun, even when $8 million still buys a fair number of Hummers (and if K-Rod's more of a Prius/Leaf sorta guy, my profoundest apologies).

I'm not saying Rodriguez doesn't have a case; I don't have any idea. But this next bit seems a bit far-fetched, don't you think?

"He's going to lose a lot of money; the question is whether it's seven figures or eight figures," said Johnson, who accused the Wasserman Group of reneging after promising at least $1 million in damages before the mediation hearing. "There's long-term damage to his career. He wasn't even in position to be marketed as a closer last winter. They really (messed) with his career in a monumental way."

What does that even mean, that he "wasn't even in a position to be marketed as a closer"?

The guy's got 291 career saves, and he's only 30. He pitched perfectly well as the Mets' closer for three months, then even better as the Brewers' primary set-up man. There is simply no reason to think he can't still be an effective closer in the major leagues, and it's hard to figure how any front-office executive would think differently.

Rodriguez didn't get any big offers because there were too many relief pitchers on the market this winter; aside from Jonathan Papelbon, there just wasn't a great deal of money out there for closers.

Ryan Madson doesn't have Rodriguez's track record, but he was the better pitcher in 2011 and wound up signing a one-year contract for $8.5 million (with much of that deferred). Heath Bell got three years and $27 million, but that's only because the Marlins are silly. Francisco Cordero was a closer in 2011, and now he's a $4.5 million set-up man.

Which isn't to suggest that Rodriguez might not be making more money in 2012 if he had been a closer throughout the 2011 season. He might be.

But I doubt he'd be making a lot more, considering his baggage and how much the other guys got. And there's no reason to believe that if he pitches well this season, he can't reestablish himself as a closer with another club down the line. Perhaps even this summer, as the Brewers might find their $8 million set-up man a luxury if they're six or eight games off the pace in late July.

Read More: John Axford (P - MIL), New York Mets, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers

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