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| Francisco Rodriguez blew his seventh save of the season in stunning fashion on Wednesday, allowing a walk-off grand slam to journeyman outfielder Justin Maxwell, as the Mets lost 7-3 in Washington D.C. |
Our View: K-Rod's seventh blown save happens to be the second he's accrued via a walk-off grand slam this season (with the other coming against Everth Cabrera of the Padres on August 7). Since appearing in the All-Star game in early July, he has been a monstrosity, posting a 6.84 ERA in just 25 innings. After looking like such a good investment for the first half of 2009, he could end up being the next disastrous big contract handed out by the truly inept Mets.
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| Francisco Rodriguez blew his sixth save of the season on Wednesday night, allowing two runs in an inning of work against the Braves. The Mets lost 6-5 in Atlanta. |
Our View: K-Rod has been one of the worst relievers in the National League since the All-Star break, posting a 5.66 ERA in 20.2 innings. Perhaps all the losing in Flushing has gotten to him.
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| Francisco Rodriguez will be unavailable to close for the Mets on Tuesday night in Atlanta, as he has stayed in New York to be with his wife after she gave birth to twins yesterday, according to Newsday. |
Our View: He will rejoin the team tomorrow, however. Congratulations, K-Rod.
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| The New York Daily News is reporting that Mets' closer Francisco Rodriguez has been experiencing cramping in his left quad as of late. Rodriguez experienced the cramping in Sunday's ninth inning, but he finished the game to pick up his 30th save. |
Our View: K-Rod plays for the Mets, so obviously he would be getting hurt right about now. On the bright side, it looks like he will be able to finish the season out, and the end can't come fast enough in New York.
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| Francisco Rodriguez wasted Oliver Perez's first quality start since April in stunning fashion on Friday night. Given a 2-1 lead in the ninth, the Amazins' beleaguered closer allowed Will Venable to tie the game with a double before loading the bases with no outs. He then proceeded to give up an Everth Cabrera grand slam, only the second career home run for the light-hitting shortstop. Cabrera had struck out in his first three at-bats. All-in-all, K-Rod faced five batters and retired none of them, walking three while allowing two extra base hits. |
Our View: K-Rod has now given up seven runs in his last two appearances, which have spanned just one inning of work. After getting off to a torrid start, if appears the malaise of the Mets' horrifying 2009 has finally gotten to him as well.
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| Francisco Rodriguez gave up a ninth inning home run to Manny Ramirez on Wednesday night, but still managed to nail down his 22nd save, as the Mets beat the Dodgers 5-4 at Citi Field. |
Our View: K-Rod has seen his ERA creep up in recent weeks, but is still, along with Jonathan Papelbon, one of the top two closers in the game.
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| MetsBlog.com is reporting that Mets' closer Francisco Rodriguez told the media that he would be available for Friday's game after throwing a career high 46 pitches on Thursday. Rodriguez blew his third save of the year but received the win in the game. |
Our View: K-Rod has thrown 93 pitches since last Sunday, which makes it hard to believe that the Mets would use him tonight. Still, he says he will be avalable so we will see how effective he is if called upon.
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| Francisco Rodriguez blew his third save of the season on Thursday, but recovered to nail down the win in ten innings, as the Mets outlasted Pittsburgh 9-8. |
Our View: K-Rod has hit a relative rough patch after his amazing start to the season, but is still one of the premier closers in all of baseball. Despite his recent blown saves, there is absolutely no reason to keep him out of your lineup.
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| Francisco Rodriguez said he regrets confronting Yankees reliever Brian Bruney in the Yankee Stadium outfield on June 14 over comments Bruney had made about him earlier in the week, according to ESPN. |
Our View: Both have appeared to move on and it's now a dead issue. K-Rod is in the midst of a fantastic season, posting 20 saves in 22 chances to go along with a sparkling 1.01 ERA.
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| Francisco Rodriguez recorded his 19th save of the season in Monday's 6-4 win over the Cardinals at Citi Field. He did not allow any hits over one inning, with no walks or strikeouts. |
Our View: K-Rod is currently tied with Heath Bell and Brian Wilson for the NL lead in saves. He is 5-for-7 on save chances in June.
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| Francisco Rodriguez blew only his second save of the season on Thursday, giving up two runs in the ninth as the Mets lost 5-4 to the Orioles. |
Our View: K-Rod is still having a great season in New York and remains an elite option at closer.
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| Francisco Rodriguez picked up his seventeenth save of the season on Tuesday despite letting two inherited runners score. |
Our View: K-Rod's ERA remains a miniscule 0.56 and he is following up his record 62 save season with arguably an even better campaign.
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| The AP reports that Francisco Rodriguez and Brian Bruney had to be separated before Sunday's game between the Mets and Yankees. Bruney had called K-Rod's save celebrations a tired act on Saturday and the two got into an argument during batting practice today. |
Our View: Bruney says that he is embarrassed by how Rodriguez pitches. However, fantasy owners should continue to celebrate if they own K-Rod. The record holder for saves in a season has been excellent since joining the Mets. He carries a 0.57 ERA in 31.1 innings of work.
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| Francisco Rodriguez returned on Monday after missing a couple of days due to back spasms. He walked one and allowed a hit while using 23 pitches to pick up his 13th save of the season. |
Our View: K-Rod should be good to go moving forward. His ERA is down to 0.83 after posting a 2.24 mark last season and he remains one of the elite ninth-inning pitchers in the game. The 27-year-old has 307 saves since 2005.
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| Francisco Rodriguez will be available for a save situation on Monday if needed, according to the AP. He has missed the past two games due to back spasms. |
Our View: K-Rod has been solid this season for the Mets, but they have not produced nearly as many save situations as the Angels did a season ago. Feel free to get him back in your lineups.
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| The New York Post is reporting that Francisco Rodriguez is feeling much better today after collapsing on Saturday night due to back spasms. Rodriguez is not expected to be available for Sunday's game. |
Our View: K-Rod seems to be doing much better, so expect him to be available to close early in the week. For today, J.J. Putz is expected to have the closer duties should they arise.
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| Francisco Rodriguez had to leave Fenway Park on Saturday to visit the hospital due to back spasms, according to the Associated Press. "He was in a tough position," manager Jerry Manuel said after New York beat Boston 3-2. "He couldn't walk. He was in bad shape. Spasms was the word that they used." |
Our View: Rodriguez is being listed as day-to-day for the moment and J.J. Putz, who logged his second save of the year on Saturday, will resume the closing duties in K-Rod's absence. Rodriguez owners should check back on his status tomorrow night before placing him in their lineups for next week.
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| A night after picking up his seventh save on 28 pitches, Francisco Rodriguez picked up his eighth as the Mets beat the Phillies 1-0. He did not allow a base runner in the outing. |
Our View: There was some speculation that K-Rod would be unavailable tonight as he threw more pitches than normal last night. He needed 13 pitches to get his three outs tonight, but there's probably a good chance that he will not be available on Thursday.
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| Francisco Rodriguez may be unavailable to pitch on Wednesday after throwing 28 pitches on Tuesday, according to Newsday. |
Our View: K-Rod is not injured by any means, but just went a little longer than usual last night. He remains a top flight option at closer.
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| Francisco Rodriguez earned his seventh save in Tuesday's 4-3 win over Atlanta, but was touched a bit in the process. He allowed two runs (both unearned) on two hits and a walk and strike out one batter. |
Our View: K-Rod has been very good this season, but was less than his best on Tuesday. Still, he got the job done, which says a lot about his ability as a top closer.
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| Francisco Rodriguez earned his fifth save of the year on Friday as the Mets beat the Phillies 7-4. He walked a hitter but struck out two in his one inning. |
Our View: K-Rod is not having any problems in New York as he has continued where he left off last season in Los Angeles. He is striking out hitters at a good pace, and he has to be considered one of, if not the, top closers in baseball.
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| Francisco Rodriguez earned his fourth save of the season on Friday, but he struggled through the ninth inning. He allowed two runs on a home run to Nationals' catcher Jesus Flores, but the Mets held on to win 4-3. |
Our View: The two runs in the ninth Friday were the only K-Rod has allowed all season. He's still an elite closer, but isn't getting many save opportunities because the Mets are off to a slow start.
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| Francisco Rodriguez earned his second save in as many contests on Wednesday as the Mets topped the Reds 9-7. He walked two batters, but didn't allow a hit in his one inning of work. |
Our View: K-Rod is now officially on pace for 162 saves and would shatter the single-season record of 62 that he set last year. We'll ballpark his total somewhere around 50 though.
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| Francisco Rodriguez threw 1.1 innings in Monday's 2-0 win over Puerto Rico to notch his third save in the WBC. He struck out two while allowing nobody to reach base. |
Our View: It's unlikely the Mets are thrilled with Rodriguez appearing in the eighth inning in his last two outings, but he has looked good in doing so.
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| Francisco Rodriguez is sporting blood-red contact lenses this spring claiming that they help with the glare, according to NewsDay. |
Our View: We don't suspect that the lenses will make much of any difference in his performance. However, you need to keep in mind that manager Jerry Manuel has said that her will divide save chances 70-30 between K-Rod and former Mariners closer J.J. Putz.
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| Francisco Rodriguez may have to share the closer's role with J.J. Putz next season, according to The New York Post. Manager Jerry Manuel indicated that he would divide the chances 70-30 in favor of Rodriguez. |
Our View: K-Rod will not likely be too excited to get this news. He saved an MLB record 62 games last season in 68.1 innings. He should still be regarded as one of the top closers, but this piece of news figures to knock down his value some.
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| Francisco Rodriguez commented on his new club Tuesday, according to the NY Post. K-Rod said, "I don't want to be controversial or have the other ballclubs in that division take it personally or take it in a bad way. I'm a really competitive guy, and I like to win. Of course, if they ask what is the ballclub that's going to win the National League East, it's going to be the Mets. Easy question."
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Our View: A crumbling bullpen cost the Mets a playoff trip in 2008, and expectations are understandably high in New York after reeling in the record-setting closer. They added JJ Putz for good measure as well.
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| Francisco Rodriguez says that he dropped the speed on his fastball on purpose last year so that that his motion would be identical whether he was throwing the heat or his new changeup, according to MLB.com. "You guys are going to see it next year," Rodriguez said. "You guys are going to see that the velocity is going to be there." |
Our View: K-Rod claims he will return to 95 mph now that he has the changeup under control. Call us a bit skeptical considering that his fastball speed has dropped three mph the past two seasons. More than the speed of his fastball, K-rod should focus on throwing more strikes after posting and abysmal 4.48 BB/9 mark.
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| A team source noted that the Cardinals pursued Francisco Rodriguez prior to joining the Mets, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. |
Our View: As previously stated, the Cardinals remain in the hunt for a closer as they spoke to Brian Fuentes' rep and are considering a trade for JJ Putz of Seattle. They have the Pirates' Matt Capps on their radar as well.
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| Francisco Rodriguez is officially heading to the Mets, as he and the team have agreed to a three-year, $37 million deal, according to ESPN. FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the deal includes a $14 million vesting option for a fourth year that would raise the total value of the contract to $51 million. The option would kick in if he pitches a certain number of innings in either the third year of the deal or in a combination of years two and three. |
Our View: This is a pretty solid deal for both parties. K-Rod should be a top-shelf closer again this season, though a drop in velocity last year is a concern. Regardless, he fills a big void at the end of the Mets' bullpen and should be the answer for the recent plague of blown games and blown seasons that have haunted the franchise.
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| The New York Post reports that Mets officials and representatives for Francisco Rodriguez were huddled this morning in attempts to put the last items in place for a contract that will bring the elite closer to New York on a contract in three-year, $37 million range. |
Our View: The price tag seems very reasonable for a guy that saved 62 games a season ago. The Mets have had some serious problems closing out games and seasons recently, and K-Rod seems to be the perfect remedy.
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| SI.com reports that Francisco Rodriguez is expected to accept a three-year $37 million deal. The Mets agreed to guarantee a third year on Monday after opening bidding Sunday night with a two-year deal for about $12 million a year, plus a vesting option for a third year. Not long after, they made it a three-year contract. |
Our View: The Mets badly needed a big-time closer to replace injured star Billy Wagner and anchor what was one of the worst bullpens ever attached to a contender. To accomplish their goal, they focused on K-Rod as their closer of choice over the past couple weeks.
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| Francisco Rodriguez was offered a three-year deal by the Mets, but the club is not confident he will immediately accept, according to the Hot Stove Blog on MLB.com. |
Our View: The record-setting closer may be holding out for a longer deal. The Mets intend to meet with the reps of Brian Fuentes and Trevor Hoffman, as previously stated.
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| Merely hours after landing in Las Vegas on Sunday night, general manager Omar Minaya met with closer Francisco Rodriguez, according to MLB.com. Minaya is expected to make concrete offers to many of the team's top free-agent targets before the conclusion of the meetings. |
Our View: Minaya will also meet with Brian Fuentes, Trevor Hoffman and possibly Kerry Wood before the meetings are over.
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| The New York Daily News reports that Omar Minaya will meet face-to-face with free agents Francisco Rodriguez, Brian Fuentes and Trevor Hoffman here. Minaya also wouldn’t rule out meeting in person with Kerry Wood this week, but he was unsure if the former Cub would attend or let his agent handle it alone. |
Our View: The Mets are in desperate need of a closer as Billy Wagner will miss the entire season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
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| Francisco Rodriguez will reportedly be offered a three-year deal for $36 million by the Mets, which is not much higher than the Angels' offer for $34 million, according to the Hot Stove Blog on MLB.com. |
Our View: That gives Angels' fans hope that the record-setting closer could return to the club, as the Mets are believed to be the top contender so far.
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| Updating an earlier report, ESPN's Buster Olney reports that the Mets are likely to offer contracts to three closers at the Winter Meetings and will sign the first one to accept. Francisco Rodriguez will likely receive an offer for three years and $36 million from the Mets. |
Our View: The Mets are one of the few teams willing to open the vault for a closer, so K-Rod would be wise to jump at a multi-year deal which would pay him an average of $12 million per season.
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| A source close to the Mets said that the club is expected to make an offer to a closer at the Winter Meetings, according to 1050 ESPN Radio in New York. |
Our View: The Mets have primarily been looking at K-Rod and Brian Fuentes, so we expect the offer to go to one of those players.
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| Francisco Rodriguez's agent says he believes K-Rod will sign after the winter meetings, according to the AP. |
Our View: The Mets are believed to be the team that has the most interest in the closer. Coming off a record breaking season with 62 saves, he will receive a large contract.
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| Mets' GM Omar Minaya has started reaching out to Francisco Rodriguez's reps, according to Sports Illustrated. |
Our View: The team is also contacting Brian Fuentes, but K-Rod is the preferred target. The Mets lacked a solid closer when Billy Wagner went down last season, which cost the Mets a trip to the playoffs.
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| Joel Sherman of FOX Sports reports that the Brewers could pursue prized free agent closer Francisco Rodriguez. |
Our View: The Brewers suffered 11 blown saves after the eighth inning in 2008, and could battle the Mets to land K-Rod. The Brewers need a solid closer, especially following the retirement of Salomon Torres.
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| Francisco Rodriguez's agent was still waiting to hear back from the Mets after forwarding the closer's medical records to GM Omar Minaya on Thursday, according to the AP. |
Our View: You might have thought that contract offers would be pouring in for the closer but he has yet to accept an offer. It looks like if K-Rod's physical comes back ok he could be a Met sooner than later.
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| Francisco Rodriguez is yet to receive an offer from any club because the Angels have not released his medical reports, according to the NY Daily News. |
Our View: The Mets are among the clubs waiting for his medical reports before making an offer. The Mets are doing the same regarding Brian Fuentes.
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| The agent for Francisco Rodriguez, Kinzer, said the rumors of his client being in New York for a physical and impending deal with the Mets were "total B.S.", according to the New York Post. |
Our View: The rumors came from El Universal, a Venezuelan newspaper. The Mets still seem like the most logical destination for K-Rod, just not in the immediate future.
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| Free agent closer Francisco Rodriguez has traveled to New York to undergo a physical, which is the final step before signing a contract with the Mets, according to El Universal. |
Our View: Should the contract come to fruition, it would certainly not be a surprise, as the Mets have the need for a closer and the financial wherewithal to sign K-Rod.
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| According to the New York Post, some believe that Francisco Rodriguez will have to accept a four-year contract instead of his desired five years, $75 million. |
Our View: He will certainly get a large sum of money either way.
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| GM Tony Reagins denies the report that the team has sealed the door on negotiations for Francisco Rodriguez, according to the LA Times. Reagins said, "There are scenarios where we'd consider bringing Frankie back and scenarios that do not include Frankie. Nothing has changed from what we've discussed with him."
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Our View: So Angels' fans can still hold out hope that the record-setting closer could remain with the club.
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| The Mets are interested in elite reliever Francisco Rodriguez, but are working the market in hope his price tag will drop, according to Newsday. |
Our View: The Mets still like Brian Fuentes, as well as several of the other available closers on the market. K-Rod will be the most expensive to lock up even if his price drops, especially after nailing down a MLB-record 62 saves in 2008.
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| Newsday reports the Angels owner Arte Moreno is ready to move on from the Francisco Rodriguez-era. "I think as a whole, we’re probably turning the page on this one. I think that we as an organization made this decision. And I’m not one of these ‘never, never’ people. I’m saying, I think as a whole, it’s important to turn the page and move forward, and get prepared to do some of the other things we want to do." |
Our View: The Angels have Scot Shields and Jose Arredondo to man the back of the bullpen and it's expected that the Angels will try to spend their money on CC Sabathia while staying in the mix on Mark Teixeira.
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| Francisco Rodriguez's agent (Paul Kinzer) commented that the Mets would be a good fit for his client, according to the NY Post. |
Our View: There are no other big market teams believed to be looking for a closer other than the Mets, and K-Rod is believed to require a four-year deal, in the $15 million range annually. Kinzer also noted that there are three or four other teams also in the running for K-Rod.
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| Francisco Rodriguez will not return to the Angels, according to the Orange County Register. It has been reported that owner Art Moreno has already decided against bringing him back. |
Our View: K-Rod is a much riskier investment than Mark Teixeira for the amount of money both players will command, as is the case with most pitchers. Teixeira was the biggest impact bat the Angels had during their short post-season life, so it would be ill-advised to let him get away.
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| Francisco Rodriguez's agent spoke on the radio on Thursday and said that his client might be willing to sign for less than the 5-year, $75 million deal that has been floated out there as his starting point, according to ESPN. "I don't have anything drawn," agent Paul Kinzer said. "The market will take us there." |
Our View: No matter what he ends up signing for, K-rod will be a rich man when he inks the deal. This news could be a smoke screen meant to merely lure additional teams into the fray to drive up his asking price even higher, and don't fool yourself into thinking he is going to sign a 2-year deal for $20, that just isn't going to happen.
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| Francisco Rodriguez is unlikely to sign with the Tigers, according to the Detroit Free Press. The Tigers don't want to increase payroll, which was around $134 million for 2008. This would take them out of the running for other big name closers like Kerry Wood and Brian Fuentes as well. |
Our View: K-Rod still has plenty of suitors, from the Mets to the team he's been with his entire career, the Angels. After saving a major league record 62 games last season, his contract will have to be substantial.
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| All-Star closer Francisco Rodriguez has filed for free agency, according to The Sports Network. |
Our View: K-Rod will likely command a substantial contract after arguably the single greatest season by a reliever. Rodriguez, 26, recorded a single-season record 62 saves for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim a season ago with a 2.24 earned-run average. He finished with seven blown saves in 76 appearances.
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| Andrew Marchand of ESPN reports that the New York Mets have been rumored to be interested in Francisco Rodriguez. |
Our View: The Mets bullpen struggled after closer Billy Wagner went down for the year, and it cost them a shot at October baseball. Signing K-Rod would give the Mets a solid back end to their pen, which would allow the rest of the pieces to fall into place during spring training.
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| Tigers team president and GM Dave Dombowski has all but ruled out signing Francisco Rodriguez this off-season, the Detroit News reports. |
Our View: The paper mentioned that the team could go after Brian Fuentes, but K-Rod seems a bit too expensive for Detroit's liking.
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| According to the Boston Globe, Milwaukee, Detroit, St. Louis the Mets, Tampa Bay, Arizona and Cleveland could be possible destinations for pending free agent Francisco Rodriguez. The Mets could be concerned with his drop in velocity this season, however. |
Our View: While it is unclear where K-Rod is headed, one thing is for sure: He is in for a huge payday after breaking the saves record.
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| All-time single season saves leader Francisco Rodriguez is said to be seeking a deal worth a minimum of $75 million over five years, according to SI.com. |
Our View: Rodriguez saved a record 62 games in 2008, but a closer look at his numbers reveals some surprising things. His WHIP was 1.29, which is not great for a closer, and he walked 4.48 batters per nine innings. He will remain a top option for saves in fantasy leagues, but there are others with better peripherals.
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| Francisco Rodriguez keeps on getting saves. On Wednesday, he protected a 6-5 lead in Seattle for his 62nd save of the season. He allowed one hit and recorded his 77th strikeout in 68.1 innings. |
Our View: In case you've been hiding under a boulder 10,000 leagues under the sea, that's an MLB record. He's saved nine games against the Mariners this season.
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| Francisco Rodriguez nailed down his 60th save of the season in Saturday's 7-3 win over the Rangers. |
Our View: Seven of his saves have been earned in September, and the Angels have eight games left for him to add to his record-setting total.
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| In his first appearance since recording his Major League record 58th save, Francisco Rodriguez blew a one run lead in the ninth against the Oakland A's and absorbed his third loss of the season. He faced three batters without recording an out. A throwing error on the game's last play by Rodriguez sealed the his fate. |
Our View: It was the seventh blown save for K-Rod this season, but will undoubtedly be forgotten when we recall his 2008 domination.
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| Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez will not get extended periods of rest as the team prepares for the playoffs, according to the L.A. Times. |
Our View: Rodriguez has thrown 64.1 innings this season, which is not an unusually high amount. Fantasy owners can continue to expect him to rack up saves the final two weeks of the season.
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| Early reports said that the Mets might take a look at signing pending free-agent closer Francisco Rodriguez. Newsday.com is reporting that one person informed of the Mets thinking said that they will not try to sign the closer. |
Our View: K-Rod will be one of the biggest fish in the free-agent pool and will command high dollar.
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| Francisco Rodriguez nailed down his 58th save of the season in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Mariners, and broke the MLB single-season record held by Bobby Thigpen (White Sox) since 1990, according to the AP. |
Our View: K-Rod blew six save opportunities this season, while Thigpen failed to close the door on eight in his record-setting campaign.
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| Francisco Rodriguez picked up his 57th save of the year on Thursday night to tie Bobby Thigpen's major league record for saves in a season. |
Our View: Strangely enough, all this success has come despite a career worst WHIP of 1.26 and a career-low K/9 mark of 10.23. Just goes to show you that you don't have to be lights out all the time to rack up the saves, though it certainly doesn't hurt when you have a slider like this guy.
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| Francisco Rodriguez picked up his 56th save of the season on Wednesday to move within one of the all-time single season record. |
Our View: Think K-rod is having dreams of dollar signs with his impending free agency? Over his last 12 appearances he has allowed but one run to lower his ERA to 2.45 and he remains the most valuable fantasy closer of the year with all those saves.
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| Francisco Rodriguez is now two short of tying the all-time single season saves record, as he accumulated his 55th of the season by striking out two White Sox in the ninth inning of the Angels 3-2 win. |
Our View: Barring some sort of catastrophe, Rodriguez will break the single season record of 57, and has a chance to get more than 60. Fantasy owners are enjoying one of the most prolific seasons by a reliever ever.
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| Francisco Rodriguez blew his sixth save of the season on Saturday when Dwayne Wise hit a sacrafice fly to score Alexei Ramirez in the ninth. |
Our View: The Angels went on to lose in 15 innings. After 54 converted save chances, fantasy owners should not have a difficult time forgiving him.
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| Francisco Rodriguez is now just three saves away from tying the all-time single season saves record, as he shut down the Detroit Tigers in the ninth inning of the Angels 5-4 win to pick up his 54th save of the year. |
Our View: Rodriguez has been one of the top closers ever in a single season of fantasy baseball, and that trend continued Tuesday.
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| Francisco Rodriguez surrendered no hits with two strikeouts in the ninth inning to nail down his 53rd save in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Rangers. |
Our View: He is now only five saves away from breaking Bobby Thigpen's single-season record of 57, with a full month left to do it.
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| Francisco Rodriguez notched save number 51 on Thursday night as he lowered his ERA to 2.56 for the Angels. |
Our View: K-Rod will have to continue to produce at the end of games for the Angels who are suddenly struck by injuries all over the diamond. Figure on him to consider doing what he has done all year.
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| Despite what could be a record-setting season in the saves department, Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez may not have as much value during free agency as some expect because his velocity has dropped in recent seasons, according to CBSSportsline.com. |
Our View: Rodriguez relies on his changeup now to put hitters away instead of his fastball, which is at 91-92 MPH instead of the 94-95 he used to throw. And a look at his WHIP, which is 1.27, reveals that is is unusually high for elite closers, most of whom have a WHIP at or below 1.00.
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| Francisco Rodriguez has been named the AL Player of the Week, according to the AP. Rodriguez threw four scoreless innings and recorded three saves during the award-winning week. |
Our View: It is the first weekly honor of his career. He now has 50 saves and remains on pace to break Bobby Thigpen's season-high record of 57 (set in 1990 with the White Sox).
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| Francisco Rodriguez is storming towards the single season record for saves as he picked up his 50th save of the year in the Angels 5-3 win over Minnesota. |
Our View: K-Rod struck out two and now has 62 Ks in 55.1 innings. Clearly, he's been the best reliever in fantasy baseball this year.
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| Francisco Rodriguez picked up his 47th save of the season when he worked a scoreless ninth against the Indians on Saturday. He allowed one hit and struck out two. Rodriguez has tied his single-season career-high in saves, set in 2006. |
Our View: There have only been 14 seasons of more than 47 saves in major league history, and K-Rod is only 10 short of tying Bobby Thigpen's record. He has dominated that fantasy category this year.
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| Francisco Rodriguez did not pick up a save, but he did get his second win of the year, as he struck out he side in the ninth to help lead L.A. to a win over N.Y. |
Our View: Rodriguez may win the Cy Young Award for the superb season he is having, and he now has 54 K's in under 50 innings.
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| Francisco Rodriguez nailed down a league-high 43 saves and is on pace to break the single-season record of 57, but is still looking to improve his game, according to the LA Times. He is not pleased that he has issued 28 walks over 46.1 innings, and said, "The walks are kind of high, that's the only thing that irritates me. I have to give credit to the hitters. They're not chasing pitches as much as they used to. They're working counts. I have to adjust by trying to make pitches earlier in the count, by not falling behind. Some of it depends on the situation, who's hitting, who's not. You might be pitching around a guy to get to the next guy."
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Our View: K-Rod continues to get the big outs and has 48 strikeouts, and would be even more impressive as a fantasy closer if he lowers his WHIP (1.25) with less walks.
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| Francisco Rodriguez posted his 40th save of the season this evening, closing the door on the Boston Red Sox once again as the Angels sealed the 5-3 win. K-Rod struckout all three batters he faced in the ninth, throwing just 18 pitches to get it done. |
Our View: That's 12 strikeouts for the month of July, matching his total for all of June. His team is starting to surge and K-Rod is a big part of their success. He's allowed just three earned runs over his last 12 innings of work.
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| Francisco Rodriguez said he would like to test the free agent market following this season, according to the LA Times. He said he would not rule out re-signing with the Angels but would no longer consider an extension before soliciting offers from other teams. He added, "I'm going to go out there and explore the market. They had six years. They didn't get anything done with me. If I wait six years, why not wait another two and a half months?"
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Our View: Rodriguez and the Angels failed to agree on an extension last winter. He currently leads the majors with 38 saves.
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| Francisco Rodriguez tied a record in getting save number 34 for the Angels last night. That tied John Smoltz for the most saves recorded before the All-Star break, according to AngelsBaseball.com. |
Our View: K-Rod has been a force in the bullpen, striking out 35 and recording a 1.15 WHIP this season to go with his saves. He has been one of the top closers in fantasy baseball, and should only get more save opportunities for the first-place Angels.
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| Francisco Rodriguez needed to get out only one batter to record his 32nd save of the season on Sunday. The closer made things interesting by throwing a wild pitch and walking a batter, but he eventually shut the door. |
Our View: It's funny how K-Rod isn't striking out as many batters and has been wild at times, but he is racking up saves at a record pace. Anyway, fantasy owners can continue to enjoy the ride.
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| Francisco Rodriguez recorded his 30th save on Sunday in the Angels 76th game, faster than any pitcher in big league history, according to the Orange County Register. K-Rod needed 36 appearances to reach the mark, one more than the record of fewest appearance of 35 set by Lee Smith and Dennis Eckersley. |
Our View: Though he is on a record setting pace, the odd thing is that never before has K-Rod been as poor at striking batters out with 30 K in 33 IP. Just goes to show you, success can come in many forms.
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| Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez earned his 30th save of the season today, working the ninth inning to solidify the 3-2 win over Philadelphia. K-Rod faced five batters, walking one and giving up one hit on 14 total pitches, representing one of the more worrisome outings of his season. |
Our View: That's nine saves through the month of June, touting just three walks and nine strikeouts through that span.
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| Francisco Rodriguez nailed down his 28th save as he fired a hitless ninth inning, with two strikeouts, in Sunday's 2-0 win against the Braves. |
Our View: K-Rod has 29 strikeouts over 31 innings, and has converted 24-straight save opportunities.
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| The Angels used a late-inning rally to surpass the Rays of Tampa Bay 4-2, an effort capped by another strong outing from reliever Francisco Rodriguez . K-Rod faced three hitters in the ninth, allowing one walk with two ground outs and one fly out to complete the win and pick up his 27th save of the season. |
Our View: K-Rod has allowed just two earned runs over his last 24 outings.
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| Francisco Rodriguez earned a franchise record 23-consecutive save on Saturday night though it was an adventure as he allowed two hits, a walk, and a run against the Athletics. |
Our View: K-Rod is 26-for-27 on saves this year despite a greatly reduced strikeout total and an increased walk rate. Those two things don't scream out "saves record", so something will have to give.
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| Francisco Rodriguez pitched a perfect ninth inning securing a victory for Jered Weaver and the Angels. K-Rod leads the league in saves and recorded his 24th in a 5-4 win over Seattle on Wednesday. |
Our View: Reports surfaced in early May that Rodriguez was pitching hurt, but he's showed no signs of that with his 2.00 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 24 saves.
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| Francisco Rodriguez loaded the bases with three straight walks in the ninth, but was able to work out of the jam and record his major-league leading 18th save. With one out, Rodriguez walked Gregg Zaun, Marco Scutaro and Brad Wilkerson, but Aaron Hill popped out and Alex Rios struck out looking. |
Our View: Rodriguez who is reportedly not 100 percent, is doing his job despite. The right-hander has a 2.79 ERA with 16 strikeouts to 12 walks.
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| Francisco Rodriguez entered a three to three game with the White Sox only to allow the go ahead run to score in the ninth inning to pick up his first loss of the season. |
Our View: K-Rod has the 16 saves that we all desire, and this is likely just one of those rare times when an offense catches up to a closer. Brush it off an move on like he will.
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| Francisco Rodriguez nailed down his 12th save of the season in Saturday's 3-1 win over the Orioles, as he held the team hitless in the ninth inning, with one strikeout. |
Our View: He has not allowed a hit over five straight appearances.
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| Francisco Rodriguez earned his ninth save of the season on Thursday despite throwing only five pitches to pick up one out against the Red Sox. |
Our View: K-Rod is now 9-for-10 on the year in converting saves, and he has allowed just one baserunner in his last three appearances as he deals with his sore ankles.
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| Despite his early season struggles with health and performance, Francisco Rodriguez still picked up his seventh save on Friday night for the Angels. |
Our View: K-Rod allowed one hit in his lone inning as he needed 14 pitches to pick up three outs.
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| Francisco Rodriguez earned his sixth save on Thursday, but he wasn't exactly sharp. The closer allowed three singles and one run before closing out the Royals. his fastball sat at 91 mph, and Rodriguez relied more on his other pitches, the Los Angeles Times reports. He is working his way back from two sprained ankles. "He's maybe not as locked in as he will be, but he's evolving as a pitcher, mixing in his changeup, throwing some terrific breaking balls," manager Mike Scioscia explains. "Give it some time. He's working his way back." |
Our View: We hope the "some time" means days or weeks rather than months. Rodriguez remains a high-end fantasy closer for now, but this current version is a far cry from the dominant reliever we're accustomed to.
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| Francisco Rodriguez picked up his fourth save on Monday and posted his first scoreless outing in over a week. The elite closer had been struggling and missing time due to a sore ankle. He worked a hitless frame against the Rangers and needed only seven pitches. |
Our View: That's an excellent sign for K-Rod. He remains a top-five fantasy closer despite his early issues.
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| Francisco Rodriguez surrendered a run and two hits in the ninth inning of his first game back from his ankle injury, but Manager Sciosca praised him despite the rocky outing, according to the LA Times. Sciosca noted, "Rodriguez looked really strong and showed a live arm. He was driving great to the plate." He struggled with his command, but it is favorable that Sciosca thought he made progress.
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Our View: He should bounce back over his next outings, and his fantasy stock will continue to go back up.
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| Francisco Rodriguez said that he is feeling much better and that his ankles have recovered to the point that he could pitch on Friday night, this according to the Orange County Register. K-Rod will likely still produce his normal 40 saves when all is said and done, though it certainly would be nice to see him healthy enough to have some success on the hill early on. |
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| The Angels hope Francisco Rodriguez can throw this weekend, in the bullpen and possibly in a game, according to the LA Times. The elite closer should be back very soon as he heals from his sore ankle. |
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| Francisco Rodriguez's X-ray came back normal on Tuesday, according to the LA Times. He will remain sidelined for at least three days while the team evaluates the results of an MRI test. Manager Sciosca noted, "We're concerned about how it will influence his delivery and the stress on his arm. This thing will heal, but we don't want to put him at any undue risk." K-Rod added that the pain has subsided and he feels good enough to return to action, but he does not make the decisions.
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| Francisco Rodriguez doesn't think he will need to go on the DL for his ankle injury, according to the LA Times. Rodriguez added, "I might just need to give it a couple of days." As previously reported, Scot Shields will likely handle the closer's role until he returns.
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| Francisco Rodriguez could land on the DL due to his injured ankle, according to MVN.com. Rodriguez commented after the game on Monday that he wouldn’t be surprised if his sore ankles landed him on the DL, and added, "At this point, I think I need to go on the disabled list." Manager Sciosca also noted, "You could see with every pitch that he was laboring a little bit more. We might have to sit him for three or four days before we make a decision." Scot Shields should serve as the team's closer until Rodriguez returns.
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| Francisco Rodriguez allowed three runs while getting only one out to pick up a blown save on Monday, but the worst news of the night was that he had to be removed from the game with an ankle injury. F-Rod has been bothered by a sore ankle for a while now and if he were to miss any time it would figure that Scot Shields would become the team's closer with Justin Speier filling the setup role. |
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| Francisco Rodriguez continues to be bothered by an ankle injury. Make that two ankle injuries. The left joint still hurts from last year, and the right one is now ailing. "He tweaked it a couple of days ago, and we're going to look at it closely," manager Mike Scioscia tells the Los Angeles Times. "But it is a little sore." Rodriguez has yet to allow a run through three appearances, but he has walked three batters and thrown more balls than strikes. |
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| Francisco Rodriguez has altered his delivery in an attempt to take pressure off his bad left ankle, and it has resulted in decreased velocity, according to the LA Times. His fastball has registered mostly at 91 MPH, down from his regular 94 MPH. "He was working on a lot of things as far as mechanics in the spring, trying to iron some things out, and sometimes it's a work in progress," manager Mike Scioscia said. "He should be crisper the more he gets out there." K-Rod's new delivery hasn't affected his results thus far, as he's 2-for-2 in save opportunities with three strikeouts in two innings. This doesn't seem like anything to worry about right now. |
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| Francisco Rodriguez is changing his pitching delivery in an attempt to limit stress on his body, according to MLB.com. He understands that too much movement is never good for a pitcher, so he has taken steps to limit stress on his body by employing a more compact delivery. The main focus is on keeping his left leg tighter and softening his landing on his left ankle, which has recently given him problems at times. He noted, "Before, I used to be more open, swinging my leg around. I'm trying to take a little pressure off my left ankle. It's been really painful after every outing. That's because my delivery was so violent. I just have to make sure not to land so hard. It's the only change I've made. Now the delivery is more on a line, not toward first base. Now it's quick, short, let it go." He notably nailed down his first save of the season on Wednesday, with one strikeout over his one inning of work.
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| Francisco Rodriguez picked up his first save of the season, closing the 9th on Joe Saunders outstanding eight innings of work. K-Rod needed ten pitches to throw one walk, one strikeout, and two ground outs to pick up the save. |
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| Francisco Rodriguez had a nightmarish day on the mound against the Cubs on Wednesday as he got rocked for five runs on four hits over a mere 2/3 of an inning. Today's performance shouldn't scare you away from scooping him up on draft day and he should remain an elite fantasy closer this season. |
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| Francisco Rodriguez lost his salary arbitration hearing with the Angels Friday, according to the LA Times. K-Rod won't get the $12.5 million he asked for this season, but he'll still pull down $10 million. Owner Arte Moreno told the Times Thursday that he still hopes to sign Rodriguez to an extension, though the closer recently said he likely will test free agency after the season. Stay tuned. |
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| Angels owner Arte Moreno hasn't given up hope of signing Francisco Rodriguez to a contract extension, despite K-Rod's recent statement that he's likely to test free agency after this season, according to the LA Times. "We haven't even started playing spring games; things change," Moreno said. "I'm not one to close the door because we start the season." A decision regarding Rodriguez's salary for 2008 is expected to come from arbiters on Friday. |
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| Francisco Rodriguez joined his teammates on Sunday but told the ocregister.com this is likely his last season with the Angels.
"Yeah, probably. Probably," the two-time All-Star closer said. "If they wanted me here, they would have done something a long time ago."
Rodriguez is frustrated that the team hasn't avoided arbitration with the right-handed closer and is expected to test the free agent market after the season. |
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| Francisco Rodriguez is expected to be with his teammates today after tying up some loose ends at home in Venezuela, according to the Angels team website and general manager Tony Reagins.
The league leader in saves over the past three seasons with 132, pitched over the winter in his native Venezuela. In 17 innings, he was 0-1 with a 2.65 ERA, walking only three hitters while striking out 21.
K-Rod is for the most part, the highest ranked fantasy relief option, regardless of format. But paying (too much) for saves is not recommended, and the Angels fireman will not be available after the fifth round -- or for less than $32 in AL-only formats, less in mixed. Targeting K-Rod on draft day will mean an owner will have no choice but to overpay for his services.
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| Francisco Rodriguez is asking for $12.5 million from the Angels, while the team if offering $10 million, according to the LA Times. The two parties could meet in arbitration next month. K-Rod is in line to become a free agent after the 2008 season, and there has been no discussion of a long-term contract. |
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| Francisco Rodriguez sustained a minor ankle sprain on Saturday. The injury happened on his first pitch of the ninth inning, when he landed in a hole on the mound, according to the LA Times. The hole was patched, and K-Rod remained in the game to complete the inning. It doesn't appear to be anything that will keep him from being available this week. |
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| Francisco Rodriguez has been cleared of any wrongdoing by MLB regarding accusations this week that he was doctoring the ball, according to the AP. "That's the word we got, so it's a non-issue," manager Mike Scioscia said. "It's just a function of touching the rosin bag and adjusting your cap. I'm sure it shows up on a lot of pitchers' caps. It's really much ado about nothing." |
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| Francisco Rodriguez denies that he's altering baseballs in any way, saying the white substance seen on his cap is merely rosin, the Los Angeles Times reports. There have been internet reports this week that allege Rodriguez is doing something underhanded on the mound. "It's from the rosin bag," Rodriguez said, showing reporters his cap before Thursday's game. "If that's illegal, why is there a rosin bag on the mound? You can come check me any time you want. I have nothing to hide." MLB spokesman Pat Courtney said his office was notified by e-mail about the photos and is reviewing tapes of Rodriguez. |
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| Francisco Rodriguez will make his spring debut on Friday, according to the AP. He's been limited so far this spring but to a strained right hamstring. |
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| Francisco Rodriguez threw off a mound yesterday for the first time since being slowed by a strained right hamstring, according to the LA Times. It looks like the injury isn't anything to be concerned about. |
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| Francisco Rodriguez participated in fielding practice Monday and should get on a bullpen mound this week, according to the LA Times. He has been dealing with a strained right hamstring. |
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| Francisco Rodriguez expects to resume defensive drills on Monday and throw off a mound soon after that, according to the LA Times. He's been limited to long toss recently due to a sore right hamstring. "I've got to be careful," said Rodriguez. "I don't want to hurt it worse and need two or three weeks to fix it. I'll take a couple of days now and do the work to make it stronger." |
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| A tight hamstring kept Francisco Rodriguez from taking part in fielding drills on Friday, according to the LA Times. At this point, it looks like it's just a precautionary move and nothing to worry about. |
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| The Angels avoided arbitration with Francisco Rodriguez by signing him to a one-year, $7 million deal on Tuesday, according to the AP. He posted a major league leading 47 saves in 2006. |
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| Francisco Rodriguez picked up his 42nd save of the year Thursday, getting the final four outs at Texas. Rodriguez hasn't allowed a run since June 26, covering 29 appearances and 30.2 IP. |
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| The Angels plan to try to work out a long-term deal with Francisco Rodriguez over the offseason, according to the LA Times. "We've agreed that we will sit down at the end of the season and have some serious conversations," agent Paul Kinzer said. "Frankie has definitely put up the numbers and done his job. He's put himself in a good position contract-wise." Rodriguez is making $3.77 million this year and would probably double that total in his second year of arbitration. |
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