Francisco Rodriguez had the contractural right to veto trades to 10 teams. The Milwaukee Brewers were on his no-trade list since 2009, but his former agent never forwarded that list to the proper authorities.
So K-Rod ended up with the Brewers.
“After I got the phone call from the GM and he told me I was traded, I was a little confused,” Rodriguez told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. “I just found out my agent never sent the letter to the Players' Association or MLB, and I guess that played out. Now the Mets had the opportunity to trade me anyplace or anywhere they wanted to.”
Rodriguez has been one of baseball’s elite closers during his career and he strongly prefers staying in that role. His new agent, Scott Boras, noted that established closers are never happy as set-up men.
But the Brewers already have an effective closer, John Axford, so Rodriguez will have to split that role at best.
If he doesn’t finish 21 more games to meet his incentive clause, the Brewers won’t have to pick up that onerous $17.5 million contract option. Barring an injury to Axford, there is little chance he will finish 21 more games.
All of this could leave a veteran player grumpy. But to K-Rod’s vast credit, he reported to the Brewers in a good frame of mind and said all the right things.
“I'm a Brewer now, and I'm just going to go out there and compete,” Rodriguez said. “I'm trying to enjoy every moment, every day, work double as hard as I can and help this ballclub. That's the only thing I have in my mind.
“I've been a closer my whole career. My mind's built as a closer. But we've got a good closer here, too. How it's going to play out, that's up to the manager. I have to be ready when the phone rings in the pen and they call my name. That's it.”
Rodriguez is almost certain to become a free agent after this season, so teams will be curious to see how he handles this scenario.
“Right now, I'm wearing this jersey,” he said. “Tomorrow, who knows what I'll be wearing? Sometimes we forget to look at it the way it is - we're an employee. We're employed by them, and that's pretty much it.”
MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE
Questions to ponder while wondering how the feds could botch the Roger Clemens prosecution so thoroughly:
Does Giants reliever Brian Wilson have the body to pull off wearing a spandex tuxedo? Does he even care?
Will U2 pay proper tribute to the Cardinals during its concert at Busch Stadium?
Why do companies keep hiring athletes to do television commercials when so many of them turn out badly?
Is anybody surprised that Tiger Woods' ex-wife would land on her feet?
QUIPS ‘R US
Here is what some of America’s leading sports pundits have been writing:
Jeff Passan, Yahoo! Sports: “Albert Pujols could be staring if his second half resembles his first. His OPS remains about 200 points below his career average, and Pujols’ recovery from a broken bone in his wrist will be the bellwether that decides if his deal’s overall value starts with a 1 or a 2. As his teammate Lance Berkman pointed out, because Pujols will be 32 next season, he needs to play his way into earning the same overall money as Prince Fielder.”
Joe Lemire, SI.com: “Following a remarkable return from a broken wrist -- Pujols missed only 14 games -- the three-time MVP needed a few games to get in rhythm and entered the All-Star break having gone 5-for-8 with a double and home run in his last two games. After a slow start, his overall numbers (.280 average, 18 homers, 50 RBIs) are approaching Pujolsian levels, meaning the Cardinals' offense might only improve -- and they're already second in the NL in runs and first in average, OBP, slugging and OPS.”
Johnette Howard, ESPN.com, on the rise of her favorite team: “For too long, the Pirates have been the team only U-Haul could love. Our franchise didn't invent the roster fire sale, but it damn sure perfected it. Budding talent (Nate McLouth), a past batting-title winner (fan favorite Freddy Sanchez), players on the brink of salary raises -- we had 'em all and traded them away in other years. The Pirates were a club that made other teams' dreams come true. The last deadline move that looks like a get-better-now trade to me is when former general manager Dave Littlefield dealt Oliver Perez and Roberto Hernandez to the Mets for Xavier Nady in 2006. But now, the Pirates are in a tight division race with co-leaders Milwaukee and St. Louis. We're ahead of Cincinnati. And we're buyers again, baby. BUYERS!”
Gregg Doyel, CBSSports.com: “Four years probation, four million years -- that won't stop the Jackets from playing on TV this season. Or from playing in a bowl game, should they win enough games to get there. Georgia Tech just made like Neo in The Matrix and dodged a bullet. Ohio State's next. As usual, BCS cheaters win. They damn sure don't lose -- not postseason eligibility or TV appearances, which is the only punishment that would leave an actual mark. Way to be firm, NCAA. I've already noted the strongly worded sentence in the statement by the Committee on Infractions, but the follow-through was flaccid. As usual.”
David Steele, FanHouse: “It’s been a spring and summer of snap judgments, knee-jerk reactions and unfiltered outbursts. They’ve landed a bunch of players in the jailhouse and a bunch more in the doghouse. For every inch the players, collectively, have gained for standing their ground against the owners in the labor talks, they’ve given up a yard in public image by constantly flouting the law and decent society. They’re clearly smarter than this, but they keep acting as if they’re not.”
MEGAPHONE
“If player safety is the NFL's main concern, as they say it is, they are not going about it in an effective manner. There's nothing about extending the season or issuing exorbitant fines on defensive players that makes any shift toward the prevention of injury to players. I believe that the league may have been feeling increasing pressure about injuries and concussions last year, and that they panicked and put rules in place that weren't fully thought out. I'm not advocating more flags and fines, I'm just saying that the current rules are not completely fair, and I don't believe in the way that the league is handling their position as overseer of the NFL and the well-being of its players.”
Steelers linebacker James Harrison, not backing off his criticisms of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
