December 09, 2008
No Market
Francisco Rodriguez
Photo: Icon SMI
Francisco Rodriguez came to the free agent market a year too late:
Remember that three-year, $34-million offer closer Francisco Rodriguez rejected from the Angels in 2007? It's looking pretty good now.
Rodriguez was hoping to cash in on his major league-record 62-save season with a five-year, $75-million deal, but the free-agent right-hander left the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas on Monday with only one firm offer, from the New York Mets, for a reported two years and $24 million.
It was just last year that Francisco Cordero pulled down a four-year, $46 million contract, and an old Mariano Rivera re-signed with the Yankees for three years, $45 million. K-Rod might have been off accepting arbitration and trying again next year.
In fact, a two-year contract might not be so bad. Rodriguez doesn't need to be a great closer the next couple of years, just a very good one. After all, he's still rather young. So, if after the 2010 season four or five teams are in need of a closer, he'll get his five-year deal. This is a moment in time where free agents may be better off with a short term deal so they can go for the really big money when the economy comes back.
LOL looks like my Mets will benefit from all this. If they can sign K-Rod for cheap, he will be motivated to perform greatly the next 3 years so he can then land that huge payday. Let's Go Mets!
No matter how old Rivera is, he's still arguably the best closer in the game. He would probably sign the same contract this year.
you're assuming that the market is improved in 2-3 years and i'd say that's a big assumption.
It really isn't that big of an assumption. The markets might not reach the highs they have but the market will, almost undoubtedly, be significantly better in 2 years then it is at the current time.
Let me cry now for these guys, only 24 mil, It will be hard to live on that. Get real, these guys are incredibly overpaid and we the fan pay for it. Lets call this a market correction, and K rod will still be able to live quite comfortably
I'd gladly pay you Tuesday...for a hamburger today.
