Tigers acquire K-Rod

[Mark68]

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Tigers Acquire Francisco Rodriguez

By Jeff Todd |

November 18, 2015 at 10:43am CST

11:10am: The deal has been announced.

11:09am: Detroit will also send a player to be named in the deal, James Schmehl of MLive.com reports on Twitter.

10:43am: The Tigers have agreed to a deal to acquire reliever Francisco Rodriguez from the Brewers, according to a report from Venezuelan journalist Augusto Cardenas (via Twitter). Infielder Javier Betancourt will head to Milwaukee in the swap, per the report.

K-Rod was something of a forgotten man in early-offseason discussions of relief trade chips, but it always seemed likely that he’d change hands. After all, new Brewers GM David Stearns has clearly been tasked with rebuilding. Rodriguez is obviously not a long-term piece, and his backloaded contract still has $9.5MM left to go (including the buyout of a 2017 option). Detroit will pay the entirety of the remaining obligation, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.

Though he’s now nearly 34 years of age, Rodriguez has continued to be a reliable force at the back of the pen. He ended the 2015 season with 57 innings of 2.21 ERA pitching, striking out 9.8 and walking only 1.7 batters per nine along the way. Rodriguez also permitted a meager 6.0 hits per nine, leaving him with an outstanding (and career-low) 0.860 WHIP on the season.

It’s true that Rodriguez benefitted from a .234 BABIP last year, and an even lower one in the season prior, but he’s carried a .271 mark for his career and also put up a strong 46.4% groundball rate. Of greater concern, perhaps, is that Rodriguez has been increasingly homer-prone as his arm speed has dropped. He lost a full mile per hour off his average fastball velocity between 2014 and 2015, falling below 90 mph for the first time. Then again, that didn’t stop him from producing a 14.0% swinging strike rate — a level he hasn’t reached since he was with the Angels.

Betancourt reached the High-A level last year at age 20 and currently sits at 11th among Tigers prospects, in the estimation of MLB.com.

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[Blarg]

They traded a Venezuelan for a Venezuelan with a Venezuelan to be named later?

Edited November 18, 2015 by notti

[Mark68]

They traded a Venezuelan for a Venezuelan with a Venezuelan to be named later?

Not to mention that the report was from a Venezuelan.

[Angel Oracle]

His control is the best it's been.    He might have a couple of more seasons in him.

[Tank]

surprised to read that he's still only 33.

[totdprods]

He's put together a really solid career. During all his Mets drama I wondered if he'd flame out and be out of baseball in his early 30's, but he looks like he still has a few years ahead of him.

 

Not many relievers are as good as he has been over 14 (!) full seasons.

Edited November 18, 2015 by totdprods

[Second Base]

That's the type of arm the Angels need to target for the 7th inning, minus the salary and being a douche.

[Second Base]

That's ok though because the Angels will get Soria.

[marcosantinia12]

That's ok though because the Angels will get Soria O'day.

I would gladly take both... Im greedy, oh well.

[Second Base]

O'Day is going to cost a lot of money. I'd pay it, but I'm guessing quite a few other teams would as well.

[nando714]

He's only 33?

[ten ocho recon scout]

Hindsight 20/20 and all, but he should have been kept.

But i get that his asking price was high for what he was. Still, hes had a very good career.

[SlappyUtilityMIF]

I liked him better when he was in NY melting down and beating on old people!

 

 

The Milwaukee K-Rod makes me wish he was here....

[Angel Oracle]

Yep, only 33, he starting his MLB career in mid-September 2002 at age 20.

[seenoevil]

Yup he was menacing in the 02 post season run

[ten ocho recon scout]

Yup he was menacing in the 02 post season run

few years after too. Just before he went FA, he lost some dominance frm control issues. But from 02 to about 2005 he was insane. You could swing at that slider and miss, or watch it hit the K zone for a strike. Your choice.

Still shake my head thinking about how good our pens used to be. Seriously have to wonder how we stopped producing internal bullpen arms (quality) and a solid run of position prospects

[Angel Oracle]

He sure caught the Skanks, Twins, and Giants by surprise in 2002.

That was huge in the post-season run.

[Erstad Grit]

If Hoffman can get into the hof Krod has an extremely slight possibility to have a shot. If he continues his performance of the last couple of years he could end up being third best closer of all time

[Brent Maguire]

K-Rod was one of my favorites. Still hard to believe that he's only 33. 

[seenoevil]

I recall people equating K-Rod to Fernando Valenzuela, because he was so young, and no one knew who he was or how to hit him. K-Rod was pretty much un-hit-able in that 02 post season. The swings and misses to his slider, many not even close to the baseball.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

I thought that Detroit's main problem was being an aging, declining club, not the bullpen.

[disarcina]

I thought K-Rod had somewhat of a comeback last season -- he pitched well.

 

good pick up by the Tigers.

 

I wish we would have brought K-Rod back -- he could be a pre-set up guy, a set-up guy and could close out some games.

 

I was at the game where K-Rod got his 62nd save and broke the single season saves record......it was an odd game because the Halos, if I recall right, were pretty much out of the race for the playoffs and everyone pretty much knew K-Rod was done as a Halo -- he got the save and it was a nice record but the stadium was fairly quiet.

 

then K-Rod went F/A thinking the record setting performance was going to translate into a huge contract and he signed with the Mets for not much more really than what the Angels offered and really got off to bad start in New York sort of de-railing what had been a very successful career........he sort of found his way back with Milwaukee and I thought pitched effectively for them during most of his time there and last year had a good season.

[CaliAngel]

Well to be honest, Skip really, really, accommodated Frankie during that year I think as a thank you for killing it in 2002, getting him a ring and eventually, a freakin' extensive well paid career.

 

Some of those saves yes were technically saves, but they weren't always earned the way a typical closer gets them. That being said, a save is a save.

 

Closer roles come and go, and while Frankie kinda lost that groove over some years, a lot of closers do. I think if we would have kept him as a setup guy or in the bullpen he would have been great, but he wanted to take advantage of his notoriety at the time and went for the highest bidder. He was no doubt a well used weapon in 2002.

[Angel Oracle]

DiSar, I'm guessing you meant to say that the Halos had long since wrapped up the AL West when he broke the MLB single season saves record? 

[Inside Pitch]

KRod looks like a safe bet to finish in the top 5 all time for saves, ahead of Billy Wagner.... and providing he remain a closer, a shot to pass Lee Smith...   Not bad for a guy who looked like he might have been fading out of the league a few years back..