Francisco Rodriguez

2013

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2012

Rodriguez pitched well in a setup role in Milwaukee after a midseason trade, striking out 10.24 K/9IP and allowing just one home run. Given that it was believed he was interested in a multi-year deal with another opportunity to close, the Brewers may have been surprised that Rodriguez accepted arbitration in December. Provided that he isn't traded, Rodriguez will continue in his role as the eighth-inning man and fallback option for closer John Axford.

2011

Rodriguez's biggest news last season came off the field, as he got into an altercation with his girlfriend's father in the family lounge at Citi Field on Aug. 11. To add injury to stupidity, K-Rod suffered a torn ligament in his thumb in the fight, sidelining him for the balance of the year. After the season, Rodriguez agreed not to challenge the team's decision to withhold his salary for the remainder of the 2010 season. In return, the Mets agreed not to seek to convert Rodriguez's contract to a non-guaranteed contract and removed him from the Disqualified List. In December, Rodriguez plead guilty to charges of assault, avoiding jail time. Prior to the altercation, K-Rod was having an excellent season, going 25-for-30 in save opportunities with a solid ERA and WHIP. He is expected to be healthy for spring training and should open 2011 as the Mets' closer.

2010

Rodriguez was signed by the Mets following his record-breaking 2008 campaign and billed as the panacea for their struggling bullpen. K-Rod was brilliant the first three months of the season, but started to slow down in July and had several spectacular blown saves. At times there was a stark drop-off in Rodriguez's fastball, which had the cascading effect of making his changeup ineffective. He also struggled with his command, which might have been due to the lack of consistent work. K-Rod saw his ERA rise sharply despite a drop in BABIP, which doesn't bode well for the last two years of his three-year, $37 million deal.

2009

Rodriguez had one of the best seasons ever for a relief pitcher and set a record for saves in a season after closing the door 62 times for the Angels in 2007. There's some concern over his diminished velocity, drop in strikeouts and increase in baserunners. Despite the apprehension, the Mets signed him to a three-year deal with an easily achieved team option for a fourth season. The other concern is that the Mets also acquired J.J. Putz from the Mariners, giving them a proven commodity as an alternative if Rodriguez gets off to a slow start.

2008

Compared to his previous four seasons, Rodriguez had a down year, but when you put up his results against every other relief pitcher, Rodriguez was still one of the best. Rodriguez went 5-2 with a 2.81 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 67.1 innings pitched last season and was tied for second in the American League with 40 saves. Though his numbers were indeed lower by his standards, he is still putting hitters away with a high-90s fastball and one of the best sliders in the game. It's easy to forget that Rodriguez is just 26 years old and will be among the league's best closers in 2008 and for years to come.

2007

Concerns about his violent motion and his slidercentric ways aren't going away. Ignore that and focus on how he has supplanted Mariano Rivera as the best fantasy closer in the AL. He allowed just two runs after June 26, and could be in line for a ridiculous 1.00 ERA season.

2006

Look for more of the same from K-Rod in 2006 -- domination of opposing hitters, lots of strikeouts and lots of saves. When you get to the end of a game there are few better.

2005

Make no mistake, K-Rod will dominate in 2005. While pitching brilliantly in a set-up capacity in 2004, Rodriguez took over closing briefly when Troy Percival was injured and proved he has the mental toughness to close games. He should be a top closer in 2005. Think Joe Nathan in 2004, only younger and harder throwing.

2004

Rodriguez had a very good season for the Angels in 2003, posting a 3.03 ERA in 86 IP. Moreover, Rodriguez allowed a very stingy 50 hits. His K/BB ratio of 95/35 was one of the best on the team and he also chipped in with two saves and a WHIP of 0.988. If Troy Percival falters as the closer, Rodriguez could be next in line.

2003

The words "young phenom" can't be uttered enough when you talk about Rodriguez. In a three-month span, he went from the minors to the national stage. The closer job belongs to Troy Percival, but Mike Scioscia can feel comfortable about putting the ball in the hands of this 21-year-old. Assuming Percival stays healthy, Rodriguez should get about 5-7 saves and have a great strikeout ratio, ERA and WHIP. He is great insurance in case Percival goes down.