The Phillies have released Francisco Rodriguez from his minor-league contract, according to the club’s media account on Twitter. “K-Rod” would’ve earned a $2.5MM salary if he made the club out of spring training.
The 36-year-old righty reliever has a storied career as a closer. He’s got 437 saves notched into his legacy, including a whopping 62 during his 2008 campaign with the Angels. That puts him fourth on the list of all-time saves leaders in baseball history. He’s also played for the Mets, Orioles and Tigers during his 16 MLB seasons. The righty owns a sterling 2.86 lifetime ERA and 10.53 K/9.
Last season with the Tigers, however, wasn’t reflective of prime K-Rod. He struggled to a disastrous 7.82 ERA, leading to his June release. In camp this spring, Rodriguez put up a 5.40 ERA with five strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. However, he’s just a season removed from a 2016 campaign during which he accumulated 44 saves for the Tigers while pitching to a 3.24 ERA.
Noooo
Just a heads up, the link is to another Francisco Rodriguez, but in regard to the move, he looked very bad this spring- control was way off.
Bartolo and K-Rod on the same day. Sad
No, expected
Exactly. Players age and decline.
I don’t feel the least bit sorry for either one. Colon has made $115,530,000 in his career and KORod has made $83,652,498. (BRef).
At a certain point the younger players who want their jobs take them because they’re better.
Why can’t it be both sad and expected? I was hoping to see them do well but I didn’t expect them to make the roster.
He also pitched for the Brewers twice. This article seems to be slapped together rather quickly = (
It appears that the B.B.-ref link provided is for the wrong Francisco Rodriguez.
4th all time in saves, 8 all star games. Is he HOF worthy?
If Lee Smith can’t get in, I can’t imagine Francisco would
I hope not but Hoffman got in. The Hall of Fame voters need to get smarter about relievers
True about Hoffman, sadly. But I like to think he got a big face-of-francise boost for being a Padre for all but 2 of his seasons
Of course, Hoffman also blows KRod away in HOFMonitor & has a substantial advantage in JAWS as well. So realistically, Trevor is seemingly more deserving at least (if you believe in those things)
Plus, 601 is lightyears ahead of the 437 of Francisco and even the 478 of Smith
I am a Padres fan and I am very happy that Hoffman is in the Hall. But, honestly, I think the only reliever who should be in the Hall is Mariano.
Hoffman couldn’t close big if life depended on it. Francisco got his ring with Angels 02 being clutch
Fyi;
Hoff – 1001 IP, 32.78 WPA
KRod – 976 IP, 23.88 WPA
That is a massive difference, and it cements Trevor as the #2 in history (#1 being Mariano at 55.75, #3 is Goose at 31.69, 4 is Nathan at 30.73, 5 is Wagner at 28.40 …Franciscos 23.88 is good enough for 8th; still strong, but no Hoffman at all)
I just don’t think any reliever creates enough value to be a Hall of Famer.. Hoffman has 28 career WAR. That’s Chase Headley territory. I give Mariano a bit of extra credit for postseason stuff but Hoffman doesn’t have that. I am a small Hall guy, however. And a Padre fan, so I’m glad there are now three Padres in the Hall.
no.. see Lee Smith. But his slider was unhittable.
Something tells me that if he stayed with the Angels he’d have a better case, simply because he would’ve put the Angels closer to notching up a couple more playoff spots over the crappy closers they used between him and Huston Street. The exposure added with Mike Trout and Albert Pujols later on would’ve kept him in the spotlight. Kinda like Jeter in a way. Jeter was overrated, but being on those Yankee teams practically forced the baseball world to keep paying attention to him. K-Rod sort of got lost in the shuffle after leaving the Angels despite continuing his success.
Brewers should consider a miner league contract for K-ROD
That 2008 season was interesting. Angels figured he’s going to walk so let’s use him all we can. Kinda cynical.
No, that just happened to be a team that should not have won 100 games, but did so because they had a weak enough offense and a pitching staff just good enough to where they were constantly going into the ninth inning up by 3 runs or less. And K-Rod just never blew a save.
Yo MLBTR, you linked the other Francisco Rodriguez