Mets and K-Rod

September 11, 2008   ·   Paul Raymond   ·   Jump to comments

Are the New York Mets out of the Francisco Rodriguez sweepstakes before it even begins. It’s quite possible. The Mets insurance policy on Billy Wagner does not cover the 2009 season. That means the Mets are on the hook for his entire $10.5 million salary. So would the Mets be able to afford two high priced closers?

Even with the opening of Citi Field it’s probably unlikely. K-Rod should easily command $15 million a year as he’s become the best closer in the league, and soon to be the single season saves leader. Signing K-Rod would make the Mets payroll at least $25 million for the closer role alone, that is a high price to pay for some saves. Especially when the Mets have greater needs.

What are those needs? Pitching of course. They need starters, they need relievers, and yea they do need a closer now too. But what good would it do the team to spend an additional $15 million on an elite closer when the rest of the relievers will rarely get the game to him? What good is an elite closer if your starters can’t go deep in games and keep those middle relievers from getting over worked. Look at the Yankees, Mariano Rivera has had arguably his best career season but what’s it been good for? Nothing.

My thinking would be the Mets would concentrate more on the Colorado Rockies own Brian Fuentes. There is just no way they could afford to add a payroll like K-Rods no matter how much they need an elite closer. Unfortunately, even Fuentes could even be out of their price range. Then again with General Manager Omar Minaya who knows what could happen?

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