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Francisco Rodriguez trade sets up Brewers for second half [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel](Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) July 14--Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin was more focused on picking up a cup of java than a front-line reliever Tuesday morning, when his cell phone rang. On the other end? New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson. The two began discussing a potential deal, and after a day's worth of negotiating Melvin in the late evening had acquired four-time all-star closer Francisco "K-Rod" Rodriguez to bolster the back end of a bullpen that already features a potential future all-star in John Axford. It was a move that took many baseball observers by surprise. To Melvin, it was just another case of listening to a potential deal any time, any place to improve a Brewers club poised to start the second half of the season in a tie for first in the National League Central. "This happened yesterday morning," Melvin said during a Miller Park media session Wednesday afternoon. "I was in Chicago, I was going to walk over to Starbucks and got a call from Sandy. Decided to take the phone call, and we worked at it. You always look at trying to improve your ballclub. "If anything comes up, I'm available to listen." In the end, Melvin acquired Rodriguez and the approximately $5 million remaining on his 2011 salary from New York in exchange for two minor-league players to be named. Neither will be a top prospect. By doing so, he -- at least in theory -- turned a potential trouble spot into a major strength by adding the right-hander to his cadre of relievers. No longer the overpowering closer who saved 62 games for the Los Angeles Angels in 2008, Rodriguez was still good enough to save 23 games in the first half for the Mets while also compiling a 2-2 record and a 3.16 earned-run average. Why did New York move him? The answer is a potentially tricky contractual situation that, for a team in financial difficulty like the Mets, had threatened to become a major distraction. Rodriguez, who will join Milwaukee in Colorado on Thursday, has a $17.5 million club option for 2012 with a $3.5 million buyout. The $17.5 million option automatically vests if Rodriguez finishes 55 games this season. Having already finished 34 games, Rodriguez's magic number becomes 21 over the final 70 games to collect $17.5 million. The Brewers won't say so publicly, but they have no intention of letting that option vest. "I think that's what scared a lot of teams off," Melvin said. "We knew all the issues. We knew the issue about the option and all that. But he's one of the top pitchers in the bullpen in the game today." With Axford having converted 20 consecutive saves and 23 of 25 on the season, it would appear the Brewers could have a potential controversy. Rodriguez's new agent, Scott Boras, already has proclaimed his 29-year-old client is a closer, not a setup man. Melvin dodged that sticky issue, declining to discuss how both Axford and Rodriguez would be used moving forward. "I talked to 'K-Rod' last night and he said he was anxious to join the club and meet us in Colorado," Melvin said. "I talked to John Axford last night to let him know to not get nervous about it. I'm not going to get involved with the roles at this time. "When you're a championship club, you need to have everybody pulling together." Rodriguez is plenty familiar with Brewers manager Ron Roenicke from their years together with the Angels from 2002-'08. Milwaukee's clubhouse has been, by all accounts, remarkably harmonious this season, with plenty of strong, veteran voices sprinkled throughout. The Brewers are counting on both factors to ease Rodriguez's transition, not to mention smooth any potentially ruffled feathers if he indeed becomes the setup man instead of the closer. "We just have to wait and see," Melvin said. "We have an opportunity to go to the postseason, and that's what he's about. I talked to a number of people and he's a great competitor. He really competes. He's an emotional guy, and he wants to win. It's very important that he wins. "So I'm hoping this is the right place for him." Despite seeing his velocity drop from the high 90s to around 90-91, Rodriguez still strikes out more than a batter an inning on average, using a deceptive changeup as his go-to pitch. Throwing him into the mix at the end of games with Axford figures to give the Brewers an interesting mix of both experience and electricity -- a great situation for a team to have as it looks to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2008. "He's a groundball-strikeout pitcher," said Melvin. "But the thing that he does do is he competes very well. He's a competitor. He still gets strikeouts. You look at his numbers and John's numbers, and they're almost identical. "He's got three pitches that he can throw. He competes at a high level. He's got one of the best changeups in the game. He's had a lot of success, and he was having success this year, too." ___ To see more of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.jsonline.com. Copyright (c) 2011, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com, e-mail [email protected], or call 866-280-5210 (outside the United States, call +1 312-222-4544) |