Francisco Rodriguez’s grievance against the Mets will not go to a scheduled arbitration hearing Monday because the involved parties feel as if they are moving toward a negotiated settlement, The Post has learned.
There is now belief among the parties that an agreement could be announced by this Monday or Tuesday. That would mean the case would never reach arbitrator Shyam Das.
Instead, Rodriguez, the Mets, the Players Association and the Commissioner’s Office have been working behind the scenes to reach a compromise.
Rodriguez was arrested and charged with assault in August after he allegedly slugged his girlfriend’s father after a game at Citi Field. The Mets claimed that the closer tore ligaments in his thumb during the altercation and tried to convert Rodriguez’s deal to a non-guaranteed contract.
A resolution before arbitration would indicate that the Mets will not be able to avoid paying the remainder of K-Rod’s contract, which calls for $11.5 million salary next year with a vesting $17.5 million option in 2012. But it is possible that the Mets will get something in the settlement, perhaps some or all of Rodriguez’s salary from the period he missed while injured late in the season.