PORT ST. LUCIE — Francisco Rodriguez entered in the ninth inning yesterday because that was the plan. Work days are scheduled in spring, so he finished a game despite a 10-0 Met lead over the Marlins and, thus, no save situation.
But what happens when Rodriguez needs work during the season? What happens when, say, no save situations have arisen for five or six days? Does Mets manager Terry Collins just put him in to stay sharp? For example, in the first 26 games last year, K-Rod had six games finished in non-save situations compared with four save opportunities. Will we see anything like that in 2011?
Because every time Rodriguez finishes a game he inches toward the 55 needed to trigger a $17.5 million option for 2012. So do the Mets want to let him get the equivalent of a freebie game finished in a blowout just to stay sharp?
If Rodriguez is excelling and the Mets are contending then they probably just have to tolerate vesting an option they do not want to vest. But if the Mets are not contenders then preventing his option from vesting is arguably the most important issue of the season. Because the last thing a non-contending Mets team wants is to begin hurting next year’s club, as well. And if Rodriguez’s option vests it would, indeed, impair the 2012 club.
General manager Sandy Alderson is on record that the 2012 payroll is going down. Meanwhile, if vested, K-Rod’s contract would be going up to vastly exceed the largest single-season payday ever for a closer: Mariano Rivera’s $15 million.
So rather than consume about eight percent of the $140 million-ish payroll as he is this year while earning $11.5 million, Rodriguez at $17.5 million would assume about 15 percent of, say, a $120 million payroll. And would the financially strapped Wilpons even authorize a $120 million payroll?
Now I tend to favor players in contractual matters. But I would argue the Mets are within their rights to limit Rodriguez’s games finished because this financial decision is also a baseball decision: A $17.5 million payday for Rodriguez would limit Alderson in addressing other needs to field a competitive baseball team in 2012.
The union would argue there is a covenant of good faith, that all usage decisions must be made independent of contractual provisions. And the union will watch diligently all year to see if grounds for a grievance emerge.
Grievances over option-year usage patterns are not unique. Yet only one has gone to an arbitrator.
Dennis Lamp had a $600,000 1987 option with Toronto that triggered if he reached a point total based on appearances during the 1985-86 seasons. In 1986, Toronto essentially benched Lamp — he went 25 days between appearances, for example, in September. He finished just shy of the point total to vest the option.
Nevertheless, arbitrator George Nicolau ruled in favor of the Blue Jays, deeming that Toronto manager Jimy Williams stopped using Lamp based on ability (5.05 ERA in 1986) not contractual considerations.
So if Rodriguez struggles, it will be easier for the Mets to explain, say, using Bobby Parnell to get saves with an eye on prepping for the future. In fact, a conspiracy theorist might have noticed how the Mets have abundantly praised the growth of Parnell’s slider this spring, and how that is key to him becoming a closer.
In addition, Collins already has stated plans to use Rodriguez more often in the eighth and ninth innings, and then “not even put his spikes on (for a few games) to give him a blow.” Remember it is games finished that matter, so pitching multiple innings to close a game is just one game finished or one fewer than being fresh enough to produce one-inning saves on consecutive days.
Collins said he was aware K-Rod’s usage pattern would be scrutinized, but pledged to emphasize winning. Alderson said he “understood the implications” in K-Rod’s deployment, but added, “Let’s see where the season takes us.”
In his five, injury-free seasons as a full-time closer, Rodriguez has finished no fewer than 56 games. And compared with last year he is in better shape physically and mentally — “a model citizen,” according to pitching coach Dan Warthen. Which is vital after his out-of-control 2010. Rodriguez’s blossoming two-seam fastball and better location moved Warthen to say K-Rod is better all-around now than in the record 62-save season for the Angels in 2008 that motivated the Mets to award a three-year contract with that $17.5 million 2012 option.
It leaves the Mets in this strange situation: They need Francisco Rodriguez to be good in 2011 — but not too good.