LAS VEGAS — Francisco Rodriguez’s agent, Paul Kinzer, acknowledges his client set the single-season saves record at the wrong time. With the economy spiraling, Kinzer acknowledged the bids for his client are down, as well.
So Kinzer told The Post he will seek to be “creative” in trying to formulate a contract structure in negotiations with the Mets and other clubs. When Kinzer was asked if he could formulate a proposal that would allow his client to opt out after a year or two if the economy improved, Kinzer said those types of strategies are what he’s considering.
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“The team’s job is to protect themselves in a down cycle,” Kinzer said. “My job is to protect my client if the economy comes back up.”
Kinzer conceded he was disappointed his client’s 62 saves now likely will not be fully rewarded financially. Kinzer began the offseason floating the idea of a closer-record, five-year, $75 million contract.
But the Mets’ first bid was for two years for $25 million with an option. The two sides will continue to see if they can find a middle ground, with Kinzer conceding the economy has scuttled his plans from a few months ago.
“Obviously it is a different world we are all living in,” he said. “Just turn on the TV. It’s a different world than six months ago. The markets have changed for teams. We just don’t know what degree to yet. This is what we have to figure out. That is where creativity comes in.”
If K-Rod is willing to accept their deal, the Mets have identified him as the best available option. However, in their pursuit of a closer, the Mets also are channeling Scott Boras – i.e., they are doing to their potential closer candidates what Boras does when multiple teams seek one of his free-agent clients. Boras is expert at making those teams uneasy by playing one against the other while using time as his ally. As the clock ticks, teams tend to get edgier, imagining they will lose the player and often react by blindly increasing their bid.
Now here are the Mets as the lone big-market team clearly ready to spend significantly on a closer. But what they have done is let the candidates know they are interested in several of them, through either free agency or trade. Meanwhile, they have let the clock tick, forcing each of the relievers and their agents to envision the Mets signing someone else. Then what?
Or, as one AL official said, “Where does Francisco Rodriguez get his money, if the Mets, say, sign Brian Fuentes.?”
When Boras uses these tactics, the prices usually rise. The Mets are using the strategy to make the top of their closer market drop.
Though the Mets think Rodriguez is the best available closer, in keep-the-pressure-on Boras-style, they had a meeting scheduled this afternoon with Fuentes, and another with Trevor Hoffman. There also was the possibly of meeting Kerry Wood at the meetings, too. Plus, the Mets will continue to talk to Seattle about J.J. Putz.
“This is all leverage,” a major league official said. “This is like Scott. You know when Scott uses the three teams plus the mystery team, this is what he’s going for. Now the Mets have three or four options and they are doing the same.”