The Mets have finally decided to punch back when it comes to Francisco Rodriguez.
The Mets found out yesterday that K-Rod will almost certainly be lost for the rest of the season with torn ligaments in his right thumb. Because they claim Rodriguez incurred that injury Wednesday night in an alleged altercation with the grandfather of his children, the Mets are now looking into a variety of punishments, including the possibility of trying not to pay Rodriguez for the term he misses with the injury or possibly even going after what remains on his contract, The Post has learned.
The Mets did not immediately put Rodriguez on the disabled list and, instead, played with 24 men last night in Houston. They probably will decide today whether to put Rodriguez on the Disqualified or Restricted List, either of which would allow them to return to 25 active players. If the Mets put Rodriguez on the Restricted List, they probably will probably just be going after his salary while he is not available to pitch, which would include the $3.1 million he has left the rest of this season.
If they put Rodriguez on the Disqualified List, however, it would probably mean the Mets are going to try to void what remains on his contract. He also makes $11.5 million next season. In addition, he has a $17.5 million option for 2012 that vests if he finishes 55 games next year and ends the season healthy and on the roster. The Mets certainly want to avoid paying a one-year record for a closer to Rodriguez in 2012.
As of early last night, a union official told The Post, that the Players Association had yet to be notified that the Mets have filed the necessary paperwork to grieve the case. However, a person familiar with the Mets’ thinking told The Post the Mets are “well down the road” looking into all of the options and that the situation was fluid. If the Mets file a grievance, the union will definitely counter-file.
It is possible that the two sides could reach an agreement and avoid an actual arbitration. But if an arbitration is necessary, it would be heard by special baseball arbitrator Shyam Das, likely late this season or shortly thereafter.
K-Rod pitched on Saturday, complained of thumb pain on Sunday and the Mets diagnosed the injury yesterday. Surgery was recommended and that would cost Rodriguez the remainder of this season.
After Wednesday’s game, Rodriguez is alleged to have punched the father of his fiancee, 53-year-old Carlos Pena, near the family lounge at Citi Field. Rodriguez was arrested and charged with third-degree assault and second-degree harassment. The Mets, the Commissioners Office, the Players Association and Rodriguez agreed to have K-Rod take a two-game suspension without pay, which cost Rodriguez roughly $125,000. That concluded on Saturday and Rodriguez issued a public apology for the incident and his behavior and promised to try to do better in the future. He is due to return to court on Sept. 14.
Teams have not had a lot of success going after players’ salaries when it comes to domestic-abuse issues. However, the Mets might have two factors on their side: 1) The incident took place at the ballpark, on Mets’ property. 2) Rodriguez apparently suffered his injuries as a result of the fight and can now not render his services to the team.
Jerry Manuel acknowledged the injury was a result of the fight and that since it’s “not a baseball-related thing, so that probably adds to it a bit.”
Manuel would not elaborate much more, saying, “It’s still a legal type of thing. I really wish I could (comment). As men, once you have all the information, as men, I think we all would have reacted in some form. Maybe not in that form, but in some form.”
In the immediate aftermath of the injury, the Mets did not react like a team that was seeking a major punishment against Rodriguez. With K-Rod still in police custody on Thursday, Manuel said he would use the closer that day if the situation came up (that was before the suspension was announced). The following day GM Omar Minaya said he had no regrets over signing Rodriguez and called his closer’s actions a “mistake” that he claimed any of the team’s players could make.
However, the Mets saw that public perception was against their leniency and now — with Rodriguez not available to help the team — they see a way to potentially recoup money.
Rodriguez, who didn’t travel with the team, has a troubled history with the organization. Prior to last week’s incident, he had attempted to have a physical altercation with bullpen coach Randy Niemann, as well as did have verbal encounters with former team executive Tony Bernazard and former Yankee Brian Bruney.
Without their fiery closer, the Mets will go to a committee to finish games.
“He’s been a horse in the back of the bullpen, closing games,” Jose Reyes said. “That’s huge. It’s tough for us. It’s a big problem, especially with the way we played so far, not scoring runs. Who knows how long we’ve lost him?”
“Of course it makes it worse, that it happened that way,” another player said.
And it’s just the latest fiasco in another lost season for the Mets.
“It takes a toll, no doubt about that,” Manuel said. “It takes a bigger toll on team.”