Relief Pitcher: Mets in Good Spot for K-Rod
In the New York Post, Bart Hubbuch writes, ‘The Mets will pursue a closer right out of the gate in free agency, with starting pitching, corner outfield help, second base and possibly catcher lower on the list of priorities,’ according to a person familiar with the team’s thinking.
On Tuesday, Rodriguez’s agent, Paul Kinzer, was a guest on WFAN, and said his client likes New York, the big stage, and he is very interested in the Mets.
Hubbuch quotes Kinzer as saying essentially the same thing.
That said, according to Hubbuch, citing other sources, Brian Fuentes is higher on the team’s wish list, ‘in part because of initial reports of Rodriguez looking for a five-year deal worth as much as $15 million per season.’
…well, i would like to be paid $1 million per year to write MetsBlog.com, but that’s not going to happen either…however, we can all dream, right K-Rod…
Yesterday, in an interview with a Los Angeles radio station, Angels owner Arte Moreno said he and his team are ‘probably turning the page on Rodriguez,’ and ‘moving forward.’
Similarly, in a recent radio interview, Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski also said he does not expect to bid on Rodriguez, according to a blog for the Grand Rapids Press.
And so, today, at CBS Sports, Danny Knobler concludes:
“The Mets could be well-positioned to get Rodriguez, because the other teams in need of a closer this winter are very unlikely to spend anything close to $15 million per year… The Mets could end up going that high, although not for the five years that Kinzer was originally demanding.”
Teams can start bidding on free agents starting at midnight.
In a poll of 3,300 fans on MetsBlog.com yesterday, when asked to put aside dollars, years, trades, etc., and value only talent, 59 percent of voters said they would want Rodriguez to be the team’s closer, while 19 percent said Bobby Jenks, 15 percent said Fuentes, and three percent said Huston Street.
