Detroit Tigers: Will Francisco Rodriguez Return in 2017?
By Brad Faber
The Detroit Tigers will soon need to decide whether or not to pick up Francisco Rodriguez’s option for next season. Rodriguez saved 44 games in 49 opportunities in 2016.
For many years, the Detroit Tigers were plagued by the inability to find a lockdown closer. This year, it was Francisco Rodriguez‘s turn to show what he could do.
Overall, Rodriguez had a pretty nice season, posting a 3.24 ERA, a 3.83 FIP and a 1.13 WHIP. It would be fair to say that it was one of the better performances by a Tigers closer in recent years.
Rodriguez was particularly effective during the middle of the season, posting a 2.29 ERA from May through August. He also moved into fourth place on the all-time save leaders list. His 430 career saves now trail only Lee Smith, Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera.
The 44 saves Rodriguez had in 2016 ranked second in the American League, trailing only Zach Britton. He had five blown saves, a couple of which are likely to stick around in the minds of Tigers fans. One of his blown saves took place during a crucial game with the Kansas City Royals in late September, when the Tigers were still very much in the playoff race. Still, Rodriguez’s season was mostly a success.
Though still known as “K-Rod,” Rodriguez’s pitching style has evolved a bit over the years. A hard-thrower during his days with the Los Angeles Angels, Rodriguez’s four-seam fastball registered at an average of just 90.1 MPH last season, per Brooks Baseball. Much like other recent seasons, he used his changeup quite heavily, throwing the pitch 41.94 percent of the time. His 8.02 K/9 was the lowest of his career.
When the offseason arrives, the Tigers hold a $6 million option with a $2 million buyout on Rodriguez for 2017. It is also worth noting that this year’s free agent market will feature names such as Kenley Jansen, Aroldis Chapman and Mark Melancon. A potential problem, however, is that their price tags will likely be hefty.
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The Tigers have already spent a lot of money trying to win. According to Spotrac, Detroit had the fourth-highest payroll in baseball in 2016.
The Tigers’ in-house options are fairly limited as well. Bruce Rondon finally emerged as a solid part of the bullpen in 2016, posting a 2.97 ERA and a 11.15 K/9, but he may be better suited as a setup man. Justin Wilson has only one career save.
There is also Joe Jimenez, who has dominated in the minor leagues, but it would be surprising to see the job go to a rookie. Jimenez is still just 21 years old.
Despite a few rocky outings, the Tigers should feel quite happy about Rodriguez’s overall body of work. When considering the low cost of his option, lack of internal choices and the expensiveness of free agents, it shouldn’t be too surprising to see K-Rod return to Detroit in 2017. It still remains to be seen which direction the Tigers ultimately decide to go, however.
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The Tigers missed out on a playoff spot by only 2.5 games this past season. They will surely want to secure as many late leads as possible next year. Rodriguez has proven that he can still do the job most of the time.