Francisco Rodriguez (Detroit Tigers)
The Tigers acquired Francisco Rodriguez to be their closer over the offseason, but he hasn’t enjoyed the smoothest start in the Motor City. Though he has converted four of five save opportunities, he sports a bloated 7.11 ERA in 6.1 innings pitched. In that span K-Rod has served up two homers, walked four and struck out only three.
Rodriguez was once the most electrifying reliever in baseball, saving 194 games for the Angels from 2005 to 2008. He experienced a bit of a renaissance the last two years with the Brewers, notching a total of 82 saves as the team’s closer.
At age 34, however, you can’t help but wonder how much is left in the tank. The Tigers will likely show some patience with the active saves leader, but if he continues to falter they probably won’t hesitate to put him in a setup role, where he does have experience. In that case, right-hander Mark Lowe (2.04 FIP) would likely be the next man up.
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