Philadelphia Phillies add Francisco Rodriguez on minor league deal

The Philadelphia Phillies have continued to rebuild their bullpen, adding former All Star closer Francisco Rodriguez on a minor league contract.

In what was a relatively lost season for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2017, the bullpen was somewhat of a strength. The Phillies ranked 14th in baseball with a 4.18 ERA in relief last season, as the bullpen typically did its job. However, there were holes that the Phillies needed to fix, especially after Pat Neshek was traded last year.

With the return of Neshek, and the dismissal of Jeanmar Gomez, the Phillies are showing that they are serious about turning the bullpen into a weapon. In that quest to improve the relief corps, they have made an intriguing singing, inking former All Star closer Francisco Rodriguez to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training. If he makes the roster, he is slated to earn $2.5 million, plus incentives.

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The 2017 campaign was a disaster for Rodriguez. He opened the season as the Tigers closer, but quickly lost the role as he blew four saves by May 9th. He became a mop up pitcher, no longer able to be trusted in a close game. He ended the year with seven saves, but six blown saves, for the season. In his 25.1 innings, Rodriguez posted a 7.82 ERA and a 1.658 WHiP before being released by Detroit. He signed with the Nationals, but was released nine days later. It definitely would have seemed as though he was nearing the end.

However, there were positive signs from his performance last year. He struck out 23 batters while issuing 11 walks, numbers relatively in line with his production from the past few years. The problem was, Rodriguez did not get nearly as many swings and misses, particularly with his changeup. Meanwhile, although his curve and change remained relatively effective, opponents had a .327 batting average against his fastball.

Rodriguez has been counted out before. The six time All Star and three time saves leader had struggled to find a job previously, and had worked as a setup man before returning to the closer role. With an adjustment or two, it would not be a surprise to see him once again pitching in the eighth or ninth inning for the Phillies in the coming year.

Next: The truth of the Phillies rebuild

The Philadelphia Phillies have signed veteran closer Francisco Rodriguez to a minor league contract. If he can find his form once again, he could be quite a bargain.