K-Rod On His Way Back to Milwaukee?

[pacopete4]

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2015/01/brewers-talking-with-francisco-rodriguez.html

 

 

Brewers in talks with Krod. Must mean that Papelbon fell through. Well, it's another high leverage situation arm that could help this ball club. Hopefully it's at a good price if it happens.

[jerichoholicninja]

It's that time of year again when no one wants to sign him so Doug does.

[BrewBalls]

Based on his overall track record, I can't figure out why no one wants to sign him. Especially at the salaries we signed him for the st few years. I'm all for this move if the price is right (i.e. $6M or less).

[JohnBriggs12]

Based on his overall track record, I can't figure out why no one wants to sign him. Especially at the salaries we signed him for the st few years. I'm all for this move if the price is right (i.e. $6M or less).

 

Boras annually sets his price tag in the class of premier closers. That limits his market considerably. All the teams that can afford to pay premier closers likely have one that they perceive as better. The small market teams that could use a closer would rather roll the dice on a young, cheap alternative.

 

Brewers will probably get him in that $5-6 million range with an incentive or two for games finished. I would have preferred Joba for around $3.5 million myself. Now they have a quite expensive back end and what do you do with Henderson if he's healthy?

[BrewBalls]

 

Now they have a quite expensive back end and what do you do with Henderson if he's healthy?

Once or if he proves to be healthy I would have him pitching the 7th.

 

7th - Henderson

8th - Broxton

9th - K-Rod

 

With Smith being used as a late inning, situational lefty would be a solid back end of the bullpen.

[pacopete4]

 

Now they have a quite expensive back end and what do you do with Henderson if he's healthy?

Once or if he proves to be healthy I would have him pitching the 7th.

 

7th - Henderson

8th - Broxton

9th - K-Rod

 

With Smith being used as a late inning, situational lefty would be a solid back end of the bullpen.

 

Plus Jeffress and a situational Smith and we have ourselves a pretty good bullpen if they pitch up to their potential. And if Kintzler can give us what he did the year before last, we have ourselves some pretty dependable guys. Now, getting the ball to them with a lead... that's the first step.

[pacopete4]

Based on his overall track record, I can't figure out why no one wants to sign him. Especially at the salaries we signed him for the st few years. I'm all for this move if the price is right (i.e. $6M or less).

 

Boras annually sets his price tag in the class of premier closers. That limits his market considerably. All the teams that can afford to pay premier closers likely have one that they perceive as better. The small market teams that could use a closer would rather roll the dice on a young, cheap alternative.

 

Brewers will probably get him in that $5-6 million range with an incentive or two for games finished. I would have preferred Joba for around $3.5 million myself. Now they have a quite expensive back end and what do you do with Henderson if he's healthy?

 

 

The conspiracy theorist in me says Krod wants to be a Brewer so he just waits for Melvin's phone call each year.

[DR28]

Our 2015 closer will either be K-Rod or Soriano... Both Boras clients.

 

Adding either of them gives us a very, very solid pitching staff.

[fondybrewfan]

As long as its a 1 year deal bring back Krod is fine. Even if we suck we hopefully have 3 or 4 other guys that could close including Broxton, Jeffress, and Henderson. The HR rate is concerning; hopefully that doesn't get any worse next year. Everything else still looks pretty strong for Krod.

[reillymcshane]

Don't forget about Knebel. Sure the guy got taken to the woodshed in 8 innings last season with Detroit (although he did strikeout 11 batters), he's been lights out in the minors. A 1.65 ERA, 104K in 76 innings. He supposed works in the mid-90s and can get things up to 98mph. That's the kind of player that could very quickly become part of the back of your rotation.

 

If this kid can cut back on his walks, he could be something special.

[yoshii8]

My guess is we end up w one of Soriano or KRod. With KRod the obvious fit. I'd want in order Papelbon, Soriano and then KRod.

[Bombers]

Based on his overall track record, I can't figure out why no one wants to sign him. Especially at the salaries we signed him for the st few years. I'm all for this move if the price is right (i.e. $6M or less).

He gave up a HR in 13 of his 69 appearances. For a 19% HR rate. That is bananas.

He gave up a hit or a walk in 42 of his 69 appearances. So every time he comes in, there is a 61% chance of a guy getting on base.

 

Couple the two together and he can watch leads evaporate quickly. The HR rate is the largest issue. When you are working with a 1-2 run lead, what kind of faith can you have in the guy? Any slight screw-up and it's a blown save.

 

Can he be effective member of a pen. Sure. But if we sign him, do you really think RRR will just put him in "situational spots" in the 7th and 8th innings? Doubt it. He will be the closer.

[brewmann04]

so Krod back for another tour looking like closer by Commite

[bill hAll Star]

I could not imagine RRR having a "closer by committee" if he has a guy that's done it before on his staff.

 

Why do we have to do the same old things all of the time? Why when teams look for "closers" do they have to look for guys that have pitched the 9th inning before? Of course, historically, teams have used their best pitchers there so that helps, but we end up overpaying for things that if we have foresight, can be replaced with cheaper players.

 

I also realize there is risk in this one, as he had a very down year last year, and it "takes 2 to tango," but I'd have taken the resources and spent them on somebody like Jed Lowrie if I had to go out and spend. He can play against LHP for Scooter every time, be Aramis insurance (play for him once/week anyways), and play against tough RHP for Segura as well.

[Warning Track Power]

I understand a K-Rod deal better than a Papelbon one given the difference in salary and that K-Rod doesn't require a trade of a prospect, but man...K-Rod scares me. Think I actually would prefer Papelbon but not at the cost of a prospect of any substance.

[reillymcshane]

I'd much rather have Papelbon than K-Rod because Frankie's HR rate scares the bejesus out of me. It's gone up 4 years in a row. I guess last year's rate was so high you might think it's an aberration, but I thought Frankie was actually pretty lucky he didn't give up a few others.

 

I totally think we'll end up with K-Rod. I just hope no more than one year. And while Frankie scares me, I'm willing to accept the risk on him that he won't be so homer prone.

 

Add K-Rod, maybe a LOOGY as well (Joe Thatcher wouldn't be bad), and this team is pretty much ready to go.

[pete]

So every time he comes in, there is a 61% chance of a guy getting on base. .

 

If I'm reading you correctly, that's .61 WHIP. Is that not a great thing? Yeah, giving up a bunch of HRs in the 2nd half isn't but that's a different discussion.

[pacopete4]

So every time he comes in, there is a 61% chance of a guy getting on base. .

 

If I'm reading you correctly, that's .61 WHIP. Is that not a great thing? Yeah, giving up a bunch of HRs in the 2nd half isn't but that's a different discussion.

 

 

No, WHIP goes by innings. I'm not sure where Bombers got his stats but Krod had a .985 WHIP last year which is amazing considering giving up the 14 homeruns.

[3and2Fastball]

without looking up the numbers, he seems lately like a 3TO type of closer (strikeouts, HR's, Walks)

[JohnBriggs12]

I understand a K-Rod deal better than a Papelbon one given the difference in salary and that K-Rod doesn't require a trade of a prospect, but man...K-Rod scares me. Think I actually would prefer Papelbon but not at the cost of a prospect of any substance.

 

He should scare you. He scares me too. We have scars from multiple blown leads over his time as a Brewer. We're not talking about a guy like Craig Kimbrel who simply overmatches hitters. That's not to say he's not a quality reliever. Just that when the heats on, those bad memories become fresh in our minds.

[Bombers]

So every time he comes in, there is a 61% chance of a guy getting on base. .

 

If I'm reading you correctly, that's .61 WHIP. Is that not a great thing? Yeah, giving up a bunch of HRs in the 2nd half isn't but that's a different discussion.

 

 

No, WHIP goes by innings. I'm not sure where Bombers got his stats but Krod had a .985 WHIP last year which is amazing considering giving up the 14 homeruns.

I should have clarified. K-rod had 27 clean innings last year. So his 42 out of 69 is 61%. Yes, his WHIP was only .985 (which on the surface seems great) but when you look into it, wasn't all that spectacular. He allows a lot of guys to score once they are on as 33% of his base runners score. (23 runs out of 69 guys on base)

[brewerfan82]

He allows a lot of guys to score once they are on as 33% of his base runners score. (23 runs out of 69 guys on base)

 

The only problem with this argument is that the major league average was 35.5% of base runners scoring last year. So he actually held runners better than average.

[Bombers]

He allows a lot of guys to score once they are on as 33% of his base runners score. (23 runs out of 69 guys on base)

 

The only problem with this argument is that the major league average was 35.5% of base runners scoring last year. So he actually held runners better than average.

Is that the number for relief pitchers?

[endaround]

I should have clarified. K-rod had 27 clean innings last year. So his 42 out of 69 is 61%. Yes, his WHIP was only .985 (which on the surface seems great) but when you look into it, wasn't all that spectacular. He allows a lot of guys to score once they are on as 33% of his base runners score. (23 runs out of 69 guys on base)

 

This is because you have a totally unrealistic idea of how many clean innings a pitcher should get. A pitcher with an OBP against of .250 , which is really good, will only get a clean inning 42.2% of the time (.75^3). So 57.8% of the time there will be at least one base runner.

[Bombers]

I understand his WHIP was good last year (best of his career) but when he allows guys on, he allows them to score at a very high frequency. I highly doubt he is going to have another career year in WHIP. Chances are, that will not improve. His FIP has been increasing and getting worse every year, and last year was 4.5. I just am not on board with another year of K-rod. I guess I am just not a fan of his.