It appears that the Mets are, as the NY Post puts it, “On The Brink” of signing Francisco Rodriguez. Joel Sherman is reporting that K-Rod’s agent Paul Kinzer, said,
“I am more optimistic than I have ever been” about finalizing a deal between the single-season save leader and the Mets.
The terms of the deal were not disclosed but Sherman did write that it is longer than the two year deal that has been speculated about.
However, it is going to be well south of the five-year, $75 million mark that Kinzer was shooting for initially in this offseason. Kinzer indicated that a deal could get done before these Winter Meetings end Thursday. He said, “we will know more in the next 24 hours, but so far everything has been positive.”
Update 3:40 am – Now Jon Heyman of SI.com is confirming the report that the Mets are closing in on K-Rod. It looks like the agreement will be a three year deal worth approximately $37 million.
An Angel lands in Queens.
In a recent NY Times column that caught up with Johan Santana Ben Shpigel wrote about Santana’s improving health (he had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee) but he also spoke to him about the Mets needs for the upcoming season. Guess who happen to come up?
Foremost is adding a closer, the first step in remodeling a bullpen that cost Santana seven potential victories last season, and Minaya may, for the second straight off-season, wind up acquiring a Venezuelan pitcher who wears No. 57: the free-agent closer Francisco Rodríguez. Santana said that his homeland would erupt if two of its most celebrated players were united on one of its most popular teams but, with a laugh, added that he would not surrender his number.
“I got mine before he did,” Santana said.
Pete Lappin (3)
