MLB Trade News: Mets' Francisco Rodriguez sent to Brewers
There were rumors circulating all over New York that the Yankees and Mets could soon pull of a deal to send Mets closer, Francisco Rodriguez, to the bullpen in the Bronx. After a late night deal was reached, the New York Mets have chosen to send Rodriguez and cash to Milwaukee for two players to be named later.
The trade deadline season is upon Major League Baseball and this is the time of the year where news is best hot off the press. K-Rod spoke to the New York front-office stating that if he were to be traded, he would like to be sent to a contending team. The Milwaukee Brewers are currently deadlocked with the St. Louis Cardinals for first place in the National League Central.
Things are looking up for the Brewers as they have Zach Greinke and Yovani Gallardo manning the rotation at the beginning of games and John Axford closing them out. Whether Axford will continue to be in that role is still up in the air, after the Rodriguez acquisition. No role has been assigned yet to the newest member of the Brewers.
Where do the Mets stand after the trade? The move was made looking forward to the future of this upcoming off-season, where possible MVP candidate Jose Reyes could hit the free-agent market. They unloaded Rodriguez's three year $37 million deal over three years in Flushing. This provides wiggle room for a new Reyes deal.
This move was most definitely strategical, but it also brings up the question as to if the New York Mets will be sellers instead of buyers on July 31st. Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran are the biggest names left on the tea that could be packaged for some top prospects for the future.
The current options for closer on the Mets are: Jason Isringhaughsen, Bobby Parnell, and Pedro Beato. None of them have held a closer's role in a long time, if ever. Rodriguez arrived to the Mets knowing what his job would be and now they are left with question marks.
