The Milwaukee Brewers offered Francisco Rodriguez salary arbitration last month with the hopes of landing draft pick compensation when he signed elsewhere. That plan backfired when Rodriguez accepted the arbitration offer yesterday.
So for now, barring a trade, the Brewers most expensive player on the roster next season will be Rodriguez, in a setup role. In that role last season, K-Rod went 4-0 with a 1.86 ERA in 31 outings.
One of the game’s top closers, Heath Bell, just signed a 3-year, $27-million deal with the Miami Marlins. When Rodriguez couldn’t find a deal better than the one he had in Milwaukee, he opted to return for one more year and to take another shot at free agency next season.