Mets, K-Rod agree to 3-year, $37M deal
FOXSports.com
The New York Mets have reached an agreement in principle with All-Star closer Francisco Rodriguez on a three-year, $37 million contract, according to major-league sources. The deal includes a $14 million vesting option for a fourth year that would raise the total value of the contract to $51 million.
The deal is contingent upon Rodriguez passing a physical, and the language of the contract still needs to be finalized.
That vesting option is within reach as long as Rodriguez pitches his normal number of innings as a closer, either in the third year of the deal or in a combination of years two and three. "Basically, he's just got to be healthy," one source said.
The deal also includes performance bonuses that are considered within reasonable reach.
News of an imminent deal was first reported by the New York Post. Contract figures were first reported by SI.com.
K-Rod recorded a record 62 saves for the Los Angeles Angels this year, five more than the previous big league mark set by Bobby Thigpen of the Chicago White Sox in 1990, and then filed for free agency.
A three-time All-Star who turns 27 next month, Rodriguez was regarded as the top closer on the market.