K-Rod Will Pitch For Venezuela In Winter Ball

Updated Post 3:45 PM

According to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York, Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez will play Winter Ball and join Los Tiburones de La Guaira in the Venezuelan League in November.

Hard to say if this is a good thing or bad. On the plus side it could give us an indication that he is healthy, but on the negative side it’s just more wear and tear on an arm that seems to tire out every year around mid-season. I’ve always felt that if you are under contract to a Major League team, that it should be the team’s call if the player goes to Winter Ball and not the other way around.

Updated Post 10/16 7:00 PM

The Mets and closer Francisco Rodriguez have canceled a hearing scheduled for Monday, which would have addressed a union grievance filed against the team on Rodriguez’s behalf. The sides are now working on a settlement.

An agreement could be announced on Monday or Tuesday.

Original Post 10/16 10:00 AM

According to Dan Martin of the NY Post, it looks like the Mets may come to a settlement agreement with injured closer Francisco Rodriguez.

Francisco Rodriguez’s grievance against the Mets will not go to a scheduled arbitration hearing Monday because the involved parties feel as if they are moving toward a negotiated settlement, The Post has learned.

There is now belief among the parties that an agreement could be announced by this Monday or Tuesday. That would mean the case would never reach arbitrator Shyam Das.

Rodriguez as you know, was arrested and charged with assault in August after he assaulted his girlfriend’s father after a game in the family room at Citi Field. As a result, Rodriguez tore ligaments in his thumb which required season ending surgery.

After the surgery, the Mets announced that they were exercising a seldom used clause to avoid paying the remainder of his salary for the 2010 season, and also converting his contract to a non-guaranteed contract.

The Players Association filed a grievance the next day calling the Mets actions illegal and without precedent.

I’m sure K-Rod will be back next season, and I don’t really see any waves between him and his teammates who he has already apologized to on more than one occasion.

I only hope that he regains his form because when he’s on top of his game, he is still among the league’s top closers.

As long as he remains a New York Met, all we can do is hope for a best case scenario and a big season from K-Rod that would increase his value for a mid season trade, or perhaps resurrecting his career on a resurgent Mets team.