As being reported on MLB.com, Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez is in hot water again and will face additional charges in his assault case stemming from the incident last month at Citi Field.
Prosecutors said Rodriguez violated the order of protection issued against him by sending his girlfriend 56 text messages. As a result, Rodriguez will be charged with criminal contempt.
The judge spared Rodriguez immediate jail time for violating the order, but warned that further contact would result in him being jailed.
Rodriguez attorney, Christopher Booth, defended his client by arguing that the messages were non-threatening and professed his love for his girlfriend. Here are some of those messages as released by the District Attorney.
I know this message could get me in trouble again, but I already lost you, my house and my children
I do not want to have problems with your family, all I want… is to recover you and my children and continue forward
Let’s find a solution to this conflict, baby if you really loved me do not deny me the opportunity to fight for you and my children
Tell your father and mother, so that the three of us can get together and reach an agreement and leave things as they are and I can recover my house and my job, please lets find … way to solve this.
Things like this should not be done especially when your parents have what have because of me, even clothes.
Daian, I understand that perhaps I made a mistake, the biggest mistake of my life for doing what I did but I love you.
Thank you for sinking me turning your back, take good care of my children… and now I see that your were with me because of the money to see that your family…
Your parents are manipulating you like a marionette… You are already a woman who can make her own decisions.
You are already a woman who can make her own decisions and because of that, our home in spite of its ups and downs we built it together no longer exist because of their greed. I pray to God that is not too late for you to open your eyes and reconsider.
Rodriguez is due back in court on Oct. 7 to face assault charges.
Some are speculating that this could give the Mets the break they needed to get out from paying the rest of K-Rod’s contract. I’m not so sure.
By going on the disqualified list, Rodriguez will lose $3 million of his $11.5 million salary this year. Added to the $125,683 he lost when the Mets put him on the restricted list for two days last week, the altercation already has cost him about $3.1 million.
In addition, by converting his contract to non-guaranteed, the Mets gave themselves the ability to release Rodriguez in the early part of spring training next year for 30 days’ termination pay.
The players’ union filed a grievance against the Mets to try and block this action and if the two sides can’t settle, arbitrator Shyam Das would decide whether the team’s actions were justified. The case is still pending.
