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Brewers trade rumors: Toronto Blue Jays interested in Francisco Rodriguez

By Phil Watson

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With the Milwaukee Brewers mired in last place in the National League Central, it’s just a matter of time before the “For Sale” signs go out in front of Miller Park for some of the team’s veteran performers and Brewers trade rumors become all the rage around baseball.

And according to a report, the first to go might be All-Star closer Francisco Rodriguez.

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The Toronto Sun reported that the Toronto Blue Jays are expressing some interest in the 33-year-old right-hander in an effort to shore up the worst back end in the American League.

Toronto has the most blown saves in the American League with 12, while Rodriguez—in the rare opportunities he’s gotten this year—is a perfect 13-for-13 in save opportunities.

K-Rod has a 1.08 ERA and 0.800 WHIP in 25 innings this season, striking out 29 in 25 appearances. That comes on the heels of his renaissance in 2014, when he posted 44 saves in 49 chances—the highest save total since his record-setting 62-save campaign with the Los Angeles Angels in 2008.

He had a 3.04 ERA and 0.985 WHIP in 69 appearances last season, pitching 68 innings and fanning 73, but he did have a penchant for giving up the long ball, allowing a career-worst 14 home runs.

Rodriguez was an All-Star last season, his first All-Star nod since his first season with the New York Mets in 2009.

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Toronto entered Sunday with a 37-33 record, three games behind the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays and one game behind the Minnesota Twins for the second wild-card position in the American League.

So, one can look at 12 blown saves and see what a reliable closer might mean for the Blue Jays.

The Brewers are reportedly looking for young players at either corner infield position and in center field.

Along those lines, the Blue Jays have 22-year-old center fielder Dalton Pompey, a 16th-round draft pick in 2010 who debuted for the Jays last September and has played in 23 games this season, hitting .193/.264/.337 with two homers and six RBI.

Pompey might be untouchable, however, as he is a native of Mississauga, Ontario, near Toronto.

Pompey hit .339 in 13 games with Double-A New Hampshire earlier this season, with four home runs and 13 RBI, but hit just .209 in 23 games at Triple-A Buffalo.

The Blue Jays also have 21-year-old third baseman Mitch Nay, who is currently at Advanced-A Dunedin in the Florida State League and is hitting .225 with five homers and 26 RBI in 62 games.

Also at Dunedin is 22-year-old first baseman Matthew Dean, hitting .254 with seven home runs and 30 RBI in 60 games.

Center fielder D.J. Davis, 20, is starting to show signs of life offensively, hitting .283/.357/.398 in 62 games at Class-A Lansing in the Midwest League.

First baseman Rowdy Tellez, 20, is also at Lansing, and is raking at a .296/.355/.444 clip with seven homers and 49 RBI in 68 games.

An older prospect is 24-year-old third baseman Andy Burns, hitting .298/.354/.381 with two homers and 19 RBI at Buffalo in 56 games since being moved up from Double-A in mid-April.

This would not be the first time the Brewers moved Rodriguez to an AL East contender. He was traded in July 2013 to the Baltimore Orioles for third baseman Nick Delmonico, who was released by the Brewers in February after he sat out 50 games for violating Minor League Baseball’s drug policy.

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    • Originally acquired from the Mets in July 2011, Rodriguez came in to set up for John Axford while Milwaukee made its run to the NL Central title.

    He went 4-0 with a 1.86 ERA and 1.138 WHIP in 31 games and 29 innings, striking out 33, and allowed one run in five appearances during the playoffs.

    He returned to the Brewers on a one-year deal in December 2011, but struggled to a 4.38 ERA and 1.333 WHIP in 78 appearances.

    He didn’t return to the Brewers until spring training in 2013, but wound up winning the closer’s job and posting 10 saves in 25 appearances with a 1.09 ERA and 1.054 WHIP before being traded to the Orioles.

    Rodriguez came back to the Brewers in 2014, replacing Jim Henderson as the closer in spring training and re-signed in March on a two-year, $9 million deal that includes a $6 million team option for 2017.

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