The Angels beat All-Star closer Francisco Rodriguez in salary arbitration Friday, and he will receive $10 million this season rather than his request for $12.5 million. Despite the loss, Rodriguez tied the record for the highest salary in an arbitration decision, a mark he shares with Alfonso Soriano, who lost his case against Washington in 2006, and Ryan Howard, who beat Philadelphia on Thursday.
The 26-year-old Rodriguez, whose 132 saves over the past three years are the most in the majors, took the arbitration defeat in stride.
Rodriguez made $7.1 million last year, when he tied for second in the AL with 40 saves. He is eligible for free agency after this season and recently indicated that he might leave the Angels, expressing dissatisfaction that they haven’t offered him a long-term deal that suits him. They have made several proposals for longer contracts, including one believed to be for around $34 million for three years, but he has opted to sign for one year each time.
Rodriguez is coming off a seson where he had a 3.45 ERA in the second half to finish with a 2.81 ERA, his highest since 2003. He had six blown saves in 46 chances.
Tags: francisco rodriguez, k rod