Tigers get Francisco Rodriguez in trade with Brewers to help woeful bullpen

(Getty Images) It’s no secret the Detroit Tigers need bullpen help. They’ve been among the worst bullpens the past two seasons, based on ERA. So new GM Al Avila made shoring up the bullpen one of the first things on his to-do list this offseason, swinging a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers for veteran closer Francisco Rodriguez.

Yep, good ol’ K-Rod is coming to Detroit.

The trade was first reported by Venezuelan baseball scribe Augusto Cárdenas, who says the Tigers are sending the Brewers infield prospect Javier Betancourt in the deal and a player to be named later. Betancourt was Detroit’s 11th best prospect, according MLB.com. He’s 20 years old and hasn’t yet played above Single-A.

Rodriguez, meanwhile, is a known commodity. He’s a time-tested MLB closer who revived his career in Milwaukee. The past two seasons he saved 38 and 44 games, respectively for the Brewers. He 2015, he had a 2.21 ERA and struck out 62 batters in 57 innings. Even though Rodriguez has seemingly been around forever (this will be his 15th season in MLB), he’ll turn 34 in January.

K-Rod is under contract for $5.5 million in 2016 with a $6 million team option for 2017. If the Tigers choose not to keep him for 2017, they’d pay him a $4 million buyout.

The Tigers had reportedly tested the waters on obtaining an elite closer. Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal said the team inquired with the Cincinnati Reds about Aroldis Chapman and the New York Yankees about Andrew Miller, but in both instances found the price too high.

K-Rod is a more cost-effective option, though he doesn’t offer the peace of mind that Chapman or Miller would have. For all his successes in MLB — he’s a six-time All-Star and holds the single-season save record with 62 in 2008 — Rodriguez has mileage on him. He’s also slipped before, losing seven games and posting a 4.38 in 2012, then posting a 4.50 ERA in 23 games with the Baltimore Orioles in 2013.

Coming off the dumpster-fire acquisition of Joe Nathan that was also supposed to end Detroit’s relief woes, we won’t blame Tigers fans if they adopt a wait-and-see attitude before declaring the bullpen fixed. But if they’re getting the good K-Rod, the one we saw in 2015, it’s a step in the right direction for Detroit.

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