Davidoff's Baseball Insider: A pricy vest

There will be unusually high stakes for Francisco Rodriguez and the Mets each time Terry Collins calls upon his closer this season. As you probably know, if K-Rod finishes at least 55 games - a plateau he reached every year from 2005 through 2009 - and gets a clean bill of health, he'll vest a $17.5-million option for next season. Otherwise, Rodriguez will receive a $3.5-million buyout.

You can be sure that the Players Association will monitor the situation and, if the Mets' usage of K-Rod is odd and results in fewer than 55 games finished, consider filing a grievance.

Given that, I asked new Mets general manager Sandy Alderson if, as a matter of standard operating procedure, he and his staff would prepare for such a grievance through the course of the season.

"I've been in situations with vesting options before. I haven't done anything in the way of documentation," Alderson said. "It's not in my experience, but it's only one man's experience."

Because of 1) the very high salary that K-Rod can attain and 2) the Wilpons' financial uncertainty, Rodriguez's vesting option figures to be the most scrutinized and discussed in baseball history. Seriously.

"We'll see how it transpires," said Alderson, who has insisted that Rodriguez's deployment won't be governed by his contract.

The one known example of such a grievance fell short, as righthander Dennis Lamp was unable to prove that the 1986 Blue Jays excessively rested him to avoid paying a $600,000 vesting option for 1987.

Coach Brosius

Former Yankee Scott Brosius has served as the head coach of his alma mater, Division III Linfield College, since 2007. It's a fun job that has allowed him to spend a great amount of time with his family in Oregon.

But when USA Baseball contacted Brosius for an extra gig, the manager of the 2011 18-and-under national team, the 44-year-old liked the idea.

"I would've loved the opportunity to play for the national team and represent the country in that matter," Brosius told Newsday in a telephone interview. "I was intrigued by the opportunity."

The team will compete in Colombia at the COPABE "AAA''/18U Pan American Baseball Championships beginning in late September. In both preparing and competing, Brosius said, it's a commitment of six to seven weeks.

Asked if he aspires to manage at higher levels, including the major leagues, Brosius said, "I never say never, I guess, but I really don't see anything presenting itself in the next few years. I want to be around and watch my kids play their sports."

Tim vs. Wally again?

The 1986 Mets won it all with a second-base platoon of fan favorite Wally Backman and the more reserved Tim Teufel. Now Teufel will manage Triple-A Buffalo in 2011 and Backman will lead Double-A Binghamton, but once again, Backman has the fan support. Backman advanced to the second round in the Mets' managerial search during the offseason and Teufel didn't.

Teufel, who is being sued by trustee Irving Picard because of his involvement with Bernard Madoff, said he feels no competition with his old teammate Backman.

"Wally and I, we don't think of each other as a threat or anything like that," Teufel said. "We're here collectively to produce big-leaguers . . . Wally's a great guy. We go way back."

During drills Friday, the two men worked together and joked around. If there's animosity, it's well-hidden.

Extra bases

In the upcoming animated film "Henry & Me," featuring many legendary Yankees as characters, singer Frankie Valli will play Phil Rizzuto. Yankees adviser Ray Negron is producing the movie.

Know what giving up Cap'n Crunch can do for you? The Yankees' CC Sabathia will be featured in the May issue of Men's Health, although let's make it clear that Sabathia already was booked for that before his cereal disclosure of the past week.