K-Rod will forfeit $3.1M in agreement with Mets
Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez settled his grievance with the team over a suspension stemming from a postgame fight he had with his girlfriend's father. (Sept. 22, 2010) Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy
The Mets and Francisco Rodriguez took a significant step forward Tuesday in repairing the closer's fractured relationship with the team by coming to a resolution on his grievance. Rodriguez will forfeit the $3.1 million he was due for time missed to injury at the end of this past season and the Mets have removed him from the disqualified list with the remainder of his three-year, $37-million contract staying intact.
The Mets had attempted to convert Rodriguez's contract to a non-guaranteed deal after he was arrested for allegedly punching his girlfriend's father in the face after an Aug. 11 game at Citi Field. Rodriguez required season-ending surgery to fix a torn ligament in his right thumb, which he admitted happened during the altercation, and is the reason why the Mets moved to withhold the $3.1 million owed to him during the final seven weeks of the season.
"I am responsible for my injury that occurred as a result of this incident and prevented me from finishing the season with the Mets," Rodriguez said Tuesday in a statement. "Personally, in this situation, I do not feel that it is right for me to take a salary for the period of time in which I could not contribute as a player as a result of my off-field actions."
The Players Association filed the grievance on Rodriguez's behalf to counter the Mets' punitive measures - with the primary goal of keeping his contract intact. K-Rod will earn $11.5 million in 2011, and the deal includes a $17.5-million option for 2012 that vests if the closer finishes 55 games next year.
The Mets probably did not have a realistic chance of making Rodriguez's contract non-guaranteed, which would have allowed him to be released in spring training with as little as 30 days pay. By recouping the rest of his 2010 salary, and avoiding what would have been a contentious grievance hearing, the Mets fared as well as they could have hoped.
"We are pleased that Frankie Rodriguez has accepted responsibility for his actions and their consequences," Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon said in a statement. "We have been assured that he is taking steps to address the issues that led to the incident, and that those efforts will continue. We have also been assured that he will work hard both on and off the field to regain the trust of the organization, Mets fans and the community."
Resolution aside, Rodriguez still has other issues. He is scheduled to return to Queens Criminal Court on Nov. 10 to face assault and harassment charges. K-Rod further complicated his situation by sending a series of text messages in violation of a restraining order that prevented him from having contact with his girlfriend, Daian Peña.
That added seven charges of criminal contempt to Rodriguez's legal problems. If convicted on all charges, Rodriguez could face up to two years in jail, but his attorney, Christopher Booth, is confident that a plea bargain can be reached.
"I have worked hard since the incident to make myself a better person and member of this organization," Rodriguez said. "I have been participating in an anger-management program since August, and I will continue in the program for the foreseeable future. I feel that anger management counseling is undoubtedly making me a better person and a better father, and will make me a better teammate and member of this great organization."
