Long Island Ducks: Francisco Rodriguez’s addition bolsters the bullpen

The Long Island Ducks made some news on Sunday. In addition to taking the series against the Maryland Blue Crabs, they also would end up signing former New York Mets closer Francisco Rodríguez. It is unknown as of yet the contract’s length and how much Rodriguez will make. Jon Heyman was the first to report the deal.

Francisco Rodríguez was in the majors from 2002-2017. Over the fifteen years, he had stints with the Los Angeles Angels, New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, Baltimore Orioles, and the Detroit Tigers. It’s worth noting that he had two stints with the Brewers. He is most remembered for having the record for most saves in a season with 62 with the Angels.

After that historical season, he didn’t really have the same numbers again. It’s also worth noting that Francisco Rodriguez is 36 years old. As far as the plan for him. General Manager Michael Pfaff made the indication that Francisco would be available for the bullpen in the upcoming series with the Somerset Patriots.

This signing helps the Ducks for two reasons. For starters, it adds another veteran name to the lineup that has a ton of veteran talent. In addition, it adds a veteran to the bullpen. While the bullpen has done well in the last two games, it doesn’t hurt to add someone else to the bullpen. Also, the addition of Rodriguez allows manager Kevin Baez more flexibility from his pitchers in the later innings. By adding Rodriguez, you add another arm to a bullpen that has seen the same pitchers utilized frequently.

The Long Island Ducks are set to begin a three-game set with the Somerset Patriots. After that series, the Ducks will finally have their first home game of the 2018 season when the Maryland Blue Crabs come to town. Look for more Long Island Ducks related content on WBLZ Media all season long.

Jon Blayne

Jon is a diehard wrestling fan but still takes time to show his devotion to the Giants, Mets, and Knicks