BBTF's Newsblog Discussion :: Reliever Joely Rodriguez stays with New York Yankees, agrees to $2 million, one-year contract

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Thursday, November 11, 2021

Reliever Joely Rodriguez stays with New York Yankees, agrees to $2 million, one-year contract

Left-hander Joely Rodriguez and the New York Yankees agreed to a $2 million, one-year contract Wednesday night, three days after New York declined a $3 million option in favor of a $500,000 buyout.

In addition to his salary, Rodriguez can earn $250,000 in performance bonuses for games pitched: $50,000 each for 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70.

The 29-year-old Rodriguez was acquired from Texas on July 29 with outfielder Joey Gallo for minor league right-hander Glenn Otto and infielders Ezequiel Duran, Trevor Hauver and Josh Smith. Frequently lined up against opponents’ best left-handed hitters, Rodriguez was 1-0 with a 2.84 ERA in 21 games with the Yankees.

RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: November 11, 2021 at 02:50 PM | 14 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: joely rodriguez

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1. Walt Davis Posted: November 11, 2021 at 03:14 PM (#6052550)

Every $250,000-500,000 helps the impoverished Yankees.

2. ERROR---Jolly Old St. Nick

Posted: November 11, 2021 at 06:47 PM (#6052587)

When Joely is good, he's very good. And when he's bad, duck. Just like 80% of the relievers today. OTOH his pitching WAR was greater than Joey Gallo's offensive WAR.

3. jacksone (AKA It's OK...) Posted: November 12, 2021 at 11:08 AM (#6052660)

How does FA/Arb work with a guy like Rodriguez? He appears to be a FA, but he's still under arb control because of lack of service time. Which is it?

4. Nasty Nate Posted: November 12, 2021 at 11:20 AM (#6052667)

How does FA/Arb work with a guy like Rodriguez? He appears to be a FA, but he's still under arb control because of lack of service time. Which is it?

Because they declined the team option, he became a free agent. Now, he has a new 1-year deal, after which the Yankees would still have arb control for future years.

It's unusual to have an option year for a player with so little service time. But as far as I can tell, the situation is very similar to him being non-tendered.

5. jacksone (AKA It's OK...) Posted: November 12, 2021 at 02:20 PM (#6052700)

Thanks, guess I thought that once someone was non-tendered they were no longer subject to arbitration. That's not the case?

6. JJ1986 Posted: November 12, 2021 at 02:29 PM (#6052704)

Guys are still eligible for arbitration until they reach 6 years of service time. Adam Duvall is another example of a player who was non-tendered last year and is arb eligible this year.

7. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: November 12, 2021 at 03:04 PM (#6052711)

Duvall was even more interesting than that, he was non-tendered, signed a contract with a player option for this year, but because he declined that, he now enters the arbitration system.

How did Joely become a FA though? The club option being declined should just put him in the arb system, not make him a FA?

8. Nasty Nate Posted: November 12, 2021 at 03:26 PM (#6052718)

How did Joely become a FA though? The club option being declined should just put him in the arb system, not make him a FA?

That's what I thought, and that's what the mlb.com glossary page says: https://www.mlb.com/glossary/transactions/club-option.

Maybe they also released him when they declined the option? Or maybe the reporting is wrong and he never actually was a free agent?

9. JJ1986 Posted: November 12, 2021 at 03:43 PM (#6052720)

Did Rodriguez get this (previous) contract coming back from NPB or the KBO?

10. Walt Davis Posted: November 12, 2021 at 04:34 PM (#6052728)

Rodriguez is even stranger -- he's not arb eligible yet. There must be some wrinkle about players who've played overseas -- he must be outside of the reserve system somehow or the Yanks could just control him for the minimum salary. You used to see contract language that would have required the Yanks to release him if they didn't exercise the option, at least then he could sign overseas again, but I thought those sort of agreements were disallowed a couple of years back. Anyway, there's something going on here that I don't understand.

11. SoSH U at work Posted: November 12, 2021 at 04:40 PM (#6052730)

Anyway, there's something going on here that I don't understand.

That's not going to help your chances at landing that Mets gig.

On second thought, it's the Mets...

12. Howie Menckel Posted: November 12, 2021 at 11:00 PM (#6052771)

some sort of mention in the NY Post today about how the Yankees could have made a maneuver and then just traded JRod, but he wanted to stay so they each went this route. but I don't see that online for some reason

13. Walt Davis Posted: November 13, 2021 at 03:23 PM (#6052844)

On second thought, it's the Mets...

That's my main qualification for the job.

EDIT: Plus I'll assign keeping on top of arcane transaction rules to Bryn Alderson.

14. Howie Menckel Posted: November 13, 2021 at 07:39 PM (#6052868)

ok, NY Post Friday, re Joely, fwiw:

"re-signed.... for $2M after declining his team option for $3M. Cashman said that, before turning down the option, they held discussions with Rodriguez to bring him back at a lower number as well as talks with other clubs, in which case the Yankees would have exercised the option and then traded the 29-year-old."

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Thursday, November 11, 2021

Reliever Joely Rodriguez stays with New York Yankees, agrees to $2 million, one-year contract

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