The Milwaukee Brewers' top slugger is talking about leaving. Their biggest midseason acquisition is complaining about his role. And this is a team that leads its division by 5½ games with 12 to go.
Granted, the Brewers have seen their lead shrink by five games in the last 10 days, so this might just be a way to let off some steam. The timing of the comments seems a bit odd, though, at a time when you'd figure Milwaukee would be focusing on putting away the St. Louis Cardinals and wrapping up the NL Central.
On its face, Prince Fielder's statement to TBS that, "I'm signed for this year, but being real about it, it is probably the last year" is merely stating the obvious.
Fielder will cash in big time as one of the offseason's premier free agents, and virtually nobody expects the small-market Brewers to be able to afford him, especially after signing Ryan Braun to a five-year, $105 million extension in April.
But with the Brewers losing six of their last eight, the last thing his teammates want to hear is Fielder talking about greener pastures. It's not that anybody doubts his commitment to the current team, but it's simply bad form.
Francisco Rodriguez's complaints go beyond that. They come across as selfish and immature, even if at the heart of them there's some validity to his argument.
Rodriguez, acquired from the New York Mets in a trade announced the night of the All-Star Game, told reporters he's not happy with his role as a setup man, adding that Brewers officials initially told him he would share the closer role with John Axford.
"There's been plenty of save opportunities," Rodriguez said. "And I've only pitched once in the ninth inning, and it was not even a save opportunity. I'm not happy. It's simple. That's the bottom line. They told me one thing, they haven't done it, and that's pretty much what I said.''
Rodriguez had initially expressed his dissatisfaction in a CBS Sportsline story.
Considering Axford is 19-for-19 in save chances since K-Rod arrived, the comments seem particularly thoughtless. Moreover, after the trade Rodriguez had gotten $500,000 added to his $11.5 million salary to drop his vesting option for next year. It was essentially hush money, as in, shut up and do whatever role you're asked.
But Rodriguez couldn't keep quiet. He had to moan about the indignity of not closing even though he's got a great chance to return to the postseason for the first time since 2008.
"Don't tell me something if you're not going to do it. That's what irritates me most,'' Rodriguez said. "They told me they were going to do something, and they didn't. Simple as that. I'm trying to pretty much come in every day ready to pitch and get my job done where they need me. At the same time, I had an expectation, like every other player. They told me they were going to do something and never did it. That's why I can be a little disappointed by the situation.''
You have to figure the Brewers are disappointed in him as well.
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