Tigers acquire closer Francisco Rodriguez

The primary objective early in the off season for the Detroit Tigers had been to fill the gap in their ninth inning role out of the bullpen. They solved that issue by acquiring Francisco Rodriguez on Wednesday morning from the Milwaukee Brewers, in exchange for minor league infielder Javier Betancourt, as well as a player to be named later.

The Tigers have had an unsteady situation in their closer role over the past few years, since inking Joe Nathan to a two-year, $20 million deal before the 2014 season. Nathan often struggled in the role, converting only 84 percent of his save opportunities along with a 4.78 ERA, before requiring Tommy John surgery last spring, which led to the Tigers declining his 2016 option.

His absence left the final frame open to a number of other options during the previous season, which included matinees from Bruce Rondon and Joakim Soria in the role. Overall, Detroit finished with the third most blown saves in baseball last season, with 25, in route to their worst finish since 2008.

Rodriguez’ track record stands in stark contrast to this recent track record. A two-time All-Star in his two full seasons in Milwaukee, Rodriguez has converted 82 saves since 2014. For his career, his total stands at 386, which includes his single-season save record of 62 in 2008. The 33-year-old is a six-time All-Star overall and has three times finished in the top five of Cy Young voting.

In an offseason that has already seen closer Craig Kimbrel be dealt from the San Diego Padres to the Boston Red Sox, and has more recently been heavy with rumors of the Cincinnati Reds shopping Aroldis Chapman, Rodriguez stood as a much more affordable option. Rodriguez will be due $5.5 million in 2016, and carries a $6 million team option for 2017, along with a $4 million buyout for the additional year.