The Rays aren’t ready to go into sell-mode yet.
According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, the Rays made a play for Francisco Rodriguez before the the Brewers “swooped in late.”
Rosenthal expounded on the subject in today’s “Full Count” video, citing K-Rod’s past connection with Rays manager Joe Maddon as a potential reason for their interest.
Of course, Kyle Farnsworth has been a revelation out of the closer’s role for the Rays this season, posting a 1.95 ERA, 18 saves in 20 chances and a 26/5 K/BB ratio over 37 innings. While it’s an interesting “what if” scenario, you’d have to think Scott Boras would have worked out a similar deal to waive K-Rod’s vesting option for 2012. It’s pretty clear he wanted him to be a free agent all along.