One other thing to consider with regards to Rodríguez's value is that an $8M, 1-season commitment for a Closer™ isn't really that much. I mean, for the love of... I'm sorry to bring this up, please forgive me... the Brewers signed ERIC GAGNE to a 1 yr./$10M deal, and that was 4 seasons ago. On top of that, K-Rod notched his 7th season with a sub-3 ERA, and it wasn't fluky. The dude is still an elite reliever, even with decreased velocity. As well-informed baseball fans, most here at BF understand how vastly overrated the closer 'position' is. But around MLB, it's nothing to scoff at, and teams continue to pay a premium on the FA market for guys' services in that role. The most recent example is Ryan Madson -- the Reds guaranteed him $8.5M, and if the mutual option built into the contract for 2013 would've been exercised, the Reds would've been paying him $11M next year. Madson's been a good reliever, but not better than Rodríguez (ERA-wise), whether you look at their careers or the past 5 seasons. I think that, if the Brewers had a GM that would actually consider it, a team like the Red Sox would absolutely be willing to deal from a position of strength to add an elite bullpen arm like Rodríguez.