Francisco Rodriguez says this is probably his last year with Angels

[love_that_reefer]

Krod with a much lower ERA and much higher strikeout rate with a .040 better opposing BA is top five yes you are correct. Nathan, Saito, Putz and Papelbon are also on that list.

[Hammer]

oh yea, krod has electric stuff... he also has inconsistent and downright questionable control. i can spin the stats in my favor too... rivera walked 12 guys in 71 innings, krod walked 30 in 67. that makes rivera god. done and done.

[love_that_reefer]

Yes, stats are there to help prove any point but to be in denial about Rivera is just stupid. There are more positive things about Krod than Rivera. He's not top dog anymore and never will be again. His days are behind him now and Krod is better than him now. Krod's 26, Rivera 38. Krod has no reason to set up a man he is better than. Yankees need to be smart with their money after the terrible Posada, Rivera contracts, not to keep making the same mistakes. Much like Rivera's career, done and done.

[Hammer]

i wont even comment on rivera again, because anything involving the yankees you automatically have a negative slant on, so i couldnt possibly win or even sway your argument just a tad. so ill quit on that front.

krod had either the worst, or 2nd worst bb/9 ratio in the league of all closers with 16 or more saves (32 closers)... its either him (34 walks in 67 innings) or bob wickman (21 walks in 50 innings), i dont care enough to do the math. if ks are the only stat that matters to you... then i fail to realize why you dont put more stock in walks. or is it just because they dont work for your argument? and now youre gonna reply with some snide elitest prick response, which is fine... you can win the argument, props to you youre the champ pal. your other 4 names ill agree with, but you cant have the worst control in the league for a closer, and be top 5... sorry.

[NYgiantsfan5689]

how about we settle this with the three most important stats for a closer: saves, ERA, and losses. wins don't count because a closer getting a win doesn't say anything. it just means they came in just at the time the offense got things going. However losses actually mean you did something to hurt your team. And i'll throw in strikeouts and walks in there for the hell of it too. Here's the numbers for each in the last 3 years:
Rivera: (IP: 71.1, 75, 78.1)
-Saves: 30 (2007), 37 (2006), 43 (2005)
-ERA: 3.15 (2007), 1.80 (2006), 1.38 (2005)
-Losses: 4 (2007), 5 (2006), 4 (2005)
-K's: 74 (2007), 55 (2006), 80 (2005)
-BB's: 12 (2007), 11 (2006), 18 (2005)
K-Rod: (IP: 67.1, 73, 67.1)
-Saves: 40, 47, 45
-ERA: 2.81, 1.73, 2.67
-Losses: 2, 3, 5
-K's: 90, 91, 123
-BB's: 34, 32, 33

Clearly K-Rod has the nod on all categories but walks (where Mo is a master, might I add, his control is impeccable, which is amazingly valuable). However, you can absolutely not call the re-signing of Mariano Rivera "stupid." These stats are very very comparable. Praising K-rod as a top-5 closer and calling the signing of Rivera stupid with these comparable stats is just totally unjustified. There is nothing to back that argument up except manipulated statistics and a lot of bias and anger towards the Yankees. Take a chill pill, and clean up the jizz from your K-rod fantasy.

[riverdunesrat]

“Guys, I don’t want to talk about that,” he said when asked if he was eager to test his value on the free-agent market next winter. “Maybe in the middle of the year, we can talk about that.”

Aaaaaa, yeah, there is a new season to get started before any of that BS!?!?!?

[love_that_reefer]

i wont even comment on rivera again, because anything involving the yankees you automatically have a negative slant on, so i couldnt possibly win or even sway your argument just a tad. so ill quit on that front.

krod had either the worst, or 2nd worst bb/9 ratio in the league of all closers with 16 or more saves (32 closers)... its either him (34 walks in 67 innings) or bob wickman (21 walks in 50 innings), i dont care enough to do the math. if ks are the only stat that matters to you... then i fail to realize why you dont put more stock in walks. or is it just because they dont work for your argument? and now youre gonna reply with some snide elitest prick response, which is fine... you can win the argument, props to you youre the champ pal. your other 4 names ill agree with, but you cant have the worst control in the league for a closer, and be top 5... sorry.

I don't hate the Yankees, I hate the fact that they make mistake after mistake and find some team dumber than they are to fix it for them. I also hate Yankee fans who don't realize theirt franchise is being poorly run.

Now to your mistake. No, I do not feel strikeouts are all that matters but it is a huge factor for closers, not starters. Giving up runs is the name of the game and that is where KRod has Rivera in this point in time. Hell, Krod career ERA is slightly above Rivera's and by slightly I mean .02. Krod does walk a lot of guys for a closer but who cares as long as he gives up no runs, gets the save and the team wins the game. What's the difference if he walks two guys and strikes out the next three. By looking at his stats, that's pretty much what happens. Not giving up runs and eventually giving the game is what really matters and KRod is indeed top five in that category. Try all you want to bring up the past, it doesn't help. As far as your stupid remark calling me an elitest prick, I find that hilarious coming from a Yankee homer. You can't have an ERA over 3 as a closer and be in the top five, sorry.

[love_that_reefer]

Praising K-rod as a top-5 closer and calling the signing of Rivera stupid with these comparable stats is just totally unjustified. There is nothing to back that argument up except manipulated statistics and a lot of bias and anger towards the Yankees. Take a chill pill, and clean up the jizz from your K-rod fantasy.

Who is praising him? I'm not the one who thinks he will go be a set up man for Rivera. Krod is a top five closer and its undeniable to most. Yes, I can call signing a declining closer who will be 41 when his contract is up a stupid move, especially for the money they are paying him. I have done it before and will do it again. You are basing it on a career while I am basing it on the here and now and the future of a ball team. I back my argument with bias stats? His 2007 performance is a biased stat? Sorry pal but it isn't. The only anger I have with the Yankees are their fans who are blind to the fact their front office has ****ed them for years but still back them. Fire Torre but keep making bad signings!!! I love Rivera and acknowledge he is IMO the best closer but know his time is passed him by. Nothing wrong with being realistic. I'm not the one with a Krod fantasy. Idiots who think Krod will take a step backwards in his career and set up for a guy he is clearly better than is the fantasy.