USA TODAY International Edition
Rodriguez considers legal action vs. ex- agents
PHOENIX — Milwaukee Brewers reliever Francisco Rodriguez, believing his former agents deceived him, might file a grievance or lawsuit against them this week, his attorney told USA TODAY.
Attorney Richard Johnson said Rodriguez was pondering a malpractice or fraud suit after a 10- hour mediation hearing last week with his former agents, Paul Kinzer and Arn Tellem of the Wasserman Media Group, did not produce a settlement. He could file a grievance with the MLB Players Association.
“They did something atrocious,” Johnson said. “Their arrogance makes this so evil. It’s like rear- ending somebody but instead of stopping your car and trading insurance information they blew up the car and ran away. They committed negligence and turned it into a fraud case.”
Rodriguez, making $ 11.5 million in 2011 in the final year of his three- year, $ 37 million contract with the New York Mets, thought he had a provision in his contract stipulating 10 teams to which he would not accept a trade, including the Brewers. Yet after discovering in July that a no- trade provision was never filed on his behalf, he fired Kinzer and Tellem and hired Scott Boras. Rodriguez was traded a few days later to Milwaukee.
Boras negotiated a $ 500,000 payout to eliminate a $ 17.5 million vesting option in hopes Rodriguez would still be used as a part- time closer; that did not happen. The trade and the Brewers’ subsequent use of Rodriguez as a setup man likely diminished his value on the free agent market entering this season.
Bert Deixler, an attorney representing the Wasserman Group, disputed Johnson’s characterization of the events.
“This is a fee dispute,” Deixler said. “The no- trade- list issue is a red herring.
“We promised to keep confidential what has occurred, will occur in mediation, and we think it is proper for us to keep that promise.”
Rodriguez, who will arrive at camp a few days late this week because of a family issue, is not angry with the Brewers, Johnson said. Yet he’s upset at the circumstances that led to his trade to Milwaukee. He will return as a set-up man for Brewers closer John Axford.
Rodriguez, 30, with the fourth- most saves ( 291) by any active pitcher, was not used in a save situation after being traded July 12. He became a free agent in the offseason, but, after receiving no lucrative offers, accepted arbitration from the Brewers and signed a one- year, $ 8 million contract.
“He’s going to lose a lot of money; the question is whether it’s seven figures or eight figures,” said Johnson, who accused the Wasserman Group of reneging after promising at least $ 1 million in damages before the mediation hearing. “There’s long- term damage to his career. He wasn’t even in position to be marketed as a closer last winter. They really ( messed) with his career in a monumental way.”
If Rodriguez had been aware a notrade provision was never filed during his career, Johnson said, he would have been more amenable to signing an extension with the Mets. Rodriguez thought he had leverage, Johnson said, that didn’t exist.
“They ( Kinzer and Tellem) just never came clean with him,” Johnson said.