Don’t panic about Frankie leaving — yet

It was apparently big news yesterday when Francisco Rodriguez said that this might be his last season as an Angel. From the LA Times:

Upon arriving for his first spring-training workout Sunday, Rodriguez was asked whether he’s going into this season thinking it will be his last with the Angels.

“Yeah, probably,” he said. “If they wanted me here, they would have done something a long time ago. In the meantime, I have to put that out of my head and do my job.”

Rodriguez is quick to answer when asked whether he feels the Angels don’t want him here.

“No, no, that’s not what I’m saying, I don’t want that in the paper,” Rodriguez said. “It’s just something I can’t control.”

Why hasn’t he signed a long-term deal by now? “You’re asking the wrong person,” Rodriguez said, putting the onus on the team.

I wouldn’t panic just yet. A lot can happen in one year. Frankie is asking for a lot of money, but it’s not like the Angels are afraid of spending big. (Torii Hunter, anyone?)

A lot of things can happen in one season. Maybe the Angels change their mind by November and give him a big contract. Maybe Frankie has a bad season or gets hurt, lowering his value. Maybe he has a change of heart and caves in to the Angels’ offer.

I wouldn’t say good-bye yet. There are plenty of examples of when it looked like players would leave, only they didn’t (most recently, Alex Rodriguez).

For better or worse, the deal Mariano Rivera got (3 years, $45 million) set the market for top closers. The Angels might give it to him, you never know. They reportedly offered 3 years, $34 million. A lot can change in one year. Let’s enjoy it.