DALLAS — On the one hand, a number of the top closers on the market have already found their homes this offseason. The Phillies got the ball rolling by signing Jonathan Papelbon away from the Red Sox to a four-year deal. The Marlins signed Heath Bell. The Rangers added Joe Nathan on a two-year deal. The Twins re-upped with Matt Capps on a one-year deal.

The Blue Jays, meanwhile, struck a deal with the White Sox to send highly regarded pitching prospect Nestor Molina to Chicago for right-hander Sergio Santos, a converted shortstop who had an eye-popping 13.1 strikeouts per nine innings as the White Sox closer last year.

“His stuff is just so good,” said Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos. “In our division, if you can get a guy with that kind of power stuff and strikeout ability, certainly it’s someone we feel has a chance to be a lock-down guy and for a long period of time.”

The Red Sox, according to a major league source, never engaged in serious discussions with the White Sox about Santos. Indeed, it appears that the White Sox did not shop Santos or make his potential availability widely known to generate a larger market for the right-hander.

Anthopoulos suggested that he had talked with White Sox GM Kenny Williams “about 85 times” over several months about Santos, typically receiving a flat no to inquiries, only to have the deal come together quickly late on Monday night in Chicago’s suite. Read the rest of this entry »

The Brewers announced on Tuesday that they have acquired reliever Francisco Rodriguez and cash from the Mets in exchange for two players to be named.

The 29-year-old has a 3.16 ERA and 23 saves this year, along with 46 strikeouts and 16 walks in 42 2/3 innings pitched. He is in the final year of a three-year, $37 million deal that he signed with the Mets following a 2008 campaign in which he recorded a big-league record 62 saves for the Angels.

However, Rodriguez also has a $17.5 million team option that would vest as a guaranteed year with 55 games finished. Rodriguez has finished 34 games thus far this year for the Mets.

However, the Brewers had a need for a bullpen upgrade, as their 3.92 relief ERA ranks 20th in the majors.

“Francisco has been one of the best relievers in the game for many years,” Brewers GM Bob Melvin said in a statement. “He is a high-quality arm who will be a tremendous asset to our bullpen as we prepare for the final months of the regular season and playoffs.”

Francisco Rodriguez‘s new agent Scott Boras said Monday that his client will not accept a deal to a team on his no-trade list if it means the closer switching to a set-up role, tweets Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal.

Rodriguez will receive $17.5 million from the Mets for 2012 if he finishes 21 more games and is healthy after the season. He told the New York Post that he hopes the Mets will allow him to finish the season with the team.

“I’m waiting for any decision they come up with, and hopefully the decision is they let me stay here and finish my year herebecause I want to go nowhere else,” Rodriguez said Sunday.

The closer can veto trades to 10 unknown teams. On the year Rodriguez has recorded 23 saves.

Newsday’s Ken Davidoff digs into the trade market this season and sees that the top commodity, both desired and shopped, is relievers.

He sees the top relievers available as San Diego’s Heath Bell and the Mets’ Francisco Rodriguez. He also sees the Padres have Luke Gregerson and Chad Qualls as quality relievers available. Teams that he sees in the mix to acquire these guys are the Diamondbacks, Brewers, Cardinals and Rangers.

Davidoff does not anticipate that Jose Reyes will be dealt from the Mets, but if Reyes is moved, the writer sees possible destinations for the shortstop as the Reds, Indians, Giants, Mariners and even the Red Sox.

Also, there are a few teams out there that Davidoff sees that might be seeking help in boosting their starting rotations. The Red Sox, Yankees, Tigers and Indians are among those teams.

From the AL East, he has heard from an official with a National League club that the Rays will be both “buyers and sellers” at the deadline.

According to Bob Klapisch of Fox Sports, the Mets are open to dealing closer Francisco Rodriguez, even if it means shipping him to their crosstown rival. Rodriguez’ contract has a no-trade clause, but he said he would wave it for a trade to “good teams” like the Yankees and Rays. The Yankees could use another reliever, but their set up role could be filled when Rafael Soriano makes his return from the disabled list after the All-Star break.

Rodriguez has expressed a desire to stay with the Mets. He leads the team with 21 saves and has a 3.32 ERA.

After serious back spasms sent Francisco Rodriguez to the hospital following Saturday night’s game at Fenway Park, the availability of the Mets closer was unknown before the series finale on Sunday.

Rodriguez, with a large wrap on his lower back, reported that he felt “much better” this morning. He was taken from the visitors’ clubhouse on a stretcher to the hospital for treatment and observation. J.J. Putz closed out Saturday’s 3-2 win over the Red Sox.

Rodriguez earned his 12th save when he pitched the ninth inning on Friday night, preserving New York’s 5-3 win over the Red Sox in the series opener. He has converted all 12 save chances and is tied for the major league lead.

Jonathan Papelbon considers himself a member of “a fraternity.” He likes to watch every closer, to see how they go about their business, to see how they go through the business of the sport in contract negotiations, to see their successes in hopes that the stature of the job will continue to grow both in terms of on- and off-field respect.

“We have to stick together, so to speak. We’ve got to make teams recognize how valuable closers are,” said Papelbon. “I think, for the most part, every one of your closers out there is doing a good job of that.”

Towards that end, Francisco Rodriguez of the Mets — the renowned K-Rod, who burst onto the scene as an October force for the Angels in 2002, and since 2004 has been one of the elite closers in the game — is an object of interest for the pitcher. Rodriguez, who signed a three-year, $37 million deal to close for the Mets this offseason, has been brilliant with his new club. After recording a save with a 1-2-3 ninth against the Sox on Friday, he is 1-0 with a 0.87 ERA and a major-league leading 12 saves in as many opportunities.

In 2008, Rodriguez set a new standard for closers by recording an incredible 62 saves. And so, of course, it comes as little surprise that Papelbon watched.

“I definitely appreciate what he did last year,” he said.

Papelbon has spoken freely of his desire to set a new bar for his position. That being the case, it is interesting to hear of Papelbon’s intention — or lack thereof — to challenge Rodriguez’ mark.

“No. Not here. Not here. No,” Papelbon said of whether he ever daydreamed of pursuing such a mark. “Not enough chances: the way our ballclub is put together, the way the ballclub of Anaheim was put together last year, the way we manage, the way that (Angels manager Mike) Scioscia manages, not enough chances. There’s a little bit of luck involved there.”

Because Papelbon believes that saves are partly the byproduct of luck, strategy and circumstance (for instance, a team that wins a bunch of blowouts will “penalize” a closer by offering fewer three-run games to enter), Papelbon suggested that he feels that save percentage is a more meaningful barometer of success. In that respect, the two relievers have been fairly closely paired in recent seasons. Like Rodriguez, Papelbon is perfect in his save opportunities this year, going 11-for-11 with a 0.95 ERA. Rodriguez had a 90 percent success rate last year, while Papelbon converted 89 percent on his opportunities en route to a career-high 41 saves.

Interestingly, Papelbon suggested that Rodriguez’ contract — which fell short of the established closing standards for years (B.J. Ryan received a five-year deal) and annual value (Mariano Rivera received a three-year deal worth $15 million a season after the 2007 campaign) — should not serve as the basis of comparison for whatever he might glean when eligible for free agency after the 2011 season.

“I took it as that’s what he was able to do. That’s what he was able to get. It shouldn’t have a whole lot of effect on me,” said Papelbon. “Being in a different division, a different type of pitcher. Pitching here in Fenway Park every night is a lot different than pitching in Anaheim.”