I was watching Fernando Rodney throw his 95 mph 2-seamer, slider, and wicked changeup today; and in-between wild-pitches I couldn’t help but think “this guy’s really good.” Well, his command is Gavin Floyd-esque, but his stuff is amazing. I really don’t see a difference between Rodney and Coco Cordero. Or even K-Rod (Francisco Rodriguez). All right, both of those guys can actually control their pitches (well, Cordero had 30 BBs in 69 IP last year). Wait a second, maybe the Cordero comparison isn’t so far off…

Rodney is 25 years-old, a former undrafted free agent. Last year he posted a 2.86 ERA with a 42:17 K:BB in 44 IP, and gave up 39 hits. Plus, he was damn good in the minors before getting called up. In ‘03 he went 1.33 ERA/52:13 K:BB/40 IP and 22 hits, while saving 23 games.

He missed ‘04 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, which might explain his early-season wildness. But a guy who can come back from major reconstructive elbow surgery and post his 2005 line after throwing THREE innings at AAA-Toledo is someone you should watch very seriously. And his stuff is nasty, no doubt about it. His mid-90s 2-seamer has excellent movement, and I couldn’t believe how good his change was when he spotted it. There’s no reason to think he won’t be the Tigers’ closer very soon, and when he does (if he finds his command), he’ll be a 30-35 save closer with at least 1 K/IP. I’d be willing to bet you can get him for nothing in your league. Everyone’s talking about Rafael Soriano; try Rodney instead.