K-Rod did set the season record with 62 saves in 2008. But one Mets official had this insight: "When it comes to statistics, we are not basing this decision on save totals; at least not save totals alone." The Mets will honor, among other items, strikeout-to-walk ratio and on-base percentage against.

And I came across this stat just out of curiosity: Rodriguez registered 1-2-3 frames in a career-low 29.2 percent of his innings (all figures courtesy of Elias). That ranked 151st out of 253 pitchers who worked at least 60 innings in 2008. Fuentes (41.3) was 13th, Wood (38.1) was 28th, Street (38.0), even with diminished stuff, was 29th, and another free agent, Brandon Lyon (37.7) was 31st.

Rodriguez's stuff is not as electric as in the past, possibly because his high-effort delivery has robbed some life from his arm, though he is just 26. The Mets could wonder if the lack of clean 1-2-3 innings will continue to grow with age now, and if Rodriguez loses more stuff, will he be able to extract himself from difficulty with the same excellence?

The good thing for the Mets is that, considering the current state of the closer market, they might get to be first in line to make that Fuentes vs. K-Rod decision.

Cincinnati Reds News News » Expanded closer market good news for Mets 2008-11-16
Expanded closer market good news for Mets 2008-11-16
Sometimes it is good to be an innocent bystander. By simply waiting on the outskirts for the free agency period to begin, the Mets saw the closer market expand - and, thus with it, their chances of landing one of the ninth-inning arms they desire. The penny-pinching Padres made an offer that Trevor Hoffman had to refuse and the all-time saves leader did just that, which ended his 16-year marriage with the organization. The Cubs obtained Marlins pseudo-closer Kevin Gregg, then said he was being moved to the eighth inning and that eighth-inning stalwart Carlos Marmol was being promoted to close. That led Chicago to announce publicly that Kerry Wood's time on the North Side is over. MLB Hot Stove Four injured Giants miss practice Costello: Jets could run the table Prucha may OK to rejoin Rangers More from The New York Post