Early Monday morning, ESPN’s Buster Olney reported that the Milwaukee Brewers were in contract talks with relief pitcher Francisco Rodriguez. Following much speculation over options such as Jonathan Papelbon, those who are salary-cap inclined will be relieved to hear that the Brewers are considering much more affordable options.

The rumors started to swirl once Yovani Gallardo was traded last week, opening nearly $9 million in team payroll. And perhaps due to pressure from fans to improve the team this offseason, the club began discussions on acquiring the closer Papelbon from Philadelphia.

The details why this deal won’t work were detailed by my colleague, Phil Watson, earlier this week.

Personally, I’m always skeptical when a player suddenly decides to remove a team from his no-trade list. Arguments can certainly be made that Papelbon wanted to join a contender, but the more realistic reason lies around Milwaukee being able to guarantee the pitcher’s $13 million option for the 2016 season.

Amazing how motivation changes when a player is able to guarantee that kind of salary for an additional year.

As for Rodriguez, the offseason has been surprisingly quiet following a 2014 All-Star campaign. While he’s certainly lost some velocity on his fastball, and has pretty much given up on his slider since 2008 (via fangraphs.com), the 33-year old has shown he can still be effective on the mound.

K-Rod finished the season with a 3.04 ERA in 68 innings pitched. This included 73 total strikeouts, leading towards 44 saves on the year.

In comparison, at the age of 34, Papelbon has averaged an ERA of 2.46 since signing with the Phillies three years ago. A 2.04 ERA last season, lasting over 66 innings pitched, for 63 strikeouts and 39 saves (via Baseball-reference.com).

The biggest difference, however, lands on price. As mentioned earlier, Papelbon would require a $13 million per year salary for the next two seasons. Ignore the fact that Milwaukee just dealt a starting pitcher away with that salary, and also realize that Philadelphia likely wouldn’t be able to provide enough monetary assistance to make a deal reasonable.

Rodriguez, on the other hand, is much more affordable. Remember that the Brewers brought in K-Rod on a 1-year, $3.25 million deal last season – and look at the output and value achieved.

Unfortunately, Milwaukee will be unable to sign Rodriguez at that same price. Most of that is because of performance, but ego might have some calculation in that as well. Before signing last year, Rodriguez hadn’t made below $7 million a season since completing his rookie contract in 2006.

Combine that statistic with an All-Star season, and the price tag continues to rise. For reference, even the Toronto Blue Jays signed 37-year old closer, Francisco Cordero, to a contract worth $4.5 million. One would have to imagine Rodriguez’s agent is asking for at least that.

In reality, Rodriguez is asking for way too much, otherwise he would have already been signed. My best guess is that the asking price is at least a two-year deal, averaging close to $6.75 million a season. Sound familiar? That’s the same contract Milwaukee signed closer Trevor Hoffman for in 2009.

Even with an increased price tag, Rodriguez is still a better value move for the Brewers. He’s shown he can still compete, especially in Miller Park. And at the end of the day, if signs of struggle arise, Milwaukee can always move Jonathan Broxton to the close role.