Worried about Fernando Rodney? It's simple, really: The 36-year-old flamethrower won't get back to being the closer he was last year if he continues to walk batters at his current rate. And even if he walks them at half that rate, he's only back to where he was in his Tigers days.
What allowed Rodney to take a dramatic leap forward last year was his markedly improved control. He issued just 1.8 walks per nine innings. His previous best was 3.5. Not only did it keep runners off base, but it allowed him to use his best pitch, the changeup, more effectively.
So if he wants to get back to being that pitcher, he has a long way to go. That's the bad news. The good news -- and the reason I still rank him 18th among relief pitchers -- is that the Rays don't have any obvious alternatives if he continues to struggle. Joel Peralta is a possibility, but as a 37-year-old career setup man, he's a remote one.