The Milwaukee Brewers and Francisco Rodriguez have negotiated a new structure of the reliever's contractual clause, and the end result now is that the Brewers can use K-Rod in any role -- including closer -- without being locked into $17.5 million deal for the 2012 season.

As the Brewers acquired Rodriguez earlier this week, he was 21 games finished away from having his vesting option of $17.5 million for 2012 kick in.

The Brewers, already committed to pay at least $3.5 million in a possible buyout of that option, negotiated with Rodriguez's agent, Scott Boras, a larger buyout of $4 million -- in return for a restructuring of the games-finished clause.

The vesting option for 55 games finished still in place -- but now it's a mutual option, which means both sides have to agree to it for it to be exercised, which is highly unlikely. At $17.5 million, K-Rod would have the highest salary for any reliever in history. Rodriguez (and Boras) could prefer to have the closer become a free agent after this year.

Buster Olney is a senior baseball writer for ESPN The Magazine.

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