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Free-agent pitcher Eduardo Rodríguez will reportedly join the National League champion Arizona Diamondbacks, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan, who provided further details:
Jeff Passan @JeffPassan
BREAKING: Left-handed starter Eduardo Rodriguez and the Arizona Diamondbacks are in agreement on a four-year contract for around $20 million a year, pending physical, sources familiar with the agreement tell ESPN.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic provided more information:
Ken Rosenthal @Ken_Rosenthal
Total potential value is an even $100M.
According to Rosenthal on Wednesday, the left-hander was down to the Cincinnati Reds and Diamondbacks. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman previously reported Rodríguez was deciding between two unknown teams and expected to sign with a club by Thursday.
Rodríguez spent the last two years of his career with the Detroit Tigers before opting out of the final three years and $49 million remaining on his contract to become a free agent this offseason.
The Tigers attempted to trade Rodríguez at the 2023 season’s deadline but he nixed a deal to the Los Angeles Dodgers, invoking his 10-team no-trade clause. The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya reported at the time that he wanted to stay closer to his family on the East Coast.
“The restrictions, such as they were in July, aren’t applying right now, so he is open-minded,” Morosi said. “There were some thoughts and reports that, perhaps, the Mets were involved, but I believe, Lauren, that there are teams that are even more interested than the New York Mets in Rodríguez.”
MLB Network @MLBNetwork
“Stay close, stay tuned. (Eduardo) Rodriguez could sign here in Nashville.” – @jonmorosi pic.twitter.com/91GOJBIvLv
While Rodríguez isn’t on the same level as Shohei Ohtani or Yoshinobu Yamamoto, he’s still a very reliable starter and would make a great addition to any contending team.
One of Rodríguez’s best seasons came in 2019 when he was a member of the Boston Red Sox. He posted a 19-6 record with a 3.81 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 213 strikeouts in 203.1 innings across 34 starts.
While the 30-year-old isn’t quite on that level anymore, he still had an impressive 2023 season with the Tigers, posting a 13-9 record with a 3.30 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 143 strikeouts in 152.2 innings across 26 starts.
With Rodriguez off the board, teams may become more desperate to land pitching help, especially if they are out on the likes of Ohtani, Yamamoto and Blake Snell.
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