The Diamondbacks have made their free agent splash of the offseason, with ESPN’s Jeff Passan reporting that Arizona has signed left-handed pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez to a four-year deal with an average yearly value of $20 million.
Reports throughout the week backed that up, as the team was linked to free agent right-handers Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo, and Lucas Giolito.
Eduardo Rodriguez is headed to the desert pic.twitter.com/4mtCgBFU2M
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) December 7, 2023
The D-backs interest in Rodriguez was reported by Arizona Sports radio host John Gambadoro, even after the New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported the left-hander was close to signing and deciding between two teams.
Coming off a solid year in which he pitched for a 3.30 ERA in 25 starts for the Detroit Tigers, he exercised his player opt-out and hit the free agent market again.
He’ll join a rotation featuring National League Cy Young finalist Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, and Brandon Pfaadt.
The fifth spot in the rotation will go towards their young starters, with left-hander Tommy Henry likely having the inside track to win that role next spring.
With their key starting pitcher acquisition now taken care of, the team can now focus on getting a right-handed bat to add to their lineup and a backup catcher.
Free agent pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez agreed to a four-year, $80 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to a person with knowledge of the deal, cashing in after opting out of his contract with the Detroit Tigers.
The left-hander joins the National League champions’ rotation that already features Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, forming a formidable front three in Phoenix.
The Tigers had signed Rodriguez to a five-year, $77 million deal before the 2022 season, the same winter that Detroit added shortstop Javier Baez for $140 million.
He pitched quite well for the Tigers (3.58 ERA in 43 starts) but missed half of his first season in Detroit.
Behind Gallen, Kelly and now Rodriguez, right-hander Brandon Pfaadt is expected to be a regular in the rotation after impressing (3.27 ERA in five starts) as a rookie during Arizona’s run to the World Series.
Free-agent pitcher Eduardo Rodríguez will reportedly join the National League champion Arizona Diamondbacks, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan, who provided further details:
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.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 7, 2023
Source confirms: Free-agent left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez in agreement with Diamondbacks on four-year, $80M contract. With vesting option and bonuses deal can reach five years and $99M. First: @JeffPassan.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 7, 2023
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.
"Stay close, stay tuned. (Eduardo) Rodriguez could sign here in Nashville." – @jonmorosi pic.twitter.com/91GOJBIvLv
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 5, 2023
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.
Left-handed starter Eduardo Rodriguez and the Arizona Diamondbacks are in agreement on a four-year contract for around $20 million a year, sources familiar with the agreement told ESPN.
Rodriguez, 30, opted out of the final three years of his deal with the Detroit Tigers after going 13-9 with a 3.30 ERA in 152⅔ innings.
He was expected to be moved at the trade deadline this year but invoked his no-trade clause to kill an agreed-upon deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Over his eight-year career, he has punched out more than a batter an inning, and his ability to limit home runs prompted the Tigers to lavish a five-year, $77 million deal on him after he reached free agency following six seasons with the Boston Red Sox.
Rodriguez missed almost half of his first season with Detroit in 2022 while dealing with marital issues.
He was looking like a surefire All-Star this year until a ruptured pulley in his left index finger caused him to miss all of June.
The Arizona Diamondbacks and pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez agreed to an $80 million, four-year contract, according to a person with direct knowledge of the deal.
The 30-year-old left-hander from Venezuela spent the past two seasons with the Detroit Tigers and went 13-9 with a 3.30 ERA in 2023.
Rodriguez joins a Diamondbacks rotation that includes NL Cy Young Award finalist Zac Gallen, veteran Merrill Kelly and youngsters like righty Brandon Pfaadt and lefty Tommy Henry.
After the season, Rodriguez opted out of the final three years and $49 million on his contract with the Tigers to become a free agent.
Rodriguez broke into the big leagues with Boston and spent his first six seasons with the Red Sox from 2015-21, helping them win the 2018 World Series. But he missed the pandemic-shortened 2020 season because of a heart issue caused by COVID-19.
The Red Sox said Rodriguez showed evidence of myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart. The team called it a mild condition and said the pitcher was expected to make a full recovery.
A healthy Rodriguez returned the following year, going 13-8 with a 4.74 ERA over 157 2/3 innings for Boston.
He became a free agent and signed a $77 million, five-year contract with Detroit in November 2021 that included an opt-out following the 2023 season.
After two years with the Tigers, he chose to end a deal that would have paid him $18 million in 2024, $16 million in 2025 and $15 million in 2026.
In June 2022, the Tigers placed Rodriguez on the restricted list after he informed them, he would not rejoin the team due to personal matters.
He returned later in the year and put together a strong 2023 season for a rebuilding franchise that finished second in the AL Central at 78-84.
Rodriguez is 82-53 with a 4.03 ERA in 202 games, including 196 starts, over eight major league seasons.
He signed with Baltimore as an amateur in 2010 and was traded to Boston at the July 2014 deadline for reliever Andrew Miller.
Fans reacted as follows:
Contract is around $20 million per year*
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) December 7, 2023
finally the deadline is picking up, but, diamondbacks about to be even scarier and will still not be respected going into the season.
— proud ranger fan (@Mystinc_t) December 7, 2023
Insane deal for the Dbacks tbh
— AustinBarnesTruther (@WaustinBarnyard) December 7, 2023
Nice deal for Dbacks but didnt he want to stay on the East Coast because he blocked trade to Dodgers last year. Seems like weird change of heart
— Andrew Geli (@drew_geli) December 7, 2023
bro signed an NHL contract, does he know how much guys are getting paid in the MLB?
— men in uniforms determine my mental (@exe_ItsJosh) December 7, 2023
Yankees fall for the overhyped shimmy got him famous juan soto, while the diamondbacks get a total stud ace, they just repeat same bs and get excited 😂
— max johnson (@maxjohn70726371) December 7, 2023
Well the desert can have his cuck ass. The second his wife realised how humid it is in Phoenix she’ll be dragging his ass back to Miami and AWOL again.
— Paul Robinson (@robbo1701a) December 7, 2023
