Eduardo Rodriguez pitched the Detroit Tigers to a 6-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday, and afterward, he addressed the decision that caught many off guard – his choice to remain with the Tigers and veto a trade to the contending Los Angeles Dodgers.
Using his 10-team no-trade clause, Rodriguez blocked a deal that would have sent him to the top-of-the-division Dodgers just before the trade deadline on Tuesday.
Despite the Dodgers success in the NL West and the Tigers being far from the playoff race, Rodriguez explained that the decision went beyond the standings.
“The details of the trade weren’t what I wanted for me and my family, and I decided to stay in Detroit,” Rodriguez stated after an impressive performance on the mound where he allowed two runs on seven hits while striking out five in six innings.
“It’s nothing against the Dodgers. They have a really good team over there. Just thinking about my future and my family.”
Eduardo Rodriguez on Tigers: "I love the guys here, and I feel like they love me, too. … I know we have a really good team and we have a really good future over here with the young guys. I want to be part of it and that's why I decided to stay here too."
— Jason Beck (@beckjason) August 2, 2023
Having signed a five-year, $77 million deal with the Tigers in 2021, Rodriguez can opt out this offseason. Though he didn’t confirm his plans, he expressed contentment with his time in Detroit.
“If I had a magic ball and I could tell you what’s going to happen in the future, I’d probably tell you right away,” he told reporters. “Right now I am here. I signed with this organization for a long time and I’m happy with everything. My family feels happy in Detroit, and I’m happy with my teammates and the organization. I’d love to stay here.”
The Dodgers were taken aback by Rodriguez’s decision not to join their ranks, with president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman expressing surprise after the trade deadline passed.
“We thought it was done. And then we learned that it wasn’t,” Friedman said.
The Dodgers had hoped that Rodriguez’s previous connections to some of their players, who were his teammates during his time with the Boston Red Sox, would persuade him to reconsider. However, their efforts were in vain.
“We thought with having a lot of his ex-teammates and guys he’s played with, our place in the standings, I thought we would be very desirable,” Friedman said.
While the Dodgers may have missed out on adding Rodriguez to their roster, the left-hander’s performance on Wednesday showcased his value to the Tigers. He improved to a 7-5 record with an impressive 2.96 ERA following the game.
A solid outing for Eduardo Rodriguez the day after staying put in Detroit pic.twitter.com/mimOqnmeTI
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 2, 2023
There’s no doubt Rodriguez’s decision to refuse to be traded to Los Angeles was a head-scratcher. Many have questioned his competitiveness since the Tigers are going nowhere while the Dodgers have a legitimate chance to win the World Series.
Regardless, he did his best to try and explain himself.
What do you think of his decision?