Eduardo Rodriguez denies Dodgers trade to stay close to family
The Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a trade that would send starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez to the West Coast, but Rodriguez invoked his no-trade clause to prevent the move from going down. Dodgers beat writer Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reported that Rodriguez made the decision to utilize his no-trade clause to stay closer to family.
On the surface, Rodriguez’s decision to stay in Detroit was baffling. The Tigers currently sit with a 47-60 record and are far outside of playoff contention while the Dodgers are 60-45 and sit atop the NL West. A move to Los Angeles would have allowed Rodriguez to hunt for a World Series ring this fall.
Rodriguez has dealt with family matters throughout his tenure in Detroit. This began when Rodriguez disappeared last season before eventually going on the restricted list for three months. It is understandable that he did not want to head across the country and be far away from his family.
Rodriguez signed a five-year, $77 million deal with the Tigers two seasons ago. Although, the 30-year-old lefty has the ability to opt out of the final three years of his deal. If he were to opt in, Rodriguez would make $49 million throughout the remainder of his deal, per Spotrac.
In all likelihood, Rodriguez will be able to get a big contract this offseason. In 2023, he has a 2.95 ERA and 148 ERA+. If he continues to pitch at that level, he will have a not shortage of suitors this winter.
The looming possibility of an out opt would have allowed Rodriguez the option to head to the Los Angeles Dodgers before hitting free agency this offseason. While that was likely not ideal, it would have been a solid route to compete in the playoffs before returning to the East Coast.
The Tigers are now left hoping that they can retain their lefty ace for the future. Otherwise, they will see Rodriguez walk for nothing despite attempting to move him at the deadline.
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