Detroit Tigers ace Eduardo Rodriguez made news ahead of Tuesday’s MLB trade deadline. The veteran pitcher was set to be sent to the Los Angeles Dodgers in what would have been a blockbuster with hours to go before the deadline.
Instead, Rodriguez enacted his 10-team no-trade clause and refused to head to Southern California. One day after the fact, and the World Series champion explained his decision-making process.
“It’s nothing against the Dodgers or the West Coast or whatever. It’s just about the details to go out there and where my family is. My future is where they’re happy and I’m happy and that’s why I decided to stay here. It has nothing to do with the Dodgers,” Rodriguez told reporters, via Jason Beck of MLB.com.
Rodriguez, a native of Venezuela, played his first seven MLB seasons with the Boston Red Sox back east. He then signed a five-year, $77 million contract with Detroit back in November of 2021. For the veteran, it does seem to be all about geography and the location of his family.
“I didn’t feel really comfortable with it, and I decided to stay here. It’s nothing against the Dodgers. They’re a really good team over there. I’m just thinking about my future and my family, and I took the decision to stay here,” Rodriguez told reporters.
From an on-field standpoint, the decision to enact his no-trade clause was surprising. Detroit entered Tuesday’s MLB action with a 47-60 record while the Dodgers find themselves in first place in the NL West with a 60-45 mark.
There’s also a reason why Los Angeles was looking at Rodriguez to upgrade what has been an injury-plagued rotation. The veteran took to the mound for Detroit on Wednesday, pitching six strong innings in a 6-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. He’s been brilliant all season long.
Eduardo Rodriguez stats (2023): 7-5 record, 2.96 ERA, 1.05 WHIP
As the Los Angeles Dodgers attempt to fill the void in their rotation internally, Rodriguez knows that his future with the Tigers is an open question.
“If I had a magic ball and I could tell you the future, I’d probably tell you right away. But right now, I’m here. I’m with this organization and I signed here for a long time to stay here. I feel happy with everything. My family feels happy in Detroit,” the veteran told reporters.
That will all be worked out this winter. For now, Rodriguez is going to spend the next couple months playing out the string in Detroit.