Tigers ink E-rod to $77M deal: reports
Sox will receive compensation pick before third round
Eduardo Rodriguez has found a new home.
The longtime Red Sox lefty rejected the team’s qualifying offer worth $18.4 million for 2022 and instead will sign a fiveyear, $77 million deal with the Detroit Tigers, according to multiple reports early Monday morning. Rodriguez is the first free agent to sign an eight-figure deal this offseason.
The Tigers finished 7785 in A. J. Hinch’s first year as the manager after he served his one-year suspension for his involvement in the Astros’ cheating scandal and will soon manage a much improved roster led by former firstoverall pick Casey Mize and Rodriguez atop the rotation.
The Red Sox said they were hoping to negotiate a long-term deal with Rodriguez, but will surely be just as happy to take the draft pick compensation awarded for losing a player who was presented a qualifying offer.
The Sox would receive a pick just before the third round. They famously drafted Mookie Betts in the fifth round in 2011. They’ve also found gems like Jonathan Papelbon in the third round in 2003, Anthony Rizzo in the sixth round in 2007 and Kevin Youkilis in the eighth round in 2011, among other mid-round bargains.
Rodriguez was not a homegrown star, having been signed out of Venezuela by the Orioles in 2010 at 17 years old. But he was traded to the Red Sox in 2014 for Andrew Miller and was highly touted for throwing in the mid-90s with an elite changeup. It was the pitch that got him to the big leagues at 22 years old. He threw 121 1/3 innings with a 3.85 ERA in his rookie season, flashing promise of things to come.
But Rodriguez never posted an ERA under 3.80 in his six years with Boston. He had a few very good seasons, but arguably never reached his potential as a No. 2 starter. His best year was in 2019, when he went 19- 6 with a 3.81 ERA while making 34 starts.
He made a pair of memorable starts in the 2021 postseason, but leaves the Red Sox with a 6.35 ERA in the postseason overall.
Rodriguez had a 4.75 ERA in 2021 and would’ve taken up almost 10% of the Sox’ payroll if he accepted the one-year offer. But he impressed in other areas while posting a career-high strikeout rate of 10.5 batters per nine innings.
Even so, at around $14 million per year, Rodriguez would have been a luxury as a No. 3 or No. 4 starter. The Sox might also want to upgrade with one of the bigger names on the market, which includes Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander and Robbie Ray, among others, although there’s no indication they’d be willing to spend that much on any one player.
Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom has yet to spend more than $14 million on any single contract during his two-year tenure.
Either way, the Sox will need to find innings in their starting rotation.