The Boston Red Sox’s starting pitching staff has received heaps of negative attention this season.
A longtime member of the Red Sox’s rotation has been heavily covered by the media as well but for opposite reasons.
“(Detroit) Tiger left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, who’s pitching like a No. 1, may be the biggest pitcher dealt at the deadline,” the New York Post’s Jon Heyman wrote Thursday. “If the Tigers aren’t in the race, an E-Rod deal is very likely considering he has an opt-out after this season. (The opt-out may also slightly limit his value.)”
The 30-year-old is 4-2 with a remarkable 1.57 ERA, 47-to-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .174 batting average against and 0.79 WHIP in 51 2/3 innings this season.
Rodriguez will almost certainly opt out of the remaining three years of the five-year, $77 million contract he signed prior to the 2022 season. That essentially makes him the best rental pitcher on the market — barring the Los Angeles Angels placing Shohei Ohtani on the trade block.
It would make a lot of sense for the Red Sox to inquire about Rodriguez as they currently have one of the worse starter ERA tallies in all of baseball. Despite having seven starting pitchers at the moment, it’s likely that the rotation will be the biggest weakness entering the deadline.
Rodriguez’s trade rumors will be one of the top storylines entering the hot stove. He’ll likely be linked to just about every contender at one point or another.
If Boston fails to bring back Rodriguez at the trade deadline, they’ll likely have another shot in free agency. It would be wise to make those phone calls if his breakout season stays on track.
