Left-handed relievers Paco Rodriguez and Antonio Bastardo have changed agencies, according to Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal. Rodriguez, formerly represented by BKK Sports, will be joining the MVP Sports Group and is now represented by agency president Dan Lozano. Bastardo, who had been represented by ACES, is now a client of Greg Genske of the Legacy Agency.
The 23-year-old Rodriguez blitzed through the minor leagues and was the first 2012 draftee to appear in the Major Leagues, as he made his debut on Sept. 9, 2012, just months after being selected in the second round. He was a lights-out setup man for the Dodgers in 2013, but he has somewhat curiously spent much of the 2014 campaign at Triple-A (perhaps due to some September/postseason struggles last year).
Rodriguez turned in a 2.35 ERA with a 63-to-19 K/BB ratio in 53 2/3 innings for the Dodgers in 2013 and has posted a 4.35 ERA in 10 1/3 innings this season. Overall, he’s notched a 2.52 ERA with 80 strikeouts against 26 walks in 71 1/3 innings out of the Dodgers’ bullpen. He has struggled against right-handers in 2014, yielding a .250/.395/.469 batting line between the Majors and Minors. He’s currently on the DL with a strained teres major muscle in his left shoulder but is expected to return in September.
Bastardo, who will turn 29 next month, is heading into his final offseason of arbitration eligibility before hitting the free agent market. He’s earning $2MM this season and has produced a 4.47 ERA with 11.3 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9 in 54 1/3 innings. Since cementing himself as a member of the Phillies’ bullpen back in 2011, Bastardo has pitched to a 3.48 ERA with 11.6 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9 in 207 big league innings. He’s held opposing lefties to a .188/.286/.345 batting line in his career, though right-handed hitters have a similarly feeble .655 OPS against Bastardo.
The representation changes for Rodriguez and Bastardo are both reflected in the MLBTR Agency Database, which contains agent information on more than 2,000 Major League and Minor League players. If you see any errors or omissions within the database, please let us know via email: mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.
