The Red Sox will promote top pitching prospect Eduardo Rodriguez, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal reports (Twitter links).
Rodriguez may only receive a spot start, per Britton, but regardless it’ll be the first MLB experience for the 22-year-old lefty. Acquired last summer from the Orioles for relief ace Andrew Miller, Rodriguez entered this year (as he did last) as a consensus top-100 prospect league-wide.
With a late May call-up, Rodriguez would stand some chance of achieving Super Two status if he can stick on the roster, but that’s hardly a sure thing. And it seems that he will need to pitch his way into a regular rotation spot, as the club is simply pushing back its current starting five.
Though his value had dipped somewhat at the time he was sent to Boston, Rodriguez was still quite a prize (the result of a trade deadline bidding war). He also quickly restored his former luster, according to reports at the time, by regaining fastball velocity in short order.
After a dominant end to his season at the Double-A level last year, Rodriguez earned a promotion to the highest level of the minors to open 2015. He has not disappointed, striking out 8.2 and walking just 1.3 batters per nine over 48 1/3 innings, posting a 2.98 ERA for Pawtucket.
Now, Boston will see what the youngster can provide at the big league level. It’s no secret that the club’s starting pitching has had its struggles, though the group has been somewhat better in recent weeks. It seems likely that Rodriguez could earn another start, at least, with a solid outing. Certainly, it behooves the Red Sox to give him a chance and see what they have as they weigh outside additions over the summer.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
I’m very excited to see him. He has been pretty much dominate the whole year. He hasn’t walked many, strikes out a few, and gets lots of grounders. Also, he is sporting a 2.39 FIP which is excellent.
Good luck. That trade was a steal for your team. I ain’t no GM but I would never trade a top 50 prospect for a relief pitcher in a contract year, especially around the deadline, Unless I was certain I’d get that relief pitcher back as a FA.
I wouldn’t either, but I guess you could make a legitimate argument for the O’s. At the time, they still had Harvey and Bundy as top pitching prospects too, and Rodriguez’s stock was low (though he was experiencing some bad luck). It was certainly an overpay (which makes it scary to envision what type of package Chapman could land), but one that the O’s could afford to make (albeit both Harvey and Bundy are struggling with arm injuries I believe).
The Tigers may have been offering Robbie Ray, because they thought they had won the bidding on Miller. Baltimore had to up their offer accordingly. Miller may have been the difference in the playoffs.
Robbie Ray is with a Diamondback minor league affiliate. He was traded in the offseason.
Ray was a member of the Tigers organization at the time of the trade.
Correct. The Tigers traded him to the Diamondbacks in the Shane Greene deal. During last season is when the Miller offer occurred.
The Tigers offered Jake Thompson and another couple lesser prospects
That’s a good offer, too. where was that reported?
The only one would be Mariano Riviera and that might be questionable.
As an Os fan I was very disappointed to see him traded. He looks like a solid #3 with potential to be a 2 in almost any rotation. Also still very young and shown a lot of durability and consistentcy. I’m rooting for him.
He can’t possibly be worse than Cy Young Joe Kelly, can he? (for those who don’t know, this is not mocking Red Sox fans. This is mocking Joe Kelly who predicted he would win the 2015 Cy Young Award).
Peter Gammons just got real perky
Okay, now there is a pleasant surprise.
The Red Sox won’t give up a top prospect for 3+ years of Hamels but insisted on a top prospect for 3 months of Miller.. Nice job on the part of Cherington.. I hope this guy turns out to be the stud the Sox desperately need because the $20m dollar man Rick Porcello has been getting beat up..
Porcello’s making 12.5M in 2015.
Yeah I know I was referring to the $20m a year extension that he signed last month.. But yeah..
You upvoted your own post? Lol..
Those situations have little in common. The Phillies wanted a top 20 guy + other top prospects. Erods value was at a low point and the Red Sox are not gonna help a devision rival without getting something nice. Porcello is 26 and it’s super rare to be able to lock up a younger pitcher. 20 million doesn’t get you what it used to.
Below are pitchers who made $20+ million in a season and listed was their career ERA+ at the time they were given their contracts
CC Sabathia – 120
Felix Hernandez – 128
Justin Verlander – 124
Roy Halladay – 133
Clayton Kershaw – 152
Cliff Lee – 112
Zack Greinke – 114
Matt Cain – 124
Tim Lincecum – 121
Roger Clemens – (well in fairness, I’ll just say his ERA+ the previous 3 seasons was 153)
Johan Santana – 141
Cole Hamels – 126
Max Scherzer – 117
Jon Lester – 121
Masahiro Tanaka – null
Now, are you ready for it?
Rick Porcello – 97.
Porcello may not be great but he is a good pitcher and the Red Sox took a gamble on age since hes going into his prime. They wanted to lock up a spot in the rotation and they had to pay that because he was approaching FA. Lets not kid ourselves here, for a team like Boston this really isnt a huge deal, pretty much all those guys you said also have/had monster deals covering non prime years.
Except there are no stats at all to show that he is a good pitcher. He now has a career ERA+ of 96 which is Below average
He has been, at best, an average pitcher for his career. One good season (2014) won’t make you a very good pitcher going forward. See Rickey Romero who got released 1 year after a being a Cy Young candidate.
I agree it is not a huge deal for Boston and they can easily afford it, but it doesn’t make it a good deal
With a team stacked with pitching in the minors, I don’t think this was a must move for Boston because as mentioned, A – Their farm is stocked with pitching, and B – They can get better pitchers on the market next offseason
Most prospects fail so I doubt they see a future with more then one or two of the current pitching prospects in the rotation. In the days of 10 year muti $100 million deals I think its hard to argue that a 4 year 80 million deal for a 26 year old who was about to be a free agent coming off his best year was bad. I mean a 33 year old James Sheilds got 75 million and we have seen pitchers like Ervin Santana and Ricky Nolasco get big deals. I don’t think 80 million was a steal but I dont think his market value would have been much if any lower.
As for Romero I have no clue what you are referring too. Romero was last effective in 2011. He was released in 2015.
It may have been his best year but 1 good (not great) year shouldn’t make you get $20+ million for 4 years. I think Porcello’s value has shown to be about what Ervin Santana has just got, about 4 year/$52 million. $13 million a year and $20+ million a year is a big difference. Boston isn’t tight with money though we’ve already acknoweleged.
James Shields has a proven track record. The last 4 years his ERA+ was 124. For Porcello, it was right at his career line at 97
Don’t forget Porcello moved from Comerica (pitcher friendly) to Fenway (hitter friendly) whereas Shields went from a neutral park to a much more friendly pitcher park and league.
Shields certainly has been banged around. I can’t believe he’s already allowed 15 HR, and his ERA is a respectable 3.75 which makes it more bizarre. I’m too lazy to look but I have to assume most of those HR were solo HR.
I have the red sox making a package for maybe cueto and chapman not hamels, I have hamels going to the dodgers
A spot start? Why not let him take a few lumps for the future to get the butterflies out of his stomach.
Wasn’t B. Johnson ahead of him, or does he have less options?
Neither have made a ML start yet. Johnson isn’t as highly touted.
He isn’t on the 40 man roster.
Another flop coming !
Phillies fans are a sad sort.
Man….. did he ever flop.
The staff is a disaster and the bullpen is not much better. I fear the season is already lost.
They’re not out of it in their division yet, which is why I’m hoping they start making some moves, and soon. I’d be fine with Boston throwing Swihart and Kelly and some lesser prospects for Hamels. They problem is, they need a solid #2 guy to go along with an ace, and they don’t have one so they’d have to go after one of those as well, which isn’t likely. Hopefully E-Rod and Johnson pan out and they’ve got their solid middle rotation guys already in the minors.
Why trade Swihart for Hamels when you can just get Harang? This year should not be the priority.
Because you get Hamels for a few years, and still in his prime. Getting Hamels this year makes it easier for them to try and get a solid #2 next year and mount a much better effort at winning their division. Hamels won’t be the be all end all to fixing this year, but it’ll got a long way to giving them good stable pitching in the years to come. That and I’m not sure they’ll pay the money that next years free agent pitchers are going to be asking as they didn’t mount a very convincing effort with this years offerings.
Hes 31…prime has just about left the building. I wouldnt give them what they want for Hamels.
If this year is not the priority why even bother with Harang?
What I mean is, you shouldn’t give up a great prospect for a guy who’ll be a bit better than Harang for the rest of the season
Excited to see him. The Rockies could have had him last year if they gave up Jorge De La Ros, but owner Dock Monfort. Apparently, he thinks his team is the ’98 Yankees.
One game and in the Boston Red Sox fans mind he’s a HOF’er. Wait for 25 Starts, and Major League Hitters will adjust and he’s pan out to be 4.50 ERA Pitcher
What is with the constant and incoherent Red Sox hate?
No hate for Boston , just tired of over selling !