June 4: Rodney’s deal with the Nats is official, per an announcement from Paul Braverman of the Fresno Grizzlies’ communications department (Twitter link). He joined the Grizzlies in New Orleans and is active for tonight’s game.
June 1: The Nationals have agreed to a minor league deal with reliever Fernando Rodney, according to Craig Mish of SiriusXM. Rodney will report to Triple-A Fresno.
The well-traveled Rodney was last with the Athletics, who designated him for assignment a week ago before releasing him on Tuesday. Even though Oakland had to eat the remaining $3.53MM on Rodney’s club option in moving on from him, the club decided the 42-year-old was no longer worth a roster spot. It was an understandable call on the part of the A’s, for whom Rodney turned in 14 1/3 innings of 9.42 ERA/5.52 FIP ball with 8.79 K/9 and 7.53 BB/9 this season.
While 2019 has been a nightmare for the arrow-slinging Rodney, he was a useful reliever between Oakland and Minnesota just a year ago. Since his career began with the Tigers back in 2002, the right-hander has notched a 3.79 ERA/3.77 FIP with 9.08 K/9, 4.48 BB/9, a 50.2 percent groundball rate, 325 saves and 96 holds in 899 2/3 innings.
Rodney’s typical production would be welcome in Washington, whose bullpen has been one of the majors’ worst this year. The Nationals haven’t been able to find solutions leading up to closer Sean Doolittle, and the Rodney signing is their latest low-risk attempt to repair their unenviable late-game situation. Rodney follows Jonny Venters and George Kontos as the third veteran reliever the Nats have brought in on a minors pact since last Saturday.
Yeah this comment section is gonna be funny. Um good depth signing?
Yeah, “depth” is the right word, to the extent that Rodney’s career should be buried about 6-feet deep at this point.
42 years old man he’s been around
The Nationals continue to troll Craig Kimbrel.
If he goes there that’s a waste. They need way more than Kimbrel. That would push Doolittle into a setup but who do they have to hold on to the 6th and 7th? You really gotta stretch the starters. However as I said on another post if they somehow get Kimbrel they better trade for at least two more arms in the bullpen. They do that and they can contend again
They are already stretching the starters, the time I heard (about a week ago) the Nats had the most innings pitched by starters and the fewest pitched by relievers, that can’t continue.
Kimbrel is not going to Washington. The Nats need far too many BP pieces for one guy to be the fix. That is, aside from closer (Kimbrel), they need a whole new bullpen.
who would have guessed.
The “reverse Treinen”
I think it’s time for Rizzo to go
I agree, but he hasn’t done a terrible job overall. Just the bullpen is a catastrophe and ownership invested everything into starters.
the players have to hold up their end of the bargain. eventually one of those BP pitchers should actually try to pitch competently.
They all do as soon as they leave town.
After this offseason, I agree. Bad signings, bad depth, bad everything.
I think he’s very good but I can see this happening. Can’t just keep firing managers after every season and while the core of the team and rotation always looks good, things just don’t seem to work the right way for them.
Still, I think many teams would love to have Rizzo. Yes, he’s made a few bad moves but you gotta admire the fact that he tries almost more than anyone and isn’t afraid to make big moves. It was also great that they didn’t sign Harper, and their starting pitching signings look good so far, aside from bottom of the rotation guys like Sanchez, etc, but those deals made sense in hindsight.
He’s tried to bolster the bullpen a number of different ways, not sure what else he can do other than just pay out the nose for every top end arm. He tried cheap, expensive, trade, everything.
Don’t you just eat the draft pick and sign Kimbrel at this point?
From what I’ve read here, after midnight no draft pick attached. He and Dallas keuchel should sign within days.
When the pick goes away tomorrow night? No chance
As an A’s fan it astonishes me that anyone could be this desperate.
Check the Nats bullpen stats, they’ve left the 2nd worst bullpen in the dust and are currently the worst bullpen since 1930.
That’s fact, and it isn’t just a stats manipulation. Watch some of the Nats’ games, and you’ll truly understand why Davey Martinez is probably gonna have a stroke or heart attack before all is said and done. Aside from Doolittle there literally is no relief whatsoever in that bullpen.
Some of this is Davey’s own fault. He has no understanding of the effect that rest has on a reliever, and has no qualms with warming up multiple relievers every game for several games in a row without use. Then he’ll toss them in for a situational batter because “that’s their job” and he’ll be shocked when they fail. His solution to such failure is to throw them in day after day until they get it right.
Two days ago Wander Suero came in and pitched close to three full innings successfully (because he was rested). The next day Davey chose him to warm up to replace Scherzer (a couple innings before Max actually came out). Max ended up going 8 and Doolittle came in in the 9th.
Davey’s excuse for reliever overuse is most often the same: “he told me he was OK to pitch.” No kidding–they’re competitors, maybe find a new evaluation system.
Tire fire adds more tires
Good one!
Honestly, he wasnt bad last year. Maybe a change of scenery will help him. Not saying its likely but worth a shot when ur bullpen is a pigsty
A change of scenery worked wonders for Greg Holland last year, maybe it can work for Rodney too.
Panning for gold. Low risk, probably zero return but the Nats are desperate.
At 42, he’s gonna rack up more AAA innings than Chris Paddack.
Rodney to the Hall of Fame.
“Rollie Fingers is on the line, Mr. Rizzo”……
God help the Nats ! That’s how bad their situation is. Rizzo is nuts and results show he has blown it on bullpen time & time again. his “instincts & trades” suck!
Rizzo- call Cashman and ask for a tip or two, or better yet, Lerners, Fire Rizzo!!!
These latest signings may not be the bottom of the barrel, but they scrape the lower depths of the barrel’s sides. Of course they’re all low-cost stabs at somebody working out, but I’d like to see the Nats make more serious moves.
Maybe they need a new BP pitcher and that’s why they signed him
HaHa!
Why do you think they signed Rothensal?
Someone should rip Nationals ownership for this move. The only thing that keep Rodney good for so long was luck. He has never ever been a strike thrower. Terrible Nate are just too desperate because they have a bad bullpen.
Nationals*
He’s gonna shatter Edwin Jackson’s record for teams he’s played for.
Right now its 15 to 12 the edge right now goes to Jackson for now