The Red Sox and left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $8.3MM, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets. It’s a repeat of the salary the two sides agreed to last winter, as is common with players who miss an entire season due to injury or, in Rodriguez’s case, medical concerns.
Rodriguez, 27, didn’t pitch in 2020 after testing positive for Covid-19 and eventually developing myocarditis — an inflammation of the heart muscle which rendered him unable to take the field. Rodriguez revealed in late November that he’s recovered and feels 100 percent again. After months of downtime, Rodriguez told MLB Network Radio that he’d been cleared to begin a throwing program and resume lifting weights in preparation for a return to the mound in 2021.
The Red Sox will have a difficult task in determining what type of workload Rodriguez should be earmarked for Rodriguez after not only a season away from the mound but a season lost to heart issues. Boston pitching coach Dave Bush spoke with reporters about the challenges of the situation back in September (link via MLB.com’s Ian Browne).
“For a guy like Eduardo Rodriguez, 200 innings last year and zero this year, we’re still figuring out exactly what we can expect from him next year and what’s a reasonable amount so he can pitch and be part of the rotation,” Bush said at the time. “But we also want to make sure that we don’t overdo it and don’t put him in danger at that point.”
The Red Sox badly missed Rodriguez in 2020, as a patchwork rotation often rounded out by journeymen limped to a 25th-ranked 5.34 ERA. A healthy Rodriguez is a key part of the starting staff in Boston, having pitched to a combined 3.92 ERA and 3.84 FIP with 9.7 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9 from 2017-19 (470 1/3 innings).
This will be the final trip through the arbitration process for Rodriguez, who has five-plus years of Major League service and will be a free agent after the 2021 season.
Good luck to E Rod.
Cora will again have a positive impact on Rodriguez. Would also like to see Lester brought back as a mentor for ER – similar pitchers.
You don’t sign a guy just to be a mentor. Chris Sale can be his mentor. Jon Lester would be signed to fill the fourth starter roll, nothing else. Good locker room presence is a bonus that many players bring with them. You don’t need to sign a guy for specifically that reason.
Agreed that Alex Cora will have tremendous impact on a lot of the players. Many speak very highly of his ability to bring out the best in them.
There you go explaining the obvious again, Gary. Of course Lester is signed as a legit starter, the mentoring “roll” is a bonus.
Sorry I misunderstood your comment I thought he’s brought in for the main purpose of being a mentor.
Basic no-brainer. Signing Bauer and Springer is next… BE BOLD!!!!
Springer is a possibility. But I’d rather move benintendi to Center and let him work out his issues. Can’t be any worse than Jackie Bradley jr. at the plate while providing decent Centerfield defense. What else you going to do with Andrew? Bench him? Send him to Triple-A? Put him in left field with the hole in the center? Not sure paying all that money to Springer is on the table for the Sox even though we read it in the media.
Gary – I agree. Benintendi would be passable in CF on defense and sign a solid bat for LF. The bench is all right handed, so Moreland would be a fit (insurance at 1B).
I can see.Dalbec at 3B and Devers at1B at some point ifDalbec proves he can without the same falloff asChavis.
AB is NOT a Fenway CFer. Small but pertinent sample size showed that. Add in people are already worried he’s lost his quickness and he has to stay in left for the bulk of his playing should he continue to get an opportunity.
I hear you dewey, and I think you’re right but now we’ve got a crap left fielder? You need a Basher in left. That’s why I say stick Benny in Center and let him work out his Bat. But if his defense would be not passable in Center then I guess we’re stuck between a rock and a hard place with Andrew.
Traded for E-Rod in fantasy before last season. Looking forward to next season. Play ball!
Keep us posted!
This is why I’m hoping the cubs don’t tender an offer to bryant.
Every mlb player agent is afraid that might happen
If it happens a lot of players will let their clubs buy out their arbitration years.whereby lowering club’s yearly salary obligations.
A lot of agents are sweating this decision
The Red Sox are not signing George Springer for a couple of reasons:
1) The QO attached to Springer would result in Boston losing the 4th pick of the second round in the upcoming draft and $500K of their international free agent pool money. Chaim is looking to rebuild the farm system and giving up that pick will not allow him to do so, especially after they lost their second round pick last year.
2) The Red Sox are really high on Jaren Duran in CF. He’ll be ready to join the club by July 2021 or the start of 2022 at the latest. They will most likely re-sign Kevin Pillar to handle CF until Duran is ready to platoon with him. They don’t want to sign Springer for 4-5 years and block a cheaper player like Duran for years.
Right you are. It’s purely droning content, how many articles there are linking the team to players who have no business being on the Red Sox in the current circumstance, Springer and Bauer foremostly among them. (If I can stray from free agency, let me add Kris Bryant to those two.)
Dorothy – agreed, Bloom will not give up the 4th pick in 2nd round, and doubt the Red Sox want to exceed the CBT this soon.
I think the RS will sign Pillar if he is interested in coming back. Verdugo, Pillar, Beni, and possibly Munoz will handle the outfield.
I’m interested to see maybe how fresh his arm will be after he builds his strength back. Essentially a year off from throwing, in the middle of your career is kind of an unknown without an arm injury. Does he come back with a little extra zip on the fastball? A little less wear and tear from 150-200 innings worth of pitching might do his arm well..or, it might go the other way and he will search for feel and arm strength all season. I hope for the best for e-rod, I’m interested in hiw this plays out for him.
Biggest unknown will be his stamina level. He may end up having to be the closer next year. When was the last time a heart injury affected a starter in his prime?
Kenley Jensen.
Like Eddy boy, but it’s about time he STAYED HEALTHY for an entire season without DL time. Feel like he’s said the right things this offseason & obviously WANTS to stay in Boston long-term, but it obviously depends on that “hometown discount” he’s spoken about at length. At this point, think it’s safe to say he owes the Red Sox some back pay on his previous contract through all the time he’s missed due to ignorance with Covid-19 (FFS, wear a mask) & complications from it costing him this last BOGUS season that doesn’t count as well as weight issues that hindered his knee useless randomly for years along with various other ailments & DL stints. Nature of the beast to some extent, I get it. When he CAN PITCH though, he’s a solid/intelligent player and typically effective. Truthfully, he has come a long way developmentally since that trade Boston made with Baltimore, the Red Sox clearly WON that E-Rod for Andrew Miller trade by a mile. GL to him this season, we’re going to need him as a big left hander until Sale is good to go.