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Diamondbacks Claim Chris Rodriguez

By Leo Morgenstern | October 30, 2023 at 6:19pm CDT

While the Diamondbacks are preparing to host their first World Series game in over twenty years, they’re already thinking about the future. The team claimed right-handed pitcher Chris Rodriguez off of waivers from the Angels, according to his player page on MLB.com (and as first reported by Robert Murray of FanSided). Rodriguez spent the entire 2022 and ’23 seasons on the injured list following shoulder surgery.

When he last took the field, Rodriguez was a promising young arm with a high-velocity fastball and a nasty curve. Entering the 2021 season, Baseball America ranked him as the No. 3 prospect in the Angels system, praising his “wicked stuff” and “tantalizing four-pitch mix.” Across 15 games (2 starts) in his rookie campaign, he posted a 3.64 ERA, 3.50 xERA, and 4.29 SIERA. His 11.2% walk rate was cause for concern, yet he made up for it with an excellent 54.7% groundball rate. Even then, however, health was a problem for the righty. He missed all of the 2018 season and most of 2019 with back injuries before his shoulder started to cause problems in 2021. He would need capsule repair surgery, ending his rookie season, and he has not returned to a major league mound since. In addition to his long rehab for his shoulder, Rodriguez also dealt with a setback related to his back in 2023, reports Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register.

Despite all his injury trouble, it’s easy to see why Arizona was interested in Rodriguez. Still just 25 years old, he’s not so far removed from all the potential he had in his prospect days, although he has to prove he can stay on the field long enough to rediscover what made him such a highly-regarded talent. The Diamondbacks, for their part, have done well to help their pitchers thrive in recent years. Zac Gallen has become one of the best pitchers in baseball since he was dealt to D-backs in 2019. Merrill Kelly became a reliable MLB starter in his thirties after several seasons in the KBO. Kevin Ginkel, a 22nd-round pick, has blossomed into one of the better relievers in baseball. Most recently, the Diamondbacks raised Brandon Pfaadt from fifth-round pick to top-100 prospect to postseason hero. Arizona’s pitching coach, Brent Strom, is widely considered one of the most knowledgeable pitching gurus in the league.

It’s a little harder to see why the Angels would let Rodriguez go. They will surely need pitching depth in 2024, and with the possible departure of Shohei Ohtani, it’s difficult to picture this team in the thick of the playoff race next season. Nevertheless, they seem to have decided that Rodriguez’s 40-man roster spot was too valuable to use on a player who hasn’t pitched in over two years. The 25-year-old has spent most of the past two seasons on the 60-day injured list, but there is no 60-day IL during the offseason, so the Angels would have had to add him back to the 40-man after the World Series, thereby giving them one less open spot for potential offseason additions.

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Arizona Diamondbacks Los Angeles Angels Transactions Chris Rodriguez

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21 Comments

  1. Old York

    2 years ago

    Loading up to defend their 2023 championship.

    1
    Reply
  2. outinleftfield

    2 years ago

    Why in the world ws Rodriguez cut by Minasian?? WTH is he thinking?

    7
    Reply
    • orange2001

      2 years ago

      Smart, he isn’t.

      Reply
  3. DGHalos714

    2 years ago

    Sad to see this…the kid has great stuff and lots of potential. Wonder if they know something that they let him go? Or just bad management… another hole to fill

    Reply
  4. M.C.Homer

    2 years ago

    Mistake.

    1
    Reply
  5. nukeg

    2 years ago

    Soooo the Angels hang on to this guy for 2 injury plagued seasons, then when he’s close to health, they let him go for basically free to play in the World Series.

    Yep, That makes Angel sense.

    2
    Reply
    • Plugnplay

      2 years ago

      To play in the WS? What? Lol
      FYI, u can’t add a player to play in the post season after Sept. 1st.

      And 2) C-Rod will likely never pitch in the bigs again. Maybe let alone pitch at all again, who knows from our side.

      1
      Reply
      • YankeesBleacherCreature

        2 years ago

        He’s on the mound now and just homered!

        1
        Reply
    • nukeg

      2 years ago

      Yeah I think I was a few beers in on the “play” part. He can at least enjoy it with a Diamond Back red hat instead of tainted Angel red.

      1
      Reply
  6. urnuts

    2 years ago

    He will go onto being a high leverage RP in the next 2 to 3 seasons. This happens often when the Angels release a young pitcher. Now they will invite 5 scrubs to Spring Training hoping one replaces him on the 40 man roster. They will pay the scrub 1.5 million and release him by July.

    I love the Angels but it is an abusive relationship.

    1
    Reply
  7. HalosHeavenJJ

    2 years ago

    Rodriguez was one of the few guys with a really high ceiling on our farm system.

    That said, his injury problems go back to 2018. Maybe Arizona can fix him.

    Reply
    • all in the suit that you wear

      2 years ago

      Maybe the Angels need the 40 man spot to protect someone from the Rule 5 draft that they value more.

      3
      Reply
      • CityofChampions

        2 years ago

        The Angels purged their roster of veterans and traded a bunch of prospects at the deadline. Odd that they would be that pressed for space to cut Rodriguez.

        But they know his medicals better than anyone else. He might be toast.

        3
        Reply
      • HalosHeavenJJ

        2 years ago

        Not sure who that’d be.

        They probably think he’s not going to be fully healthy again.

        Reply
  8. sufferforsnakes

    2 years ago

    Capsule repair surgery is not something that’s easy to come back from. I’ve had mine repaired, and it’s never been the same since.

    2
    Reply
    • Tigers3232

      2 years ago

      @suffer, did you lose some of your range of motion? Sorry to be nosey, just interested on hearing people’s personal perspective on such things.

      Reply
  9. Plugnplay

    2 years ago

    Sad to see such a promising pitching prospect get shredded by pretty serious injuries. I think it will be a long shot if he’s able to be an effective MLB pitcher again. I wish the best for him thou. GL

    2
    Reply
  10. Redstitch108* 2

    2 years ago

    Just another dumb personnel move by the Angels.

    Reply
  11. RyÅnWKrol

    2 years ago

    Angels fans always get attached to failed prospects and journeymen. CRod has gone too long with his injuries and it is a shoulder injury where most are never the same. Can’t clog a roster spot with that.

    1
    Reply
  12. Rexhudler86

    2 years ago

    I agree he might not come back, but also I know they will sign a 36 yr old that hasn’t been good since 2016, and he will be on the opening day roster.

    Reply
  13. Sryphilz27

    2 years ago

    Please die Artie Moreno. Please Die!!

    Reply

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