The Brewers have signed right-hander Elvin Rodriguez to a one-year deal with a club option for the 2026 season, reports Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Rodriguez, represented by A&F Sports Agency and JP Sports Advisors, spent the 2024 season in Japan and is returning stateside on a big league deal after an impressive showing overseas. The Associated Press reports that he signed a split deal that comes with a $900K salary for his MLB work and a $300K sum in the minors. The team option is valued at $1.35MM, while Rodriguez could unlock another $250K this season via performance bonuses. Fellow right-hander JB Bukauskas has been designated for assignment to open space on the 40-man roster.
Rodriguez, 27 in March, pitched in the majors with the 2022 Tigers and the 2023 Rays. He’s logged a total of 33 MLB frames and been hit hard, surrendering a gruesome 9.55 earned run average. The bulk of that work came as a starting pitcher, but Rodriguez worked out of the bullpen in 2024 and delivered generally impressive results.
In 45 innings for Japan’s Yakult Swallows, Rodriguez logged a tiny 1.80 ERA with a 24% strikeout rate and 6.5% walk rate. He spent nearly as much time with Yakult’s minor league club early in the ’24 season as he did with their big league club later in the year, pitching to a similar 1.67 ERA with their farm team.
Milwaukee’s rotation is largely set at the moment, with Freddy Peralta, Nestor Cortes, Aaron Civale, Tobias Myers and a returning Brandon Woodruff expected to comprise that quintet. Southpaws DL Hall and Aaron Ashby are on hand as potential options as well.
Rodriguez could still factor in as a depth option. Given his experience in both a starting role and in the bullpen, it’d be sensible if Milwaukee brought him to camp and stretched him out. He could pitch in the Triple-A Nashville rotation — Rodriguez has two minor league option years remaining — and still be a big league bullpen option at any point. It’s easier to take a starter and move him to the ’pen than it is to stretch a reliever out as a starter in-season, however, so there’s good sense in at least letting Rodriguez build up in preparation for a rotation role even if he’s ultimately viewed as a relief option first and foremost.
As for Bukauskas, he’s been with the Brewers since being plucked off waivers early in the 2023 season. The former first-rounder and top prospect has pitched a dozen big league innings and turned in a pristine 0.75 ERA in that small sample, also brandishing an impressive 12-to-2 K/BB ratio. However, a lat strain limited him to just 12 total innings between Triple-A and the majors in 2024. Bukauskas hit the injured list in mid-April, headed out on a rehab assignment in mid-June and almost immediately had a setback. He got back on the mound in late July, made four rehab appearances in the minors, and was shut back down for the rest of the season.
The Brewers will have the next five days to trade Bukauskas. If he’s not moved in that time, he’ll head to waivers, which take another 48 hours to process. Within the next week, the outcome of his DFA will be known.
Elvin is in the building…
inb4 people make fun of bukauskas’s name like they did with mastroboyardee
JB looked like a safe middle to back of the order pick out of college.
Just shows how difficult success is at the professional level.
Middle to back of the rotation pick.
My brain is a bit fried today.
Bukauskas is more of an example of how injuries can screw your career. Less than 150 innings in the last 4 years is hardly a professional career.
Rodriguez is probably going to be in the bullpen next year as he didn’t do well in a starting pitcher role in the NPB. He did well in a reliever role though.
Hey Bukauskas,Thanks for writing Barfly, an underrated film.
This is the type of guys the Brewers have turned into a huge success in recent years. Only 27 years old too? Could be a bit of a steal here