Veteran reliever Francisco Rodriguez has reached an agreement with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League, Jon Heyman of FanRag tweets.
The 36-year-old Rodriguez had been without an employer since the Phillies released him in March after a failed bid to crack their Opening Day roster. The right-hander previously inked a minor league deal with the Phillies, who took a flyer on him in the wake of a dismal season for the longtime closer. As a member of the Tigers in 2017, Rodriguez pitched to a 7.82 ERA/7.38 FIP and logged an unappealing groundball rate (30.1 percent) across 25 1/3 innings before they released him in June.
Odds may be against K-Rod ever pitching in the majors again, but it’s clear he hasn’t abandoned that goal. For now, he’s set to serve as one of the most accomplished players in the history of the Atlantic League, which has seen some household names come and go over the years. Also a former Angel, Met, Brewer and Oriole, Rodriguez ranks fourth all-time in saves (437) and owns a 2.86 ERA over 976 major league innings.