After Rejecting A Trade To Pitch On The West Coast, Eduardo Rodriguez Is Now Headed To The West Coast To Pitch For The Diamondbacks

Before I go off on my rant about Eduardo Rodriguez, I do need to acknowledge that I think this is a good deal for the Arizona Diamondbacks. I’m very intrigued by what they’re going to do this offseason. It feels like their window is just now opening. That will be a rock-solid rotation with E-rod at the three and Brandon Pfaadt potentially being their number four pitcher. When Eduardo Rodriguez is on and consistently throwing strikes, he’s an excellent pitcher. His biggest issue is between the ears. I’m surprised he decided to pitch on the West Coast. 

The Eduardo Rodriguez saga will go down is one of the most bizarre in Detroit sports history. The guy went AWOL in year one, dealing with what I think was a marital issue. Last year, he was pitching great baseball and was about to get traded to the Dodgers, where he would’ve pitched for two months, but ultimately decided to nix the trade and utilize his no-trade clause because he didn’t want to pitch on the West Coast. Apparently, his fear of the West Coast only lasted several months because now he’s not only going to be pitching on the West Coast in Arizona but against West Coast teams like the Rockies, Dodgers, Giants, and Padres.

Money talks, but I’m increasingly believing that Eduardo Rodriguez has something against the Detroit Tigers organization. I don’t know why. They were the ones that signed them and let them take a two-month break in 2022. I just think it’s time we come to terms with the fact that Eduardo Rodriguez is the Chris Castellani of major pitchers. When he’s on, he’s spectacular. When you get the right version of Eduardo Rodriguez, he’s a force; you just don’t know what headspace he will be in on a day-to-day basis.

Considering where the Diamondbacks are as an organization, I think this is a good move for them. The ball tends to fly out of that ballpark, so Rodriguez may not be as effective as last year in Detroit, but he’ll be an excellent third option behind Zach Gallen and Merrill Kelly. Even though they let him walk, the Tigers did the right thing. I think they got the best version of him last year, and ultimately, I just don’t think he was worth the headache.