Detroit Tigers: Starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez is on the team’s radar

The Detroit Tigers have had a “starting pitcher” as one of their needs this offseason. It seems like starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez is on the team’s radar this offseason to meet this need. The rumors have been stemming, and Rodriguez seems to be the guy.

Things have heated up in his camp when it comes to suitors, and the Detroit Tigers have emerged as one of the teams who seems to be kicking the tires. It was rumored that the Tigers offered Rodriguez a multi-year deal in the range of about three years. That was paired with a valuation between $40-50 million for the left-handed starting pitcher.

It’s an interesting deal as Rodriguez has not always been the ace of the Red Sox staff. It’s known that Tigers want to beef up their rotation which is pretty young as it stands, and Rodriguez may not be a horrible option to consider.

Rodriguez is 28 years old and had to sit out the 2020 season due to a heart issue from a battle with COVID-19. However, it seems like things are going better for Rodriguez, who was able to come back and make 31 starts with 32 appearances in the 2021 season.

The Detroit Tigers are targeting southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez.

In 2021, he was not flawless in his return to the mound but certainly helped the Red Sox rotation. Rodriguez was 13-8 with 157.2 innings pitched where he had a 4.74 ERA, a 1.39 WHIP, and collected 185 strikeouts.

It was not his best season but was certainly a solid season after coming back to the mound. Given he had a heart issue, it had to have taken a toll on him to not over-exert himself and play it safe. Whether he signs with Detroit, back in Boston, or down in Texas with the Rangers, it’s good to see a player battle back and be able to start getting back to the performance he had before.

That being said, Rodriguez would bring a multi-year deal (most likely) in the form of a southpaw who adds to the rotation. He would not have to be an ace or even a number one, but rather look for success in the middle of the rotation.

The only thing that has me feeling a little reserved about a move like this is that the Tigers already have a veteran left-hander; his name is Matthew Boyd. The issue here is that Boyd cannot be counted on to be in the rotation for the 2022 season.

But, all-in-all, I think a multi-year deal with Eduardo Rodriguez is a good starting point for offseason rumors this early, especially when the Tigers want to add some starting pitching depth ahead of the 2022 season.