Eduardo Rodriguez remains one of the top free agent starting pitchers available this offseason. He hit the market after a very solid season with the Detroit Tigers, one in which he went 13-9 with an ERA of 3.30 in 26 starts.
The Tigers can't be counted out as a potential suitor for a reunion. But after signing Kenta Maeda to a two-year, $24 million deal, Rodriguez may not return to the Motor City.
Still, there will be plenty of teams calling for the left-hander's services this coming offseason, and in this piece, we will discuss three teams who could sign him.
MLB Rumors: These 3 teams should be favored to sign Eduardo Rodriguez
3. Atlanta Braves
The Braves are expected to be very aggressive this winter as they address their starting rotation. They already have a solid top four starters in Max Fried, Spencer Strider, Bryce Elder, and Charlie Morton.
However, they are still expected to pursue a starter, and Rodriguez was rumored to have been of interest to the NL East champions.
The Braves won 104 games, which was the most in all of baseball this season. However, they fell short in the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies for the second straight year and will be looking to strengthen their roster and return to the World Series in 2024.
Rodriguez can certainly help with that. The Braves have stiff competition in a competitive NL East division with the Phillies and the young upstart Miami Marlins. The Los Angeles Dodgers are another team to look out for.
But Atlanta has been a consistent winner for the past several years, and General Manager Alex Anthopoulos will certainly look to keep the Braves relevant for 2024 and beyond.
Rodriguez averaged 8.4 strikeouts per nine innings this season with the Tigers. The Braves would need to be cautious in terms of his injury history, but he'd still be a great addition to the team.
2. Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox are the team that drafted and developed Rodriguez. He made his MLB debut with them back in 2015 and became a reliable rotation arm, even helping lead them to a World Series title in 2018.
Boston is a team in need of starting pitching after their rotation failed them in 2023 and caused yet another last place finish.
But given their familiarity with Rodriguez, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch for the left-hander to potentially head back to Boston if the door is closed on a reunion with the Tigers.
At the trade deadline, Rodriguez invoked his 10-team no-trade clause when a deal was put in place to send him to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He had cited wanting to stay closer to his family on the east coast.
Going back to Boston would give him that opportunity and it would put him in a place that he is already very familiar with.
Boston's rotation currently has a ton of question marks with Corey Kluber and James Paxton now free agents. Signing Rodriguez could give them some certainty in their rotation.
1. Cincinnati Reds
The Reds are a team that surprised a lot of people in 2023. Following a 100-loss campaign in 2022, the Reds came out of nowhere and won 82 games, falling just two games short of a Wild Card berth.
They were largely propelled by their young core of stars that includes Elly De La Cruz, Spencer Steer, and Matt McLain. But their starting rotation needs some work.
Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo are expected to emerge as frontline starters for the Reds, but they could use the experience of a veteran pitcher on their staff to help guide their young pitchers.
The Reds won't be in on Blake Snell or Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but Rodriguez could come at a more reasonable price for the team. Having him around could benefit Greene and Lodolo, while also forming a solid top three in the Reds rotation.
Cincinnati is obviously a team on the rise and may only be a few pieces away from building a true contender for 2024 and beyond.
The Reds were in on Sonny Gray, who recently signed with the St. Louis Cardinals. But Rodriguez could be a solid alternative after missing out on their former right-hander.