MLB Rumors: Why Eduardo Rodriguez Vetoed Trade To Dodgers

Eduardo Rodriguez had a chance to join a prominent World Series contender Tuesday, but he wanted no part of it.

In the lead-up to the Major League Baseball trade deadline, the Dodgers and the Tigers agreed to terms on a deal that would have sent Rodriguez to Los Angeles. The move never came to pass, though, as Rodriguez invoked his no-trade clause and thus stayed put in Detroit.

To put Rodriguez’s decision into perspective, the National League West-leading Dodgers currently have the second-shortest odds at FanDuel Sportsbook to win the 2023 World Series. The Tigers, who traded their second-best pitcher Tuesday, are tied for the longest odds to be the last team standing and also don’t have a very bright future.

So, why did Rodriguez not want to join one of the best teams in baseball? According to The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya, the 30-year-old wanted to stay closer to his family on the East Coast.

This surely must have come as a tough break for the Dodgers, who also failed to land their other reported top target before the deadline passed. Los Angeles apparently had its eyes on Justin Verlander as well, but the three-time Cy Young Award winner ended up returning to the Houston Astros following his brief stint with the New York Mets.

Rodriguez has three years and $49 million left on his contract following this season, but there’s a chance he won’t play out the entirety of the pact in Detroit. The veteran southpaw can opt out of the pact and hit MLB free agency this winter if he feels so inclined.