Trade Vetoed By Ex-Red Sox Viewed As ‘Shock’ To MLB Executives

Eduardo Rodriguez steered clear of the Dodgers before Tuesday’s trade deadline, vetoing a trade from the Tigers that befuddled executives across Major League Baseball.

Rodriguez exercised the no-trade clause within his five-year, $77 million contract with Detroit, preferring to play for a Tigers team destined for a ninth straight playoff-less finish. Meanwhile, Los Angeles is in the midst of assembling yet another World Series run in October, further adding to the confusion.

“The biggest shock of the day was reading that Eduardo Rodriguez killed the opportunity to pitch for the Dodgers and chose instead to stay in Detroit,” a National League executive said, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. “Never could have predicted that.”

The Dodgers were originally on Rodriguez’s no-trade list, one of 10 teams in fact. However, unlike Detroit, Los Angeles has plenty of meaningful baseball left to play. Rodriguez, who spent six years with the Red Sox before joining the Tigers, last made a postseason appearance, with Boston, in 2021.

“How does that happen?” an American League executive said, per Feinsand. “How do they not have a fallback for L.A.?”

Since leaving the Red Sox, Rodriguez has put together a career year in Detroit. The 30-year-old has notched a career-best 2.95 ERA, going 6-5 in 15 starts this season after a struggling debut in 2022 with the Tigers (5-5, 4.05 ERA).

The interest garnered by Rodriguez was expected. The left-hander is pitching impressively well while under an attractive contract, albeit with an opt-out option at the end of 2023. That’s aside from the luxury that rotation stability has become across the MLB, especially for contending squads.

While Rodriguez will remain in Detroit until its season (soon) ends, the offseason could welcome another surprising decision from the eight-year veteran.