Tigers make first big splash of offseason, steal Eduardo Rodriguez from Red Sox

The Tigers made the first big splash of the offseason, signing former Red Sox pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez to a five-year deal.

Rodriguez has had a rough go of it the last few seasons, showing flashes but also dealing with COVID-19 symptoms. Yet, his value hasn’t fully deteriorated, as evidenced by the Tigers going all-out to land his services.

Eduardo Rodriguez contract: How much are Tigers paying him?

Per MLB insider Jeff Passan, the Tigers have signed Rodriguez to a five-year contract worth between $77 million and $80 million. He’ll be a veteran anchor for a team that features several high-caliber young starters, including the likes of Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal and Matt Manning.

Eduardo Rodriguez stats

E-Rod sported a 4.72 ERA last season in 32 appearances, which is a far cry from his 2019 production, in which he won 19 games and had an ERA of 3.81. Given it was his first season post-COVID, the Tigers are banking on it being an outlier.

Could Tigers still sign Carlos Correa?

Correa remains the Tigers top target this offseason, but they are one of several teams in pursuit of the former Astros shortstop. Detroit has a major hole in the middle of their infield.

Rodriguez, meanwhile, serves his own role. He’ll slide right into the top of the Tigers rotation, allowing young pitchers like Mize, Skubal and Manning to continue developing at their own pace. The Tigers want to contend as early as next season, and hope major moves like this one open their window to contend slightly earlier than expected.

Detroit Tigers rotation predictions

The Tigers should have a full rotation heading into spring training, with Rodriguez sliding in as a potential Opening Day starter, or top of the rotation veteran. By the end of the year, here is what Detroit’s rotation could look like:

• Casey Mize
• Eduardo Rodriguez
• Tarik Skubal
• Matthew Boyd
• Matt Manning

Add in another low-end free agent to fill in while Boyd is on the mend, and Detroit has many options at their disposal. Baseball fans in the Motor City would sign up for that immediately.