Detroit Tigers ace Eduardo Rodriguez commented on his future in Detroit and why he didn’t want a trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Just hours prior to the MLB trade deadline on Tuesday, the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a deal sending Eduardo Rodriguez out west. The only problem, as we now know, is that Rodriguez was not up for such a move.
Rodriguez has a 10-team no trade list, of which the Dodgers are on. While Los Angeles has a chance to win the World Series this season, E-Rod prioritizes being close to his family on the east coast.
“If I had a magic ball and I could tell you the future, I’d probably tell you right away. But right now I’m here. I’m with this organization and I signed here for a long time to stay here. I feel happy with everything. My family feels happy in Detroit,” Rodriguez said.
Eduardo Rodriguez reveals why he nixed Tigers-Rodgers trade
As for the deal itself, Rodriguez said that he wasn’t comfortable with the move to LA, and the trips back home to Miami.
“I didn’t feel really comfortable with it, and I decided to stay here. It’s nothing against the Dodgers. They’re a really good team over there. I’m just thinking about my future and my family, and I took the decision to stay here,” the Tigers ace added.
Rodriguez’s decision complicated things for Detroit, and they didn’t have enough time to find another suitor for him. To make matters worse, Rodriguez has a player opt-out after this year, which he seems likely to use. In what should be a strong market for starting pitchers, Rodriguez should be able to out-earn his current deal.
Rodriguez’s tenure in Detroit has been anything but easy. He took several months away from the team last season and left the Tigers in limbo. Now that he’s performing up to par, he wouldn’t waive his no-trade clause in exchange for a few months on a contending team. Such is his right, per his contract.
Scott Harris and Rodriguez will play nice for the rest of the season. Perhaps they’ll engage in contract negotiations, but it’s tough to see a future in which the starting pitcher remains a Tiger long term.