3 Eduardo Rodriguez favorites if Tigers just signed his replacement
By Curt Bishop
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.