Ex-Red Sox Fan-Favorite Reportedly Will Be Available Soon; Reunion Could Be On Way
The Boston Red Sox could be in the market for a reunion this upcoming offseason.
Former Red Sox fan-favorite starting pitcher Eduardo Rodríguez reportedly will opt out of his contract with the Detroit Tigers and become a free agent, according to the New York Post's Jon Heyman.
"He loves Detroit, but Eduardo Rodríguez is expected to opt out with $49M and three years to go," Heyman said.
This isn't a surprising move in the slightest. Rodríguez signed with the Tigers ahead of the 2022 season and has been extremely impressive ever since. The former Red Sox stud arguably had the best season of his career in 2023 while compiling a career-best 3.40 ERA in 25 starts for Detroit. Rodríguez dealt with some injuries this season which slightly slowed him down, but he still was one of the most successful left-handed starters in the American League.
Boston needs to fix its starting rotation heading into the 2024 campaign and Rodríguez certainly makes sense as a fit. He likely will get a larger contract this offseason but the Red Sox have plenty of money to spend. Plus, there already is a familiarity with Rodríguez. The lefty helped lead the club to the 2018 World Series title and there were rumblings earlier this season that the Red Sox could be interested as a possible trade partner, although the Tigers ended up hanging on to the lefty.
It's unclear exactly what will happen but it wouldn't be too surprising to see Rodríguez back in Boston in 2024.
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