Entering the winter, the Detroit Tigers had a need for offense, with a particular interest in the stacked free-agent shortstop class.
But before adding runs, the Tigers are also investing heavily in their ability to prevent them. They've reportedly struck the winter's first major signing by landing former Red Sox lefty Eduardo Rodriguez to a five-year, $77 million contract. Tigers beat writer Cody Stavenhagen first reported the signing, with Jeff Passan and others coming in with the financial figures.
After missing all of 2020 due to myocarditis stemming from COVID-19, Rodriguez returned with a disappointing season in terms of run prevention. He posted a 4.74 ERA, nearly one full run up from the stellar work of his previous two seasons, when he went 32-11 with a 3.81 ERA over 333 innings for Boston.
Yet he also posted the lowest FIP of his career (3.32), and he fared well in the more granular approaches to estimated effectiveness.
His career-high strikeout percentage (27.4) and career-low walk rate (7.0) were undermined by a surge in BABIP (.363), which led to one of baseball's worst strand rates (68.9 percent, on par with Dallas Keuchel).
The Tigers are betting on the stats that tend to be more sustainable, and doing so with the youngest established starter on the market, as Rodriguez won't turn 29 until April. He also provides some veteran ballast for a young Tigers rotation that is on the verge of coalescing, but now can better absorb a temporary setback on an individual level.
Barring other major additions, A.J. Hinch can consider his front three set:
| Pitcher | GS | IP | H | HR | BB | K | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eduardo Rodriguez | 31 | 157.2 | 172 | 19 | 47 | 185 | 4.74 |
| Casey Mize | 30 | 150.1 | 130 | 24 | 41 | 118 | 3.71 |
| Tarik Skubal | 29 | 149.1 | 141 | 35 | 47 | 164 | 4.34 |
Matt Manning looks like the best bet for the fourth spot despite a rocky rookie season, as Detroit's other most notable names dealt with significant injuries. Matthew Boyd is a non-tender candidate after undergoing a September surgery on his flexor tendon, Spencer Turnbull had Tommy John surgery back in June, and Alex Faedo missed all of the 2021 season due to his own UCL repair.
For what its worth, Rodriguez has fared well against the White Sox -- 30 innings, 23 hits, nine walks, 34 strikeouts, a 3.60 ERA -- but we're talking about five starts over six seasons.
What we're looking at is a bold first move for a Detroit team with a fairly light payroll even with Miguel Cabrera's $32 million salary at the top of the ledger. Tucker Barnhart's $7.75 million salary was the next largest figure on the books until today, or whenever this contract becomes official. Even after accounting for Rodriguez's initial earnings, the Tigers still won't have $100 committed to next year's team just yet. There's room for future moves, and we'll see if Detroit's aggression inspires the White Sox to secure their own footing.
(Photo by Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports)
