Eduardo Rodriguez

[Pickles]

I know we all can't (nor should we) be Sports Guy, but there has been talk of whom one might target from outside the organization in this upcoming offseason.  I think it makes for a good thread, as it is specific enough to avoid much of the more general critiques that seem to preoccupy so much space on this board.  So I am inclined to throw my hat in the ring.

Let me preface it by saying I am still pretty calm regarding the rebuild.  I am not surprised by the breadth and depth of it.  Next year I expect to see the first real improvements from the 108 loss team that was here in 2018.  But not enough to be competitive, or even respectable.  But again, that is no surprise.

That said, I understand the growing angst.  This team is pathetic, and it hasn't improved in three years.  Mostly by design, but still, it is painful.  I concede it very well may be wise to spend some resources- though it may be less than ideal- on improving the major league roster- if only for everyone's sanity.

To that end, it is unlikely that we could really catch one of the "big fish."  It probably isn't even wise.  (I am less inclined to trade prospects now.  Any of them, really.  Unless you have a Crystal Ball.)  We should be looking mid-market.  (And we will have to overpay in all likelihood, yet another reason to avoid the top of the market.)  Further, the single best thing we could do to improve this team is to bolster the starting rotation.  All runs are indeed created equal, but when you are replacing Jorge Mateo instead of Dean Kremer, it is not as beneficial.  Pythagoras be damned. 

So, with the criteria above in mind, let me suggest an old friend: Eduardo Rodriguez.

He's had a fine career so far.  Next year he'll be 29.  I suspect the Sox are going to let him go, or they would have signed him to an extension by now.  His era is up a bit this year, but his peripherals are as good, or better, than ever.

What kind of contract do you think he gets?  What kind of contract does it take to get him here?

 

[Sports Guy]

Very good suggestion imo.  FIP is way better than his ERA.  K rate and Bb rate is strong..misses bats at a good rate.  Strike% isn’t great.

358 BABiP says he has been unlucky as well.

Whats the risk of myocarditis re-occurring?  
 

 

[Pickles]

20 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Very good suggestion imo.  FIP is way better than his ERA.  K rate and Bb rate is strong..misses bats at a good rate.  Strike% isn’t great.

358 BABiP says he has been unlucky as well.

Whats the risk of myocarditis re-occurring?  
 

 

Has he been vaxxed?  (Runs from room, cowering.  LOL. Just a joke.  No need to go down that route.)

He did not pitch last year- I see he opted out due to his myocarditis.  TBH, that is a risk I had not considered.

Let's say operating off the idea that he is good to go from here forward- with no more risk than the avg pitcher with his profile- what kind of contract does he get?

He's a steal at 4/48.  Is 5/75 enough to get him here?  Does that even make sense for the O's?

[Philip]

I had not thought of ERod And I had no idea he was as young as he is, but I think that’s an excellent idea, although that would give us three lefties. However, if we’re considering former Orioles, Gausman Will certainly be too expensive, but how about Zach Davies? He’s on a one-year $8 million contract right now and he’s not earning it, but he’s only 28.

His peripherals actually aren’t very good, he has a 44% ground ball rate and gives up a little over one home run per nine innings, and that includes his time in San Diego. However he won’t be expensive, and he certainly has a worthwhile track record.

[Aristotelian]

He would be on my list of targets for 4/$50.

[Legend_Of_Joey]

The problem with free agent guesses for next season is simply this: What are they willing to spend? While we can throw around numbers and also know that there isn’t much on the books for next season, we simply don’t know if Elias and ownership can, will, or even want, to spend anything above the bare minimum.

[luismatos4prez]

14 minutes ago, Legend_Of_Joey said:

The problem with free agent guesses for next season is simply this: What are they willing to spend? While we can throw around numbers and also know that there isn’t much on the books for next season, we simply don’t know if Elias and ownership can, will, or even want, to spend anything above the bare minimum.

Exactly. I'd give ERod 5/75 easily. I'd love to sign Correa or Simmons or trade for Chapman or Glasnow.

But it's hard to get into playing armchair GM when I suspect this offseason will look a lot like last year when Matt Harvey, King Felix, and Maikel Franco were the biggest ML moves.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

2 minutes ago, luismatos4prez said:

Exactly. I'd give ERod 5/75 easily. I'd love to sign Correa or Simmons or trade for Chapman or Glasnow.

But it's hard to get into playing armchair GM when I suspect this offseason will look a lot like last year when Matt Harvey, King Felix, and Maikel Franco were the biggest ML moves.

[Pickles]

40 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

He would be on my list of targets for 4/$50.

This is where I put the price tag.

But I don't think it's enough to get him here.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

2 minutes ago, Pickles said:

This is where I put the price tag.

But I don't think it's enough to get him here.

I’d say 4/$50M is fair, but for the Orioles to get Eduardo it probably has to be closer to 4/$60M.  

[Pickles]

1 minute ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

I’d say 4/$50M is fair, but for the Orioles to get Eduardo it probably has to be closer to 4/$60M.  

I think it's more like add another year ~ 5/70.

[Sports Guy]

4 hours ago, Philip said:

I had not thought of ERod And I had no idea he was as young as he is, but I think that’s an excellent idea, although that would give us three lefties. However, if we’re considering former Orioles, Gausman Will certainly be too expensive, but how about Zach Davies? He’s on a one-year $8 million contract right now and he’s not earning it, but he’s only 28.

His peripherals actually aren’t very good, he has a 44% ground ball rate and gives up a little over one home run per nine innings, and that includes his time in San Diego. However he won’t be expensive, and he certainly has a worthwhile track record.

He never played for the Padres.

[Sports Guy]

I would be hesitant to give him 5 years.  If his ERA stays high, his price tag should stay low too.

Besides 2019, he has never really pitched a lot of innings.  He has made at least 20 starts per year in his career but his IP have normally been below 140.  2019 he was over 200 And he probably approaches 150 or so this year. 

4 years at 12-15 M a year sounds about right to me.  The question is, will everyone going after him being around there?  Or will those teams be offering 2-3 year deals?  
 

If multiple teams are at 4 years, figure we have to go 5 unless ERod has some affinity for the organization that gave him a chance and just wants to come to back here.

 I would have to know more about myocarditis and the chances it comes back and could cause an issue before going 4 years though.  The Os, of course, would know that pretty easily, so if they were comfortable with it, that would be good enough for me.

[O's84]

6 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

He never played for the Padres.

For most of his career he played for the Brewers.  But he did play for the Padres for one season in 2020.

[Ruzious]

He's gotten hit a lot this year but it's been the BABIP - easily the highest of his career, and he's had the highest SO rate of his career and tied for the lowest walk rate of his career.  This makes up for his poor ERA and ERA+.  He's no TOR, but he's a solid #3 starter.  I think folks are over-estimating what he's gonna get in free agency.