Eduardo Rodriguez said Tuesday that his future with the Tigers "is not in my control." He was referring to the next two weeks. Beyond that, it's entirely in his control.
"If my future is in somebody else's hands," Rodriguez told reporters in Kansas City before the Tigers' 11-10 loss to the Royals, "then it's in somebody else's hands."
It's in the hands of Scott Harris leading up to the Aug. 1 trade deadline. With his 2.70 ERA this season, Rodriguez is one of the most valuable arms on the trade block. In the short view, Harris could hold onto him to help Detroit make a push in the weak AL Central. In the long view, and likely the prudent one, he could deal Rodriguez to a contender to add another young bat or two to the Tigers' organization.
“The only thing I can do is go out and pitch," said Rodriguez, who does have a 10-team no-trade clause. "Just go out every five days and do my best to help the team win. I’m right here. I signed the contract with the Tigers to stay here and play here. Right now, I am here.”
Rodriguez's future is in his own hands this offseason. He has an opt-out clause in the five-year, $77 million contract he signed with the Tigers in 2021, and he'll almost surely exercise it to return to free agency. If he continues to pitch the way he has, the 30-year-old lefty could secure the rest of his prime and double the $49 million he's scheduled to make over his final three years in Detroit.
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"I feel like I already signed for a lot of money," Rodriguez said. "I feel like I have a really good contract and I feel like I can take care of my family for the rest of my life with the money I'm already making."
Of course, Rodriguez has every right to make more. He has pitched himself into a position of leverage. He'd be wise to use it while he has it. You never know what lurks around the corner in baseball -- injuries, regression, hidden hurdles that could drain your arm of value. Indeed, Rodriguez nearly saw his entire season derailed a couple months ago by a ruptured pulley in his left index finger.
In the same way that Harris figures to cash in his biggest trade chip at the deadline, Rodriguez stands to cash in on his own gain this offseason.
"I signed here for five years," he said. "If that's part of the contract, it's part of the contract. But right now, I really enjoy pitching here and I really enjoy all of my teammates."
We'll see if he has new ones come August. For now, Rodriguez is slated to make three more starts for Detroit before the deadline, starting Wednesday night in Kansas City.
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