Eduardo Rodriguez takes the mound in Cleveland on Wednesday with a 1.81 ERA and trade winds starting to blow in his direction. The 30-year-old lefty has an opt-out in his contract after this season, which he's likely to exercise if he continues pitching well, and might be most valuable to Scott Harris and the Tigers as a trade chip this summer.
Should they sell now, while Rodriguez's stock is on the rise? Or should they wait in hopes of inciting a bidding war closer to the deadline, while risking that his numbers could decline?
"I think it's way too early to be moving someone like Eduardo Rodriguez," says Gator, "just because there's a report out there that the Cardinals could use some pitching help."
"If forced to make a decision now, I'm trading him," says Karsch. "If they come with a dynamite offer, I'd take it. The reality is, the Tigers are not winning the World Series this year."
"The best-case scenario," says Karsch, "is that the Tigers don't stay close enough to be tempted to try and win the division and Eduardo Rodriguez dominates right up until the trade deadline and then there's a legitimate bidding war where you're not getting somebody's prospect, you're getting somebody's young player that's already in the majors that they're willing to part with."
"I'd let this thing marinate a little bit," says Gator. "If you're looking to trade Eduardo Rodriguez, and I think the Tigers know that at some point they're going to trade him, then you're identifying players from all the other 28 teams (in addition to the Cardinals). You've gotta find something else."
Listen live to 97.1 The Ticket via:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Smart Speaker
