Red Sox: Eduardo Rodriguez more than lived up to the expectations

Eduardo Rodriguez’s time with the Red Sox has come to an end

As I was getting my day started at work this morning my phone buzzed with an alert from the MLB app. I glanced down to see news that I, and I’m sure many others, wasn’t expecting. Red Sox southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez is making his way to the Motor City, and Boston is now down a lefty starter.

While I was initially bummed that I’d no longer get to E-Rod do what he does best with the Boston cap on his head, I’m glad that he received an offer that he more than earned. Granted, I can see why the Red Sox may have been hesitant to offer something in the realm of the 5-year/$77M that Detroit did, but that’s neither here nor there.

In the grand scheme of things, I’ll have far more fond memories of Eddie’s time in Boston than anything negative. To put things into perspective, the big southpaw was traded to the Red Sox for a few months of Andrew Miller. Eddie would go on to be a pivotal member of a world championship squad and follow that up by being the foundation of a starting rotation.

At the time of the trade, I’m sure nobody expected Rodriguez to become the workhorse that he would evolve into but as he makes his way to the Tigers, Ben Cherington is looking like a genius. Of course, I wish Chaim Bloom and the fellas could’ve figured out something that kept Eddie in town but at the end of the day, I’m glad to see him getting paid.

I think I won’t be alone when I say that what E-Rod did in 2019 was a sight to be seen. He went from a bottom of the rotation starter to the biggest dog in the yard in the blink of an eye. David Price, Nathan Eovaldi, and Chris Sale all had their injury woes in the follow-up season to the 2018 World Series win, and Eddie was the one to pick up the pieces.

So what exactly did he do in that year? I’ll tell ya, friends! His 2019 saw him go 19-6 on the year, losing out on a chance for a 20-win season in the final game of the campaign thanks to a Matt Barnes blown save. While I’ll never forgive Matty Backpacks for that there was so much more to the best year of E-Rod’s career than that.

He’d also nail down a 3.81 ERA, 3.86 FIP, a 1.328 WHIP in his MLB leading 34 starts. His 203.1 innings of work would also be the most work he’d put into a season in his professional career. Again, it’s a shame he and the Red Sox couldn’t figure things out but the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier reported that the two sides were never on the same page. Sadly, it was just a matter of time.

It’s been a while since I’ve made my way to Fenway Park thanks to COVID but the last game I got to see in person saw Eddie Aces pitch an absolute gem against the Orioles, his former club. That night saw him give what he had to in order to secure the win while Brock Holt and Rafael Devers went yard to lend a helping hand to the cause.

I’ll always be thankful for Eduardo’s time in Boston and I wish we could’ve seen him finish things out in a Red Sox uniform. At one point it felt like an extension was going to happen without a second thought but things just never materialized. It also shows that the Tigers are serious about fast-forwarding their rebuild by adding a world champion arm to their staff and he’s rightfully earned the right to be called their ace.

Just think about it, a prospect joining a club in the midst of a lost season to eventually become one of the best pitchers on the staff. This past season saw him struggle and thrive but at the end of the day, the numbers show he was far better than the results may lead you to believe. When I think about Eddie’s time in Boston, I’ll always smile. I hope he does the damn thing in Detroit and brings the Motor City some success in his time there.