The Detroit Tigers had studied Eduardo Rodriguez’s track record as a pitcher, but general manager Al Avila and manager A.J. Hinch didn’t get to know him on a personal level until they sat down for dinner one night in Miami.
It was not long after the end of the World Series and there had yet to be a major free-agent signing in all of baseball.
But the Tigers left convinced that they were ready to make Rodriguez the first.
“You start to learn a little bit more about the person and what makes him tick,” Hinch said of the meeting. “We weren’t (leaving) that restaurant without landing him.”
The Tigers signed Rodriguez to a five-year, $77 million contract that includes a player opt-out after the second year. The 28-year-old native of Venezuela was formally introduced to the media on Monday afternoon at Comerica Park.
With his wife, two children and niece in the audience, Rodriguez pronounced it one of the happiest days of his life.
“I’m excited to be part of this club, to be part of this organization. They’re hungry to win more championships. That’s what I want to be a part of,” Rodriguez said. “I feel like this is one of the best days of my life just to have this kind of contract and have this welcome.”
Tigers owner Christopher Ilitch said Rodriguez’s signing was a “tremendous step forward.”
“This is going to continue the momentum that Al and A.J., our coaching staff and all our players have going,” Ilitch said.
Rodriguez, who has spent the last seven seasons with the Boston Red Sox, is familiar with Comerica Park and knows at least some of his new teammates, including fellow Venezuelan Miguel Cabrera.
He said he’s already chatted with Cabrera about Detroit and the Tigers.
“It’s going to be fun (to play with him). I will say that,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez will join a rotation that includes youngsters Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal and perhaps Matt Manning.
“Eduardo is a huge addition to our rotation,” Hinch said. “It’s because he’s a winner. When he goes out to pitch, he gives his team a chance to win and that’s what you ask every five days. You look at his track record, his pure stuff, his competitiveness, his durability, his ability to miss bats, his soft contact on the ground. There’s nothing not to like about him.”
Rodriguez set career highs in strikeout rate (10.6 per nine innings) while posting a career-low walk rate (2.7) in 157 2/3 innings for the Red Sox in 2021. With the exception of the 2020 COVID-affected season, he’s started at least 20 games every year for the Red Sox.
“If he wants to be vocal, be vocal. If he wants to be quiet, be quiet,” Hinch said. “But take that ball every five days and give us as much as you can as long as you can and give us a chance to win. So he doesn’t have to do anything more than what he’s done up to this point.”
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