The Detroit Tigers are at a vital point in the franchise's history, where they now need to decide what they want to do long-term, as it seems their rebuild is going well and is nearing its completion. But now they have some new financial decisions they must make.
President of baseball operations Scott Harris told the media on Monday he doesn't plan on negotiating a contract extension for starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez, per Evan Woodbery of MLive.com. It seems likely he will opt out of the remaining three-year contract with $49 million in hopes of receiving a much more lucrative contract.
The Tigers attempted to trade Rodriguez to the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 2023 trade deadline, but he decided to block that move by invoking his no-trade clause, causing him to rot away for the rest of the season in Detroit. His reasoning for not accepting the trade was that he didn't want to relocate.
Harris has more or less called out Rodriguez saying, "We don't have a decision to make as an organization. It is their decision given the way that their contract is structured."
MLB Rumors: Tigers have no interest in Eduardo Rodriguez contract extension after aborted trade at the deadline
Rodriguez and his manager agreed he would not get traded to the Dodgers at the MLB trade deadline.
"I negotiated a no-trade clause in his contract for a reason," Rodriguez's manager Gene Mato said after the backlash, "With all of the money, glamour, and fame that comes with being a professional athlete, there is a very difficult, personal side. Many players' wives and their children suffer a lot of instability in their lives, especially when their spouses get traded. I do not take that lightly.
"Eduardo is one of the best left-handed starting pitchers in baseball, but he is also a human being who wants stability for his family. They are comfortable living in the Detroit area and have adjusted well."
It's clear that Rodriguez wants a new contract, and his manager would love that, but it doesn't seem the Tigers want to negotiate a new contract with him despite his amazing 2023 season. The future is unknown, but the Tigers can afford it after the retirement of Miguel Cabrera since it cleared up more than enough for a long-term extension.
