The Atlanta Braves need to keep their options open. With Max Fried and Kyle Wright out long-term, could a recent signee be the answer?
The Braves transferred Kyle Wright to the 60-day injured list, and with it added a new pitcher to the starting rotation mix. However, rather than calling up Mike Soroka, Dylan Dodd or Jared Shuster, Atlanta instead claimed Dereck Rodriguez off waivers.
Rodriguez is the son of Baseball Hall of Famer Pudge Rodriguez.
At 31 years old, Rodriguez doesn't have much starting experience since back in 2019, when he had a 5.64 ERA in 16 starts and 28 appearances. His rookie year went much smoother, as his ERA was sub-3 in 19 starts. Rodriguez will be optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett, where he'll get to compete side by side with the likes of Soroka and Shuster.
Braves Rumors: Is Dereck Rodriguez the answer?
As convenient as it would be for Atlanta to merely find a rotational replacement for Fried and Wright on waivers, that's unlikely to be the case. In baseball, one team's trash is rarely another's treasure. Fried could be out until July, with Wright's comeback likely coming in August. Until then, expect a steady dose Charlie Morton, Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder, while the Braves try to piece together the rest of the rotation with bullpen games and the occasional spot starts from the Triple-A starters already mentioned.
Rodriguez hasn't been at his peak in years, as he's struggled ever since his rookie campaign. He's spent the majority of the last two years bouncing around the Minnesota Twins organization, where he failed to leave much of a mark. MLB Trade Rumors Darragh McDonald summarized Rodriguez's latest body of work:
"Prior to getting called up to the big leagues this year, he had made seven appearances for the St. Paul Saints, tossing 19 1/3 innings with a 4.66 ERA while striking out 23.5% of batters faced against an 11.8% walk rate. In 94 2/3 innings at Triple-A last year, he had a 4.75 ERA, 22.7% strikeout rate and 7.9% walk rate."
If Rodriguez is to get the call for Atlanta, he'll have to pitch better than that. Alex Anthopoulos took a flyer for a reason.