Though the Atlanta Braves might've been more heavily in pursuit of Aaron Nola in the early stages of free agency than the Boston Red Sox were, the Phillies right-hander who re-signed in Philadelphia was a likely target for both franchises.
Free agency, however, is not about licking wounds when you miss on a target. Instead, it's about pivoting to Plan B (or C, or D, and so on) until you are able to address roster needs. For the Braves and Red Sox, those pivots might seem obvious.
In the case of Atlanta, they have long been connected to veteran right-hander Sonny Gray, which would make him the obvious Plan B. It's less obvious than for the Braves, but the Red Sox could turn their sights to the likes of Jordan Montgomery, Blake Snell or Yoshinobu Yamamoto to really go star hunting in order to fortify the rotation.
But what if there's an equally obvious option for both clubs to pursue to upgrade their starting pitching? What about Eduardo Rodriguez?
MLB Rumors: Eduardo Rodriguez an easy fit, Nola Plan B for Braves, Red Sox
Rodriguez opted-out of his deal with the Tigers this offseason after vetoing a trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the deadline. But it's worth noting that he was rumored to be on the Braves' trade radar at the deadline as well, though no deal materialized. Meanwhile, we know that Boston is familiar with him as he spent the early starges of his career with the Red Sox. After reaching his potential in Detroit, a reunion would make sense for both parties.
E-Rod was solid for the Tigers while limited to 17 starts in the 2022 season, posting a 4.05 ERA witha. 1.33 WHIP. But he turned it up a notch this past year with a career-best season over 26 starts, finishing the year with a 3.30 ERA and 1.153 WHIP. The southpaw was able to realize what Red Sox fans long hoped he would be able to put together in Boston, but never quite got over the hump.
The starting pitching market in 2023-24 free agency is lucrative, especially with Nola having come off of the board. That means players such as Montgomery, Yamamoto, Snell and others are going to get top-dollar on the open market. Rodriguez, though highly effective, might find himself in a slightly more manageable tax bracket, which should be music to the Braves' and Red Sox's ears as the two organizations posture for multiple moves.
This isn't to say Eduardo Rodriguez is certain to end up in Atlanta or Boston. There are sure to be several interested parties. But looking at two teams who figured to be in on Nola missing out looking for a suitable pivot, E-Rod seems to check the right boxes to be that guy.