Fans predict 2024 landing spots for Eduardo Rodriguez as Tigers LHP opts out of club's contract: "To the Angels he goes"

By Karan Tyagi

Modified Nov 04, 2023 22:42 GMT

Eduardo Rodriguez will become a free agent this offseason

Detroit Tigers LHP Eduardo Rodriguez has decided to opt out of his club contract and hit free agency this offseason. Rodriguez signed a five-year, $77 million contract with the Tigers prior to the 2022 season; he had three years and $49 million left on it.

MLB fans are predicting the possible landing spots for the Tigers starting pitcher, who seeks a new ballclub to play for in the 2024 season.

As of next Tuesday, Rodriguez is a free agent and can sign with any team. Having already accepted a qualifying offer from the Red Sox prior to signing with the Tigers two years ago, he is not eligible to receive any more. If he signs elsewhere, the Tigers will not be compensated with a draft selection.

Eduardo Rodriguez will have plenty of suitors in the offseason

At the August trade deadline, eight-year MLB veteran Eduardo Rodriguez was among the top players available, but he used his no-move clause to deny a deal Detroit had made with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Rodriguez spent his first six years of professional life in Boston and was a 2018 World Series champion with the Red Sox. Between his stints with Detroit and Boston, he has pitched in 1100.1 innings total and has a 4.03 ERA.

But Rodriguez might find that geography serves as a little bit of a constraint. According to reports, Eduardo vetoed the deal with the Dodgers to remain near his family on the East Coast. As a result, it seems unlikely that he would sign a longer contract with a team in the western United States if he wasn't willing to travel west for the rest of the 2023 season.

About the author

Karan has been a baseball sports betting expert, analyst and content strategist at Sportskeeda since 2022. He holds a Master's degree in Sports Management from Virginia Commonwealth University, and worked with the VCU Rams baseball team as a trackman analyst. He started following the sport at 18, watching postseason on television.

Karan is a fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers owing to their successful history in the sport, and their consistent performances at the highest level. He admires Mookie Betts’ on-field defensive and offensive prowess, along with his off-field charitable exploits, while Bruce Bochy is his favorite coach.

The Mets’ miraculous rally from a two-run deficit in the 1986 World Series Game 6 in the bottom of the 10th inning despite being two outs and two strikes down is his all-time favorite baseball moment.

Karan’s strengths are player profiling and technical deep dives, for which he always refers to reliable sources such as the social media handles of the best MLB analysts.

When not strategizing, he likes to read, listen to music, go for a run, and watch sit-coms.

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