The Detroit Tigers have fielded tons of calls from interested teams surrounding their best pitchers recently. Ace Eduardo Rodriguez was one of them, and almost ended up playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers before he shot down a trade.
The Tigers pitcher also sent a heartfelt message to Dodgers star Mookie Betts about his decision to stay in Motown.
Now, Rodriguez's agent, Gene Mato, a longtime Tigers supporter, has released a statement further detailing Rodriguez's decision to veto the trade. It had a lot to do with Rodriguez's family as well as the city of Detroit and his client's life in the city, he said.
Statement from Mato Sports Management pic.twitter.com/FoClZJPnh7
— gene mato (@genemato) August 3, 2023
The Tigers defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates by a score of 6-3 on Wednesday, showing off the team's new attitude since the trade of another one of its top pitchers, Michael Lorenzen.
Matt Vierling and Zack Short led Detroit with two hits each, while Rodriguez pitched six innings, giving up just two earned runs and striking out two. He also gave up seven hits, suggesting he may need to tighten things up before his next start.
The Tigers' trade of Lorenzen to the Phillies left a hole in the pitching rotation the team hopes it can fill with its current roster. Detroit received minor league prospect Hao-Yu Lee in the deal, suggesting that the Tigers are hoping to build for the future even as they remain in striking distance of a playoff spot in a weak AL Central Division.
Lee, a second baseman, was the number five prospect in the Phillies organization. With Rodriguez still in the fold, Detroit has the talent to make things interesting for the rest of this season. Time will tell if contention is in the cards, but for now, Rodriguez and his agent, along with Rodriguez's family, appear content to stay in Motown.