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Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez used his no-trade clause to turn down a trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline, and he opened up about why he made that decision on Wednesday.
“I love the guys here, and I feel like they love me too,” Eduardo Rodriguez said, via Jason Beck of MLB.com. “I know we have a really good team and we have a really good future over here with the young guys. I want to be part of it and that's why I decided to stay here too.”
Rodriguez initially signed a five-year, $77 million contract with the Tigers. He has three years left on his contract, but he has an opt-out after the 2023 season. Given his comments about wanting to win with the Tigers and how well he has pitched, it will be interesting to see if he does exercise that opt-out after this season. It would certainly draw some criticism from Tigers fans if he does, given his comments regarding turning down the trade to the Dodgers.
The Tigers currently sit at 48-60 on the season, and are out of contention. They hope that their young core of players makes them competitive in the near future. Rodriguez claims he wants to be there to win with that core.
The American League Central is there for the taking in the long-term. No one is an established great team. If the Tigers' young core turns out to be good, they could stake their claim to the division.