Twins closer Fernando Rodney is one of several relievers the Red Sox are considering as trade targets, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reports (Twitter link). Rodney is a known commodity to Boston president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, Crasnick notes, from their time together when Dombrowski was the Tigers’ general manager.
With the Twins out of contention and reportedly open to becoming deadline sellers, Rodney stands out as one of the most obvious trade chips on Minnesota’s roster. The 16-year veteran has posted a 2.97 ERA, 10.1 K/9, and a 3.09 K/BB rate over 30 1/3 IP, earning 18 saves along the way. ERA predictors like FIP (3.44), xFIP (3.77) and SIERA (3.34) are a bit less impressed by Rodney’s performance, and he is posting his lowest grounder rate (43.4%) in the last ten seasons, though his overall numbers are still quite sound, particularly for a pitcher who celebrated his 41st birthday back in March.
Rodney isn’t exactly known for clean innings in high-pressure situations over his long career in the game, though with Craig Kimbrel locked into the closer’s role in Boston, the Sox would use Rodney as a setup option. Though Boston’s bullpen ranks within the top ten in most statistical categories, the team has still been looking to bolster its relief corps before the deadline, with the likes of Raisel Iglesias, Zach Britton, and several late-inning Marlins arms all linked to the Red Sox in trade rumors. The Sox also had interest in Kelvin Herrera before he was dealt to Washington.
Rodney would likely require a smaller price tag than any of these names, given his age and the fact that his contract is only guaranteed through this season; he is controllable through 2019 via a $4.25MM club option (with a $250K buyout). Rodney is only owed roughly $2.05MM for the remainder of the season, which could make him particularly attractive to a Red Sox team that is trying to stay under the maximum luxury tax threshold of $237MM.
He can’t be worse than Joe Kelly
What do you not like about Kelly? In April he gave up zero runs with a .132 BAA in over 11 innings, and in May he gave up just one run with a .109 BAA in over 14 innings. Yeah he’s sucked in June, but if we give up on every pitcher who has a bad month then there would be nobody left by the end of the season.
I like Kelly, but those stats are a little bit of cherry picking. “April” conveniently skips his getting killed on Opening Day in March and his June problems aren’t over yet. I was at the Nats game where Porcello was using a 90mph fastball to make Harper look terrible (he’s been totally lost at the plate lately) and then Kelly served up a high speed meatball that made him look like Babe Ruth. It was the loudest homerun I have ever heard — line drive half way up into the upper deck.
Whatever’s been wrong with Kelly isn’t fix d yet.
Kelly is the closer next year
No he is not.
Kelly along with Kimbrel is a free agent.
Sadly, if they don’t sign a free agent or re-sign Kimbrel, their closer may be Thornburg.
No Greg Kimbrel is coming back I herd
From rumors
True
Yes he can. I love Rodney because his perseverance is off the charts. He is not for the faint of heart tho. Cant even imagine him going vs Yanks line up. He’d sweating while loading the bases with a 4 run lead, only to get the final out after causing 7 heart attacks in the crowd.
Rodzilla!
Ugh. He’s entertaining, but it sure would be nice to have even one reliever who didn’t give you heartburn. Even Kimbrel has been making it too exciting, too often this year. He’s still getting the job done, but it’s not like last year where the drama felt like seeing whether he’d strike out one, two, or three guys every time he came in.
I guess this is who you can trade for when the only guy having a good season in the minors already went for Pearce (not complaining about that deal at all). It would be a little different if DD had been able to keep some of those secondary pieces from all the big deals he’s made the last few years, like Dubon or the good Basabe brother.
Sox have the 3rd-best bullpen in the league, it’s not a big concern especially if Thornburg can get anywhere near what he was prior to the trade. The much bigger concern is David Price in big games, especially against the Yankees. Not much can be done about that except hope he gets his head straight. Lineup depth is also a concern, but I don’t think Devers or JBJ is going anywhere.
I’m worried about Price too, but it doesn’t look like there’s a solution to that problem.
I don’t think things like overall bullpen ERA matter much in the playoffs. During the year, it’s about depth and spreading the innings around. In the playoffs, it’s about concentrating innings on your 3 or 4 best guys. I don’t know if a single Sox reliever other than Kimbrel could crack the Yankees’ playoff pen right now.
We’ve got better starters, but the Yankees have the prospects and finances to get a top tier starter to replace Sonny Gray (their version of Price), and we don’t seem to have the ability to similarly close the gap between the bullpens. That’s what worries me.
Maybe Price back to the pen for the playoffs solves both problems?
Price would never go back to being a reliever-only in the postseason, and even if he did he’d still likely have to face the Yankees.
Barnes could probably crack the NYY pen, but yeah there’s no debating their pen is much better than Boston’s. Kimbrel is going to demand like $75M this winter, and the Sox just may have to pay it because they don’t have other options.
If the Yanks are going to win the division, they’ll need at least two more starting pitchers to do it. German and Gray cannot be relied upon, and we have no idea if Tanaka and Sabathia can maintain their health for the duration.
Just think of all the players the Sox have traded for relievers such as Carson Smith, Thornburg, Addison Reed, and Fernando Abad. The combined return thus far has been atrocious.
I’d put Price in the pen now.
If the Red Sox had a #5 that was performing you could consider Price as a potential bullet in the bullpen in October. As it stands he should be in your 4-man along with Sale, Porcello and Rodriguez. Unless someone gets hot the next 2+ months, Price has to start in the postseason.
Price should be in the pen. The best way to get rid of him is tell him he will be the closer next year. See how fast he opts out of the stupid contract and frees up that money.
Rodzilla!
If you do it Red Sox, don’t use him in anything resembling a high leverage situation. He’s not mentally strong enough for big markets or high leverage situations.
Can you back that up with data? If anything I think he’s the opposite – aloof of his surroundings. This guy has more lives than a cat.
His postseason ERA is 4.97 in 13 games (12.2 IP). He currently leads the majors with 5 blown saves; his save percentage is 78% (by comparison, Craig Kimbrel is 93% and Aroldis Chapman sits at 96).
Perhaps more importantly where it relates to him pitching for the Red Sox, in 35.1 IP against the Yankees, he has a 4.08 ERA.
Rodzilla!
I think you can argue he’s only played in one big market, and he was amazing in Chicago. Mind you it was only a few appearances, but that statement doesn’t make a lot of sense
This guy is 41 years old. As a Yankee fan, I hope you trade for him, Red Sox nation. I anticipate much shelling moving from AL Central to AL East.
Yes cause the Orioles Jays and Rays have such powerhouse offenses…. lol
He has a 2.97 ERA. He’s sure been shelled this year…
Rodney this year has a .364 BAA vs Baltimore, a .667 BAA vs NYY and a 9.00 ERA vs Tampa: He failed to record an out against NYY while giving up 2 hits including a 3-run homer. No Sox fan would feel comfortable with him facing the Yankees, and the Sox have between 10-17 more games against them.
10
Those are all incredibly small sample sizes
Relievers usually have sample sizes during a season.
Exactly, they’re not really worth looking into.
You will shell him in the post-season. Rodzilla!
pls no
That’s Great News!
Bill Campbell and Dick Raddaz are next…….
Guapo looked good in the Old Timer’s Game.
I’m so thick
Exercise and a low carb diet will help you take off the pounds.
I’m a big Sox fan and they definitely could use another bullpen arm. But I really don’t think Rodney’s the guy for that spot. He really isn’t better than Kelly or Barnes (Neither of which are all that great themselves) but stockpiling decent arms vs getting an actual shut down RP is quite a different thing. The Sox don’t need more ‘decent’ relievers… they need one more shut down reliever (to pair with Kimbrel) I think Iglesias would be a perfect fit – but also realize the cost is going to be much greater to acquire. But I just don’t really see Rodney having much value to the Sox – they essentially already have a couple of Rodney’s in the pen at the moment.
I’m with you, the Yankees are in the same boat with the rotation. I don’t think either team needs more “decent” pitching. They need impact arms: Yankees need it in the rotation, Sox in the bullpen. A difference maker.
Rodney is not it, just as I don’t believe Cole Hamels is it for the Yankees.
This would be a very very bad decision for DD…. guy for lack of a better word “Sucks”… bigtime.. the original lack of respect Mr Sideways Hat! Hope this is total BS here!
You lose all accountability when you say he’s disrespectful for wearing a hat sideways. Go yell at some clouds
I think you meant he’d lose all credibility, but yeah I agree.
Lol yeah, just came back to correct that
Well I’ll go yell at clouds JD but please do “ go pound sand”!
You want me to “pound sand” because I don’t get upset by how someone wears a hat?
He wears his hat like that as an homage to his father who was a fisherman, who angled his hat to block the sun.
I hate that hat.
Rodzilla!
Glad this is just a rumor.
Please no. Just no. Rodney is not the bullpen help the Sox need…
But he is the help they deserve
“The Fernando Rodney Experience” – from his time in Seattle.
I’m not sure about Rodney he has always walked a lot of guys and always been an E ticket ride. He is having quietly a good year but in the pressure cooker of the AL East he just might implode. The Red Sox have Barnes who has been better then Rodney this year and I still worry every time Barnes comes in Rodney just seems more of the same. The Red Sox bullpen is pretty solid really from top to bottom just going to be some cardiac moments.
for fantasy purposes, who do you guys see closing for twins if rodney gets moved?
Addison Reed
At the beginning of the year, I would have thought that Reed would have replaced Rodney by now; but Reed hasn’t been very good, and Rodney has been after the first month. Just don’t put Rodney in to a one-run lead situation.
Like today verse Baltimore. We were up by two runs, and Rodney gave up one and came close to giving up the second as well. But he got the save. He’s still has good stuff.
Twins might use Pressly for closer if Rodney departs. Possibly even Hildenberger. Or, with the season lost, they could call up Curtiss and let him try it.
I would think they’d go to Pressly.
I think Rodney is a decent pitcher. That said, I’d be terrified of having him pitch games in the postseason.
Rodzilla!
Oh hell!!!!! No !!!!
Not that loser!!!
Bad fit for the clubhouse
Oh no. He sucks. All show
BoSox need a LH from the pen, I’m not sure Fernando Rodney is an upgrade.
adding depth like an extra arm is a bonus. this Sox team can win as is as long as they stay healthy. Yes, the Yankees and Houston will be challenging but no one expects it to be easy.
The Fernando Rodney experience is tough to stomach many nights but he tends to get outs more often than not and his cost is going to be cheap with zero risk or lengthy investment attached so i don’t think it is unwise to acquire him
The Sox should be thinking Happ or Hamels.
Get the price up –get one of them and move
Price to the pen now. They have enough talent to get either guy.
Who knows it may concern Price to the point he decides to opt out if it’s
not too late.
Ohhh, I like this!
Price hasn’t pitched like an ace, but his ERA against everyone not named the Yankees is 3.34. And you want to put him in the pen and add a guy who just today couldn’t get out of the third inning against the Yankees, giving up 6 earned runs?
Yea agreed. Plus the Sox don’t have the pieces to make either trade anyways. Sox fans forget how awful and depleted their farm is