The Yankees recently signed reliever Richard Rodríguez to a minor league contract, as first reported by Chris Hilburn-Trenkle of Baseball America. According to the right-hander’s transactions log at MLB.com, he’s been assigned to the club’s Florida complex.
Rodríguez, 32, isn’t all that far removed from being one of the game’s better late-inning arms. He broke onto the big league scene with 69 1/3 frames of 2.47 ERA ball for the Pirates in 2018, kicking off a generally excellent three and a half year run in black and gold. He soaked up another 65 1/3 innings with a 3.72 ERA the following season before seemingly taking his game to another level in 2020. Rodríguez posted a 2.70 ERA through 24 contests during the shortened campaign, pushing his strikeout rate to an excellent 36.6% while only walking 5.4% of opponents.
That strong work both earned Rodríguez a closing role in Pittsburgh and made him one of the rebuilding club’s more interesting trade chips. His strikeouts plummeted during the first half of last season, though. Even as he continued to excel keeping runs off the board, the diminished swing-and-miss took its toll on his trade value. The Bucs flipped him to the Braves at last year’s deadline for Bryse Wilson and 2019 eighth-round pick Ricky DeVito.
Rodríguez made 27 appearances with Atlanta but only struck out nine batters in 26 innings. He allowed six home runs over that stretch and was a healthy scratch throughout the team’s World Series run. The Braves declined to tender him a contract at the end of the year, and Rodríguez hit free agency.
While he seemed a solid candidate for a buy-low big league deal, he lingered on the market until after the lockout. The reason became evident shortly after league business resumed, as he was hit in April with an 80-game suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. The suspension was announced just before Opening Day but was the result of a failed test from before the December 2 lockout.
Now that the ban is up, he’ll have to pitch his way back to the big leagues. He’ll presumably spend some time at the complex building into game shape before reporting to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The Yankees could eventually turn to Rodríguez as a late-season bullpen option, but he won’t be eligible for postseason play in 2022 as a result of his suspension. He has four-plus years of big league service time and won’t have enough time this season to eclipse the five-year threshold, so he’d be controllable through 2024 if he earns an MLB look and impresses club brass.
Definitely worth a shot. Let’s see if the Yankees pitching coaches can work their magic again.
As long as he’s allowed to use spider tack again good pickup…
Bulk order — dip into Cole’s locker.
Save the hair
I was fined for (P) ED use at home, but we all need a second chance, It was hard to comply, but I made it, so can Rodriguez
Teach him the split. s1ave the roogy.
So do you not have to be on a 40 man roster to serve a MLB suspension now?
Seems reasonable. What team is going to sign a fringe player who is under a 80 game suspension? Also, doesn’t that PED suspension disqualify him from the post season?
Oh assuredly, I like the change. I just d
hadn’t know beforehand this change was made.
He is disqualified from the postseason, but it appears he has served his 80-game suspension. He’s a depth option who the Yankees will see if they can teach a new trick. He likely never pitches for the big league team.
80 games have passed
Has no movement. Big disappointment with Braves. Straight as an arrow over CF wall.
When the crackdown on the sticky stuff happened, his magic was gone….
Flyball pitcher who was in the <5% of pitchers in exit velocity and lost ~350 RPM off his fastball after they started to check for sticky substances in Yankee Stadium.
What could go wrong?
He was left off the postseason roster for the Braves, which made me wonder if he tested positive before the playoffs, and the test/suspension was under appeal until it was announced.
Or cause he just sucked second half
Pretty nice low risk pickup for a really good team.
Wow, maybe Cashman really is trying to shave every beard in MLB.
Yanks were going to sign Pamela Lee Anderson, but shaving was a deal breaker…
Baneulos, Weber, Abreau and McKay 3 ER in 20.2 IP. That’s some next level dumpster diving.
Seeing that he’s a former Buc, I expect him to get called up and tear it up for the Yanks
How is the ban up if he wasn’t under any contract?????? That’s ridiculous. Sign a contract, then sit your arse for 80 games. What a racket. MLB is joke when it comes to PED’s.
So basically, HE WAS NEVER SUSOENDED!!!!!
Yes, because teams are going to line up so sign a guy who woln’t be able to play…
He was suspended in that no team would sign him, he sat out the first half of 2022, he made no money and he accrued no service time. He served his time.
you do realize that either way he didn’t get paid for the 80 day suspension? in fact, this way he missed way more than the 80 day suspension would have.
I stand by my statement that he was never suspended. You can’t be suspended from a job you don’t have.
He was suspended by League from playing in that league for 80 games. Otherwise, no team is going to sign a fringe player then wait half a season, too risky.
You can’t be suspended if you are not under a contract to be suspended from. In essence he was banned.
He’s still an employee under Major League Baseball, regardless if he is on a team or not.
whyhayzee only has his drawers in a knot because it’s the Yankees who made the signing. Any other team and he wouldn’t have said anything.
Dang it Joe says…
You’re on to me.
I’d expect nothing less. It’s what you do and your purpose.
Go easy on whyhayzee. He’s still in mourning over Robinson Cano.
How is he an employee if he’s not under contract?
Great move by the Yankees
No risk signing with a big upside. I like it
Regrets, I’ve had a few, per old blue eyes, now Cashman.
Pedro Severino is catching for the Brewers after having been busted for PEDs in April of this year. He’ll still bank over a million bucks after the loss of salary.
Ramon Laureano was busted in August of last year and forfeited only $249,680 during his 80-game suspension. Now he’s banking $2,450,000 playing in the outfield for the A’s.
Frankie Montas was busted in June 2019, and until his recent shoulder inflammation teams were salivating at the chance of trading for him. He forfeited $240,880 during his suspension. This year he’s banking $5,025,000.
I’m not crazy about signing Rodriguez to a minor-league deal, but if that’s the way the league rolls when it comes to other offenders, I find it hard to be the hanging judge in Rodriguez’s case when these other guys are making major league money and two of them have been touted as potentially great pickups at the trade deadline.
Let it be known that Hicks has his average up to .234 after going 2-4 tonight, and without his home run the Yanks wouldn’t have taken a lead into the ninth. Positive signs.
Donaldson, too, has had a very good couple of days at the plate.
Nice to eke out a win at Fenway with Judge and Rizzo on the bench.
Fink,
We’re on the same page as usual. Hicks can help the Yankees in the second half. Good outfielder and base runner and a switch hitter. He can also play all 3 outfield spots. Hope Donaldson is on his way back offensively, Gallo continues to make no sense on this roster!
I’d love for Gallo to make Cashman look like a genius by going on a home run tear, but time’s running out.
‘BOSTON — If there’s one thing to know about Josh Winckowski, it’s that he’s not easy to impress.
‘He didn’t seem to think too highly of the Yankees’ offense after it pounded him for six runs in five innings as the Yankees won, 6-5, at Fenway Park on Thursday night.
‘“I think (Anthony) Rizzo and (Aaron) Judge lengthen their lineup,” Winckowski told reporters. “I’m not going to say the guys they had in there (Thursday) are bad, by any means, but it felt like another big-league lineup, to be honest.”’
So, what you’re saying is, any big-league lineup could touch you up for six earned runs in five innings, and it would’ve gone worse for you if Rizzo and Judge had been in the lineup? And you’re, what — bragging about that?
Whatever helps him sleep at night I guess. LOL
I wonder if Foreign Substance Man was “impressed” with Devers. Honestly, who cares?
Can you go troll elsewhere? You’re like the unfunny stand-up comic who has ran out material now telling knock-knock jokes to an empty room in someone’s basement.
I think he was only reaching for things to comment about in front of the cameras. Some are better than others.