Rangers right-hander Jake Odorizzi underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his shoulder and will miss the entire 2023 season, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
Needless to say, this is an awful development for both Odorizzi and the club. The Rangers went into the offseason looking to upgrade a rotation that posted a 4.63 ERA last year, which placed them 25th out of the 30 clubs in the league. They were also set to lose Martín Pérez, their most effective starter last year, to free agency. By the end of the offseason, they had re-signed Pérez, traded for Odorizzi and signed free agents Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and Andrew Heaney. Those five, along with incumbent Jon Gray, totally overhauled the rotation and allowed them to go into spring with six established big league starters.
Though that’s a strong group on paper, there were also injury concerns sprinkled throughout it, with Odorizzi being no exception. Though he made at least 28 starts in each season from 2014 to 2019, the last few years have seen a few health issues creep in. He only made four starts in 2020, going on the injured list due to an intercostal strain, chest contusion and right middle finger blister. In 2021, a right pronator muscle strain and right foot soreness each resulted in IL stints, limiting him to 104 2/3 innings. Last year, lower left leg discomfort kept him out of action about six weeks and he tallied just 106 1/3 innings.
Nonetheless, Odorizzi seemed like a solid pickup for the Rangers. Amid all those injuries, he still posted ERAs of 4.21 in 2021 and 4.40 last year. He also didn’t cost much, as Atlanta agreed to cover $10MM of his $12.5MM salary as part of the trade. The only piece the Rangers sent the other way was Kolby Allard, who had struggled to a 6.07 ERA in his big league career thus far.
Unfortunately, the Rangers will ultimately get nothing out of the deal, as Odorizzi will become a free agent after this lost season. He was slowed in camp by some arm fatigue and general manager Chris Young recently gave a vaguely ominous update that Odorizzi would likely be out “longer than shorter,” which was followed by the righty getting placed on the 60-day injured list for Opening Day. That ruled him out for the first couple of months of the season but this news now means he will miss his entire age-33 campaign.
Going into 2021, Odorizzi was signed by the Astros to a two-year, $23.5MM deal. That contract came with a $6.5MM player option for 2023 that had a $3.25MM buyout, though those two figures would jump to $12.5MM and $6.25MM if Odorizzi made 30 appearances over 2021 and 2022. He ended up making 46, easily pushing those numbers up. In August of last year, the Astros flipped Odorizzi to Atlanta for left-hander Will Smith. At season’s end, Odorizzi triggered that player option before getting flipped to Texas.
The Rangers still have that strong front five in deGrom, Eovaldi, Heaney, Pérez and Gray, but they will now proceed without their planned #6 starter. Right-hander Dane Dunning and left-hander Cole Ragans are probably the club’s top depth options now, though both are working in the big league bullpen in the early parts of this season.
That sucks for Jake. Hopefully he can come back at 100% in 2024.
Rangers should see if they can get him on a 1 year extension on the cheap.
Jah that stinks
For the best, would’ve just held back any pitching prospect that was ready. Never understood signing him, washed up to say the least.
They didn’t sign him, they traded Kolby Allard for him. At the time they hadn’t signed any of deGrom, Eovaldi or Heaney and Martin Perez hadn’t accepted the QO yet. In hindsight it may look like a bad acquisition (but then Allard has been sidelined by an oblique strain for the Braves) but at the time it was adding rotation depth
No big loss.
True that.
Never signed him. They traded for him
Tell me you know nothing about the Rangers moves without telling me. He definitely isn’t washed up. At the time it was a good pickup at the time and it ONLY cost them Allard who had already fallen out of favors with the Rangers. The FO had no clue they would land all 3 of Degrom, Eovaldi and Heaney. He has often been injured the last 3 years and still managed a 4.57 ERA and 1.29 Whip during that time. If he was healthy he would have been a steal. Hopefully, he makes a fully recovery.
He is pretty bad now. The era you mention is bad. Especially last year with offense down. IDC what his whip is unless it’s really good. It’s not a good whip anyway, just not awful. He can’t get out of the fourth or fifth inning anymore. Even when he’s good it’s usually 5+ innings 3 runs. Hes only good first time through lineup. Not even good just okay. His fastball was the only decent pitch with Atlanta (sometimes even tho I don’t see why). Houston had a quick leash on him
Have to agree, for someone that was labeled as consistently average, he seemed more like consistently bad for the Braves.
Seemingly, once out of every three starts he’d have a good one, but his other two would mitigate any promising feelings of him turning things around.
He was ultimately replaced by a rookie, and one that wasn’t heralded as any kind of top prospect. He was going to be moved to the bullpen again, if he wasn’t traded this offseason in Atlanta.
Honestly, other than for depth purposes and eating innings at a mildly, luke warm clip, the Rangers aren’t losing out on anything.
There is a very good reason Atlanta GAVE him away to only save a couple million dollars…
Even if it was a bad call you still gotta appreciate the Rangers newfound focus on starting pitching… that’s a huge step forward for a historically inept and overly offense-focused management.
I completely agree. It’s definitely at least a start in the right direction for the franchise.
They really just need to focus on developing more homegrown pitchers, or at least that should have already been their primary focus
Oh noooooooooo
D’oh!
Rocker49
A man is hurt and needs surgery. And it’s fir the best?
Are you for real? Seriously?
There are numerous species in the animal kingdom that abandon their young for the good of the clan or for the survival of the siblings. Injuries can be beneficial for a team. Man up
Sliderwitcheese
You’ve got no idea. You wouldn’t say that to me in a bar (if you’re old enough to drink that is).
You’re just hiding behind your keyboard. I’m thinking you were abandoned.
Say it to my face!!! lol…sounds like you’re the child in the room/bar. I concur, Man up sunshine.
braveshomer
Another keyboard tough guy. What’s the matter? Spill your chocolate milk?
Your GI Joe or Gi Jane broke?
YankeesFansLoveGarbage
Take a long look in the mirror. I’m guessing that’s painful for you but please do try.
You’re the one responding to someone you think is a loser.
And at no time have I picked a fight.
Post your local bars address, coward!
TradeRumors meetup and throw-down. Everyone’s invited.
I pick the music.
BJ
The Red Lion. Crown Passage London. 4 minutes walk from The Ritz.
I’ll buy the Guinness.
put it in the books
Yet another mindless nerd getting involved in something nothing to do with them.
And I did post my local bar address.
Braveshomer, I’ll hold your coat. I believe you can take him!
Am loving the hate. Laughing. .
It’s a good old fashioned Bro-down
Do you have gross crooked teeth? I bet you do
GmanGoonsMotherIsAWhore
Very original but wrong. My mother is dead.
GmanGoonsMotherIsAWhore
I do indeed.
Hahaha. I’ll put my money on GmanGoon then. People with gross crooked teeth go hard in fights. They don’t care if they are spitting tictacs (that look like they were dropped on the ground).
BeansforJesus
Brilliant. And I have lopsided ears, a broken nose and wear an eye patch. And my knuckles are tattooed with HOLD FAST
GmanGoonsMotherIsAWhore
Your intelligence just oozes out of your posts. I’m impressed. Please do keep going.
Free comedy.
And I love your grown up username change. I bet you’re an impressive human being.
GmanGoonsMotherIsAWhore
Not offended at all. Not in the slightest. My mother who died 3 weeks ago probably is though but despite your insult she would wish you well.
Ohhhh. Yes and please sort out the braces thing. I’d be very grateful.
GmanGoonsMotherIsAWhore
Ahh. Tbe penny drops.
Are they you the person that used to post as Marlins_Fan and similar usernames?
Nope, not me!
I would wish her well too! I bet she was proud of having an entire tool box for a son.
GmanGoonsMotherIsAWhore
Well. I hope she was proud of me. She died in my arms and if I believed she thought that, then that would be very nice indeed.
First rule about MLB Trade Rumors Fight Club… we don’t talk about MLB Trade Rumors Fight Club,
My dog died 15 years ago
GmanGoonsMotherIsAWhore
I’m sorry.
Get a room you two.
@BeansforJesus
Name the 5 tracks you’d select for the ‘knockdown’.
Right as the fight is about to start, queue up some Carly Rae Jepsen and please post to youtube.
Come to bed with us honey
I feel like at least 3/5 tracks have to be Tubthumping by Chumbawumba. Since it’s in London.
Take on Me to end the event.
Psssh. I’d squish a half-grapefruit in your face.
Then splash a mug of beer in your mug.
Maybe pool-cue your dome.
Tough guy. Psssh.
Sleeping out front doesn’t denote ‘an address’.
You’re right. Just take a look at any big city for proof that.
Can’t believe the Rangers signed him. He looked to be pitching through pain at the end of the 2022 season.
They traded nothing for him. To be in the mix with dunning and Otto and ragans to fill in when injuries arrived. He wasn’t signed at all, or planned to be made the 2 starter or something like that. Somewhere 6-9.
I like him, from near my hometown, but he’s just a guy at this point
I think they planned on him being a starter. Maybe the #4 or #5 but then scored a hat trick in the off season and signed Degrom, Evoladi and Heany to go along with Gray.
He exercised a 12.5M player option, as part of the deal the Astros gave him. The Braves traded him and $10M for Kolby Allard.
Getting 100 IP of 4.50 ERA ball out of Odorizzi for $2.5 mill. and Allard would’ve been a bargain if not for this devastating injury.
leftcoaster;
The O’s were one of the 2 top desperate teams this past offseason along with the Giants – the Mets and Padres not far behind.
It didn’t surprise me that the Rangers signed him….nor the salary they gave him….nor that he was hurt again….and nor that he’s out for the season.
It would have surprised me if he had a good year for the Rangers
Kudos to his agents for getting him $12.5m.
@samuel this is a bad take here.
The Astros inked him to that contract & the rangers only paid 2.5MM of it.
Alex anthopolous paid the guy 10MM to not be on the team this year. Not much to bash the rangers on here.
Can never have enough good pitching, get well soon
I remember Landestoy. Houston Astros early 80’s. Good to hear from you again.
That’s unfortunate
Will the Rangers go back against the Braves and claim the Braves traded “damaged goods”? They should.
Rangers just ordered the wrong egg from the Braves. Should have had it Fried instead of Odorizzi.
Quit yoking around. They both get shelled.
I’m scrambling trying to come up with another egg pun but there seems to be a poultry amount of ’em.
Chris Young got poached
Every team does physicals on players, look over medical reports.
The Braves paid 80% of Odorizzi’s paycheck. Texas knew what they were getting.
@Jacksson13
There’s this little thing called cavet emptor. If the Rangers looked over his medicals & didn’t notice if he was damaged goods then that’s on them. The Braves don’t owe them anything.
Caviar empty – all out of eggs.
No, you can find ’em on roe #7.
Any team that receives “damaged goods” in a trade has their own medical, and training staff to blame.
Somehow ATL won that deal. Frickin geniuses.
@Saint Nick
How so? They paid $10 million to get rid of him and got a shell shocked Allard in return.
Because they saved $2.5M for a player that won’t throw a pitch in 2023.
Rangers can’t catch a break. I feel bad for them. They are really trying hard to get better and make the playoffs.
If Allard does anything for the Braves the Braves won this trade—-amazing.
Braves83
Well he is currently on the DL with an obligue strain and is out 2 months or longer. And so far it has produced a career era of 6.07 and 1.42 WHIP. Not sure those stats equal a win
Sure. He has an obligue—yup—he has not had a great career. He is and will help the guys developing in AAA. The Braves drafted him and he has ‘come home.’ The rangers paid 2.5 million and gave us Allard. The Braves gave up will smith—the Braves paid Ordor is he 10 million to walk away—saved two million. It’s a win compared to the Rangers. It’s not a great deal for the Braves. But somehow it’s worse for the Braves.
Not to be too cold-blooded about this injury, but if Odorizzi is out for the season, does his insurance coverage get split 80/20 between the Braves and Rangers?
If you can’t be underrated at least be underwritten.
Do the Rangers have any minor league pitching ready to step up? Odo may be 1st out of that rotation but wont be the last. Sucky break fir him and the team. But its next one up, hope fir Rangers that one is capable, or it gets to be a long season quickly in DFW.
they have people already in the majors that can. they already had a 5 man rotation also.
Kolby Allard is on the 60 day IL. Guaranteed contracts!
Guaranteed contracts are a great thing. The guy got hurt at work. Should he be cut loose and have to pay his own medical bills?
I’m not sure what you’re complaining about. Even if the contracts were not fully guaranteed like in the NFL, the Rangers would still have to pay Odorizzi because he was on the team at the time of his injury.
If you’re going to complain about guaranteed contracts, at least know how they work.
Mike Golic had a great story about the Dolphins screwing him over, he was injured going into the season and the Dolphins were pressuring him into signing a paper that said he was healthy. As soon as he put ink to paper they released him. Had he not signed, the Phins would have had to keep him on the IR and pay him along with his medical expenses.
Uh oh spaghetti
Looks like as far as production on the field and Braves and rangers are roughly equal in this deal.
Give Danny Duffy a shot
Maaan..being from Texas, I like the Rangers..but you could see this coming. You know that between deGrom, Eovaldi, and Heaney, at least one of them is going to miss significant time too. In fact, I’d be extremely surprised if they’re able to get 300 innings out of those 3.
The number of injuries we see these days is had to believe.