The Red Sox re-signed left-handed reliever Joely Rodriguez. Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe tweeted this morning that Rodriguez was at the Red Sox’ spring facility in Fort Myers, Fla. MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo added that he’s in camp on a minor league deal. Rodriguez is a client of L.A. Sports Management.
Rodriguez, 32, was with the Sox in 2023 but pitched just 11 innings due to oblique, shoulder and hip injuries that combined to result in three different stints on the injured list. He posted a 6.55 ERA in his short time on the mound, striking out 27.5% of his opponents against an 11.8% walk rate and 45.2% ground-ball rate.
It wasn’t a strong year overall for Rodriguez, but the lefty has posted far better numbers over the three preceding seasons in his return from an excellent two-year stint in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. From 2020-22, Rodriguez pitched 109 1/3 frames between the Rangers, Yankees and Mets, working to a 4.28 ERA with even more encouraging secondary marks. Rodriguez fanned 25.5% of his opponents in that time and induced grounders at a huge 55.7% clip. His 10.3% walk rate was still a couple ticks north of the league average, but the lefty offered an enticing blend of missed bats and grounders while excelling at keeping the ball in the park (0.58 HR/9). Metrics like FIP (3.14) and SIERA (3.51) were rather bullish on his work.
The Red Sox have little in the way of established left-handed bullpen options on the 40-man roster. Brennan Bernardino surprised with 50 1/3 innings of 3.20 ERA ball as a 31-year-old rookie last season, but the only other southpaws on the roster are Joe Jacques and minor league starters Brandon Walter and Chris Murphy. Rodriguez joins Lucas Luetge as a veteran southpaw who’ll compete for a job in Alex Cora’s bullpen. With a healthy spring, he ought to have a decent chance at winning a spot in a bullpen that’s seen a fair bit of turnover this offseason in the wake of a front office shakeup.
A lefty? How about that!
dewey – There’s our stud LHR we so desperately need!! ROFLMAO!!!
Never thought we’d be posting sarcastically like this. Very sad.
I like this move. We’re going to need innings, and maybe this guy will give us some good ones.
Knucksie – We’re going to need innings? So good thing we have a crap pitcher to provide them?
Very odd logic. Why after four of five bad years would you expect a good year? Is this a metrics thing? Because those estimates are always wrong too!!!!
TF – I think I will apply for a job with the Red Sox.
Maybe their front office needs someone to sit at their desks …. and maybe I’ll even get some work done!
FULL THROTTLE!!!
Oh look. A simpleton.
I have nothing more to say about the Red Sox. I was trying to be so positive after Breslow was hired and full throttle was said… I just can’t be that way any more. won’t waste my time with a 5 hour drive from Maine this year.
The Redsox role players battling it out for a spot may suck, but at least there are a lot of them.
You’re from Maine? Then just listen to the games on the radio, like that little girl lost in the woods in Stephen King’s “The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon.”
Imagine how that story would have turned out, however, if she had been listening to the 2023 or 2024 versions of the team. Now *that’s* scary.
Yes, because Tom Gordon is really too old to pitch, so she’d be listening to him mow the lawn or something.
I’d bet that Gordon can still pitch more effectively than Joely lol
grnmtn – I was a huge Flash Gordon fan, so sad what Dee went through.
Fever- I was too. 1998 was a great season to watch him.
Doesn’t he own the single season save record for us?? ( to lazy to look up)
Ok after nap not so lazy… yep it’s him 46!!!
Olm – Yes he also holds the MLB record for most saves in a season by a former starting pitcher who is 5’9″ or less and also has two sons that played Center Field, Shortstop and Second Base in the majors.
This is a minor league deal..no need to get worked up
Pool – The thing is, nearly all of these types of deals end up with the player pitching in high leverage situations for the Red Sox.
Don’t let the “minor league” part fool you.
Fever – You left off sucking when they get prematurely promoted by idiot Cora. Rodriguez has sucked four of his last five seasons. This guy like you said will likely get in games and probably after we are 10 or more games out of first.
This move is dumpster diving. EVERYONE should recognize it as such and recognize that Breslow is 2 parts Bloom and at best 1 part DD.
TF – People are placing bets on when Cora will begin intentionally losing games again by using his worst pitchers in high leverage situations to show up the front office for not giving him a better team.
get the duckboats ready
Haha,
That’s funny.
Say Full Throttle next time. That’s even funnier.
full throttle
No harm in bringing a guy back on a minor league deal, although I’m more enthusiastic about Luetge than I am about Rodriguez. Dude had great stuff in New York not too long ago.
Oh ok so maybe 75-87 instead of 74-88 now right. Roflmao this franchise FO sucks right now.
Wow. The A L east now belongs to the Sox! Full throttle baby!!
If at first you don’t succeed…
When I retired from working I was really looking forward to going to spring training every year and enjoying seeing the Red Sox before the season starts. I’m just shaking my head and saying sorry it’s not worth the travel. Not worth the hotels… They even tried bringing back Theo Epstein and then turned around and said his primary concern is not baseball. It’s going to be soccer and hockey really???
The big spin on Theo getting an equity stake was he was coming to the red sox to advise.
Theo controlled Arctos, a sports venture capital firm. Henry wanted Arctos’ money to fund his PGA endeavor. Go to Arctos’ website and you see the Sox, Penguins, Liverpool, etc on the logos at the top of their page for teams invested in.
They wanted the money. Theo came with it. The brass then used his name to try and deflect attention away from their refusing to spend on the roster.
GASox – Of course I agree with all that, but I do believe that Theo will be a mentor for Breslow in the sense that he will be available for Breslow to bounce ideas off and help make decisions.
The extent of his involvement is anybody’s guess however.
John Henry said everyone needs to be held accountable. I think that means everyone except owners and management, meaning blame the players for everything even though we all know the talent is very likited.
Not quite the lefty we were hoping for.
Ownership is literally just trolling us at this point
A player actually CHOSE to return to this Fan Base? Shocking.
Like he was swarmed with other offers?
Good explanation.
APBA – You got an issue with the fan base?
APBA – yeah. Why would a player want to play for a team with a passionate fan base? All the good players are just scrambling to get onto the Rays… give me a fuching break
I don’t think the Red Sox fans are very happy.
Well, at least the psychotic ones.
Ignorant – Steve Adams nailed it as always: “Red Sox fans are plenty justified to be angry at how the offseason has transpired.”
I’d rather have Joe Sambito…. Possibly even Tony Fossas/ can stomach Joe Heskith… but really Greg Harris… he can face both lefties and righties…. Gonna be a fun year… NO EXPECTATIONS!!! ( beware)
Olm – We need Paxton back …. Mike Paxton, who was a great pitcher.
He could bring with him Jim Willoughby, Rick “Freddie” Krueger, Jim Burton, Tom “NotInMy” House, Ramon Hernandez, Tom Murphy and Don “KissMy” Aase.
Fever I was so happy when we got Joe S in 86.. thought he was going to be a huge help…. Sort of like Eric Gagne in 07…. Both studs at one time… but neither could hold a candle to my buddy…( for us in playoffs at least) will still watch as many games as I can… like above.. have to give them a shot… plus look forward to PAP… on nesn…
Olm – The Sox have had a lot of really good closers over the years. Not all were in their prime, but still …. remember when they had Lee Smith AND Jeff Reardon at the same time. Wagner, Kimbrel, Foulke … but the most dominant in a Sox uniform was Koji and Pap, those two were the best.
Worst would be Kim and Schiraldi.
Isn’t Joely Spanish for “Gave up a dinger?”
Full throttle, baby. That’s what I’m talkin’ about.
Careful! Don’t want to yank on those levers too hard!
Red Sox are like the popular high school girl- they’re involved with all the big names but play hard to get.
Since Dec. 1 the Sox have added 3 — Gio, McNeill, & Grissom and subtracted 3 — Sale, Verdugo, & Schreiber from the active 25. The rest is window dressing, or future prospects. If they add Monty and a 2d SP allowing them to move Houck/Whitlock to the pen this team can contend. IF they don’t the lack of SP innings and bull pen depth will result in the staff burning out just like in 22 & 23. Monty could still be a late add like JD in 2018, Clevevenger a 2d add. Not the best but doable.
jmi1950 – There IS still time and players to make the Red Sox competitive. I think we are all hoping it’s a great strategic move that happens late rather than a Bloom Spring Training like the last four years.
What’s really frustrating is how good Sale looked today. Not bad for a guy being paid $6.8MM by the Braves and is going to be the #3 starter on one of the finest rotations in baseball.