Bats Left Throws Left Earned run average 4.25 Height 1.88 m Salary 521,000 USD (2016) | Win–loss record 13–13 Strikeouts 198 Weight 91 kg | |
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Date joined 2014 (Boston Red Sox, Pawtucket Red Sox) Similar Steven Wright, Rick Porcello, Clay Buchholz, Drew Pomeranz, Mookie Betts Profiles | ||
Eduardo José Rodríguez Hernández (born April 7, 1993) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He stands 6'2" and weighs 210 lbs.
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Rodríguez signed as an international free agent with the Baltimore Orioles' organization in 2010, and was traded to the Red Sox during the 2014 season for Andrew Miller. He is considered one of the best prospects in baseball. He made his MLB debut on May 28, 2015.
Minor league career
Rodríguez signed with the Baltimore Orioles as an international free agent in January 2010, receiving a $175,000 signing bonus. He made his professional debut that season with the Dominican Summer Orioles of the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League. He had a 3–4 win–loss record and a 2.33 earned run average (ERA), allowing only 48 hits and no home runs in 65 2⁄3 innings pitched, but he walked 28 batters.
In 2011, Rodríguez played for the Gulf Coast Orioles of the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, where he had a 1.81 ERA, and a walks plus hits per inning pitched ratio of 1.01. He also made one start for the Aberdeen IronBirds of the Class A-Short Season New York–Penn League in 2011. In 2012, the Orioles assigned Rodríguez to the Delmarva Shorebirds of the Class A South Atlantic League. With Delmarva, Rodríguez pitched to a 5–7 record with a 3.70 ERA in 22 games started, allowing 103 hits and 30 walks in 107 innings, while striking out 73 batters.
The Orioles invited Rodríguez to spring training as a non-roster player in 2013. Baseball America named Rodríguez as the Orioles' fifth best prospect before the start of the 2013 season. Rodríguez started the 2013 season with the Frederick Keys of the Class A-Advanced Carolina League, where he had a 2.85 ERA in 14 games started. He appeared in the Carolina-California League All-Star Game, where he pitched a scoreless inning. Rodríguez was promoted to the Double-A Bowie Baysox of the Eastern League in June. Rodríguez, along with Henry Urrutia and Christian Walker, represented the Orioles at the 2013 All-Star Futures Game in July. He pitched one inning, allowing a hit and recording one strikeout. For Bowie, Rodríguez had a 4–3 record and a 4.22 ERA in 11 games started. After the conclusion of the regular season, the Orioles assigned Rodríguez to the Surprise Saguaros of the Arizona Fall League (AFL). He started the AFL's championship game, pitching three scoreless innings for the Mesa Solar Sox in a 2–0 victory.
Baseball America ranked Rodríguez as the Orioles' third best prospect and the 65th best in baseball before the 2014 season. MLB.com named Rodríguez the 68th best prospect, while ESPN rated him as the 43rd best prospect and Baseball Prospectus named him the 61st best prospect. The Orioles invited Rodríguez to spring training, and assigned him to start the 2014 season with Bowie. He missed five weeks of the season due to a sprained knee, and had a 3–7 win-loss record and a 4.79 ERA with Bowie through July. On July 31, 2014, the Orioles traded Rodríguez to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Andrew Miller. Orioles' general manager Dan Duquette said that he "offered about 50 other pitchers" to Boston before agreeing to trade Rodríguez, as the Red Sox "required" him in a trade for Miller.
Rodríguez started his Red Sox career with the Portland Sea Dogs of the Eastern League. In six starts for Portland, Rodríguez had a 3–1 win-loss record with a 0.96 ERA, with 39 strikeouts and eight walks. He joined the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox of the International League for one start during the International League playoffs, pitching seven innings against the Durham Bulls in the Governors' Cup Finals.
After the 2014 season, the Red Sox added Rodriguez to its 40-man roster to protect him from being selected in the Rule 5 draft. He opened the 2015 season with Pawtucket, where he went 4–3 with a 2.98 ERA in eight starts.
Major league career
On May 28, 2015, Rodríguez earned the win in his debut, tossing 7⅔ shutout innings in Boston's 5–1 victory over the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park. Rodríguez allowed just three hits and walked two batters, while striking out seven on 105 pitches, 68 of them for strikes. Already the youngest Red Sox pitcher to make his Major League debut on the road since 21-year-old Roger Clemens faced the Cleveland Indians in 1984, Rodríguez also became the youngest Red Sox starter to win in his Major League debut on the road since Billy Rohr in 1967. Rodríguez became the first pitcher since the advent of ERA as an official statistic in 1912 to have begun his major league career with three starts of at least six innings with one or zero earned runs allowed and at least seven strikeouts.
Rodríguez suffered a dislocated kneecap in March 2016. He began the 2016 season on the disabled list, making his first start on May 31. He struggled, pitching to a 8.59 ERA, before he was optioned to Pawtucket.
Pitching style
Rodríguez is naturally right-handed. He began to throw with his left arm when he broke his right arm at the age of seven. He throws a fastball that ranges between 90 to 94 miles per hour (145 to 151 km/h). He also throws a changeup that ranges from 83 to 85 miles per hour (134 to 137 km/h), and a slider that he throws between 82 to 85 miles per hour (132 to 137 km/h). Following the trade to the Red Sox, Rodriguez worked with Bob Kipper, Portland's pitching coach, to help him improve his changeup.
Personal
Rodriguez is the third of four children. His father works in construction. He played baseball, soccer, and basketball in his youth.
He tattooed his mother's name, Magales, on his left forearm in 2011. He also tattooed his surname on his back.