17-year MLB veteran Fernando Rodney final pitched within the Majors throughout Recreation 4 of the 2019 World Collection, however The Athletic’s Sam Blum reviews that the soon-to-be 47-year-old right-hander continues to pitch in hopes of constructing it again to the Main Leagues earlier than he calls it a profession.
Rodney has suited up for 11 completely different golf equipment within the Majors since he debuted with the Tigers again in 2002, compiling a profession 3.80 ERA and three.77 FIP in 951 huge league appearances. Throughout that point, he’s gone 48-71 with 327 saves, good for the 18th most in MLB historical past. He’s maybe finest identified for his otherwordly 2012 marketing campaign with the Rays the place he pitched to a microscopic 0.60 ERA in 74 2/3 innings. That was good for an unbelievable 614 ERA+ as Rodney earned the primary All-Star look of his profession, a fifth-place end in AL Cy Younger award voting and a top-13 end in AL MVP voting.
That robust efficiency kicked off a seven-year stretch during which Rodney usually pitched to above common outcomes out of the bullpen, with a 3.14 ERA and three.34 FIP, although the flashes of his 2012 brilliance got here suffering from stretches of struggles equivalent to his 39-game stint in Miami the place he struggled to a 5.89 ERA in 36 2/3 innings of labor. Regardless of these occasional struggles, Rodney’s stretches of dominance earned him roles in bullpens all throughout the league till the shortened 2020 season arrived.
Whereas Rodney landed with the Astros on a minor league deal that season, he finally was reduce from the membership with out ever suiting up for the group. Whereas that was his final position in affiliated ball, the veteran righty has continued his profession in unbiased leagues round North America within the years since, pitching to a 3.70 ERA in 155 2/3 innings of labor over the previous 4 seasons with a 25.5% strikeout charge throughout that point. Blum notes that even minor league gives from MLB organizations have dried up as Rodney has entered his mid-forties, although it stays at the very least conceivable {that a} membership might look to carry the veteran hurler into camp on a minor league deal to function a mentor for younger pitchers in camp whereas permitting the righty to try to show himself able to returning to the Majors.
Extra free agent notes from across the league…
Rodney isn’t the one former nearer hoping to re-establish himself within the majors, as Jon Heyman of the New York Publish reviews that right-hander Ken Giles is scheduled to throw a bullpen for groups this coming Friday. Giles was among the many higher relievers within the recreation for a six-year stretch from 2014-19 however has thrown simply 44 whole innings (8 within the majors) because the begin of the 2020 season. Whereas the 33-year-old’s prolonged layoff as a result of accidents in recent times leaves loads of query marks in his profile, Heyman provides that Giles is “mentioned to be wholesome.” If he can show he’s nonetheless capable of pitch competitively at a excessive stage, groups would certainly have curiosity in including a veteran with a profession 2.71 ERA and a pair of.46 FIP to their bullpen combine this spring, although he’d nearly assuredly be restricted to minor league gives.
Additionally coming off a misplaced season in hopes of re-establishing himself within the majors is right-hander Vladimir Gutierrez, as a report from Francys Romero signifies the righty hosted a personal exercise for groups in Miami yesterday. Earlier this offseason, reporting from Romero indicated that a number of golf equipment had expressed curiosity in Gutierrez after the Reds outrighted him to the minors again in October, permitting him to elect minor league free company. The 28-year-old pitched simply 43 innings over the previous two seasons as a result of Tommy John surgical procedure however pitched pretty nicely over 22 begins in the course of the 2021 season with a 4.74 ERA in 114 innings of labor. Gutierrez may very well be among the many extra attention-grabbing depth choices out there on the beginning pitching market as a result of his relative youth and the truth that he has choices remaining.