DETROIT — Eduardo Rodriguez opted out of the last three seasons and $49 million of his contract with the Detroit Tigers to become a free agent.
Rodriguez’s agent, Gene Mato, confirmed his client's decision Saturday.
The right-hander was 13-9 with a 3.30 ERA last season. The 30-year-old Venezuelan is 82-53 with a 4.03 ERA over his career, which includes six years with the Boston Red Sox and two in Detroit.
Sensing Rodriguez would make this move, the Tigers tried to trade him last season. Rodriguez, though, used his no-trade clause to block a deal that would have sent him to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“His performance is a fit for every team in baseball,” Tigers general manager Scott Harris said in August. “However, there were contractual headwinds that influenced his market.”
He signed a $77 million, five-year deal with the Tigers in November, 2021. He opted out of a deal that would have paid him $18 million in 2024, $16 million in 2025 and $15 million in 2026.
Rodriguez bounced back in 2023 after going 5-5 in just 17 starts last year, his first in Detroit after cashing in on his strong run with the Red Sox.
