Detroit Tigers: Three Potential Francisco Rodriguez Trades

Detroit Tigers closer Francisco Rodriguez recently completed his first season in Motown. The closer solidified the back end of the bullpen with 44 saves. If he’s dealt, the Tigers could receive a solid return.

Detroit Tigers fans are likely to see a different looking team come Opening Day next season.

General manager Al Avila is looking to make the Tigers younger and less costly. That means a number of veteran players could be dealt.

Among some of the names that could be moved are J.D. Martinez, Ian Kinsler and Cameron Maybin. While it remains to be seen if Detroit will move any of the three, one other player who could wind up elsewhere is Francisco Rodriguez.

According to Spotrac, the pitcher has a $6 million dollar option on his contract for next season.

Should the Tigers exercise that option, they could either keep him as the team’s closer for 2017, or trade him.

There are a number of pros and cons to dealing the man commonly referred to as “K-Rod,” but if Rodriguez is traded, Detroit will have options.

The coming offseason will see elite closers like Kenley Jansen, Mark Melancon, Aroldis Chapman and Wade Davis hit the free agent market. With so many options available, the Tigers may be able to flip Rodriguez to a team that misses out on, loses, or is unable to bid on one of the top closers.

Here are three potential trades involving Francisco Rodriguez that would keep the Detroit Tigers competitive next season.

Trade Partner: Washington Nationals

Potential Deal: Detroit Tigers Trade Francisco Rodriguez to the Nationals for reliever Trevor Gott and outfielder Brian Goodwin

In a pair of moves designed to improve the back end of the team’s bullpen, Washington flipped late-inning arm Felipe Rivero and prospect Taylor Hearn to the Pirates for closer Mark Melancon. Just a few weeks later, the Nationals released former closer Jonathan Papelbon.

While the moves did improve the team’s bullpen, it sets up a potential scenario where Dusty Baker’s team could lose Melancon to free agency after already having lost Rivero and Papelbon.

Baker has plenty of setup relievers at his disposal in Blake Treinen, Shawn Kelley, Oliver Perez and Sammy Solis, but he needs a closer.

The Trade

Sending Rodriguez to Washington for Gott and Goodwin could be an extremely positive move for the Tigers.

A former Angels reliever, Gott pitched to a 3.02 ERA and a 3.74 FIP in 47.2 innings for the Halos in 2015. He only appeared in nine games for the Nationals last year, allowing just six hits and one run while striking out six. At just 24-years-old, he could immediately slot in as a late-inning option for Detroit.

The other player in the deal, Brian Goodwin, made his Major League debut this season. The outfielder and former first-round pick in 2013 hit .286 in a brief, 22-game stint in Washington.

Goodwin also posted a .318 on-base percentage while appearing at all three outfield spots on defense. He contributed five RBI, four doubles, a round scored and a triple.

The former top-100 prospect fared much better at the Triple-A level, where he batted .280 with a .349 on-bae percentage. Goodwin also chipped in with 68 RBI, 51 runs scored, 25 doubles, 15 stolen bases, 14 home runs and a triple.

With Bryce Harper, Ben Revere, Jayson Werth, Chris Heisey, Clint Robinson and Michael Taylor all ahead of Goodwin on the organizational depth chart, the Nationals certainly have the depth to make the deal.

Both Gott and Robinson are controllable through at least 2021.

Trade Partner: Colorado Rockies

Potential Deal: Francisco Rodriguez and Mike Pelfrey to Colorado for reliever Carlos Estevez, catcher Tony Wolters and infielder Pat Valaika

As it stands, the Colorado Rockies are pretty much set at most positions. The only real area of need they have is in the pitching department.

The Rockies could use both reinforcements in both the bullpen and the rotation as the team’s pitching staff allowed the third-most runs and the third-highest batting average against in the league.

Better results from the pitching side could propel Colorado within striking distance of a playoff spot next season. The National League West club surprised many last season by staying on the fringes contention for stretches.

They ultimately finished 75-87 with a 42-39 record at home. With some prudent additions, the team could be a contender next season.

Enter Francisco Rodriguez and Mike Pelfrey

Last season’s significant offseason acquisition for Colorado, Jake McGee, pitched to a 5.29 FIP in 45.2 innings. With fellow relievers Jason Motte (5.68 FIP) coming off a down season, the team could use a veteran closer.

The need is even greater when considering that veteran reliever Boone Logan will hit free agency this winter. Rodriguez is a definite fit.

With Jorge De La Rosa also scheduled to become a free agent, the Rockies could also use another starting pitcher. Mike Pelfrey is actually be a fit considering his ability to keep the ball in the yard and on the ground.

Pelfrey’s 1.13 home runs allowed per nine innings came in better than the numbers posted in the category by Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Zack Greinke and Carlos Carrasco. Additionally, the former Met finished 17^th in Major League Baseball in ground ball percentage among starters with at least 100 innings pitched.

Based on those numbers, he could actually find success in the launching pad that is Coors Field.

The Trade

Not only would Detroit trim $15 million off their salary for next season, the team would net a trio of Major League pieces.

Estevez

Most prominent among the trio in terms of upside and ability is Estevez. A hard-throwing reliever who just wrapped up his first Major League season, Estevez pitched to a 5.24 ERA in 55 innings.

While that number isn’t much to write home about, a closer look at the reliever’s other stats reveal he was much better than his ERA would indicate.

Estevez’ other run-prevention stats (4.22 FIP and a 4.02 SIERA) look much more favorable. However, what is most intriguing about the pitcher is his ability to miss bats. The 23-year-old struck out 9.7 batters per nine innings last season, including an 11.3 swinging strike percentage.

Wolters

Also included in the hypothetical trade would be utility player Tony Wolters.

The former Cleveland farmhand sees most of his time behind the plate, but the backstop can also operate at either middle infield position. With top prospect Tom Murphy now on Colorado’s active roster, Wolters may not be a long-term fit with the club.

The 24-year-old hit .259 with a .327 on-base percentage in 71 games for the Rockies last season. He also added 30 RBI, 27 runs scored, 15 stolen bases, four stolen bases, three home runs, a pair of triples and a 1.0 WAR.

Valaika

Rounding out the deal is another utility option in Pat Valaika.

Like Wolters the infielder is 24 and made his Major League debut last season. Valaika contributed three runs scored, two RBI and a home run in his brief, 13-game stint with the Rockies. However, the former ninth-round pick flashed his potential in the minors.

Over 136 games split between Double-A and Triple-A, Valaika hit .257 while mashing 41 doubles, 14 home runs and four triples. He also added 80 RBI, 74 runs scored and 10 stolen bases.

Capable of playing second base, third base and shortstop, Valaika’s ability to rack up extra bases would bring an intriguing element to Detroit’s bench.

Given that all three players just made their debuts this season, they’d be controllable for the foreseeable future.

Other Potential Trade Partners

With so many closers on the market, there are bound to be teams who strike out on the top tier of free agents who still need someone to pitch the ninth. Here are some of those teams.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers have plenty of effective late inning arms, with the likes of Joe Blanton, Pedro Baez, Luis Avilan, Josh Fields and Grant Dayton all serving as worthy setup options to Kenley Jansen. However, if Jansen departs via free agency, the team will need a new closer.

San Francisco Giants

While the Dodgers could potentially lose Kenley Jansen to free agency, their division rivals face the possibility of seeing Sergio Romo, Santiago Casilla and Javier Lopez depart. They’ll need replacements if they want to contend for a World Series next season.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

The Angels bullpen isn’t exactly the best. The team finished 28^th in saves and WAR, they could clearly use the help.

While Cam Bedrosian, Jose Alvarez, Deolis Guerra and J.C. Ramirez all turned in encouraging seasons, the team needs a closer. Huston Street’s FIP ballooned to 6.42 last season, and a reunion with Rodriguez would certainly make sense.

Anaheim doesn’t have much in the way of prospects, but they certainly have a need.

St. Louis Cardinals

This is probably the most unlikely option of the bunch. Whether St. Louis needs a new closer is dependent on whether Seung-hwan Oh hits free agency or stays with the team. The Cardinals do have Trevor Rosenthal and Jonathan Broxton as options, but they might seek an upgrade if Oh leaves.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Like the Angels, the Diamondbacks didn’t have the best campaign last season. Arizona’s relief pitchers ranked 26^th in WAR, 27^th in ERA and saves and 28^th in FIP.

Next: Pros, Cons of Dealing Francisco Rodriguez

Rodriguez would bring a calming presence to a group that lost Brad Ziegler and Tyler Clippard to mid-season trades and is about to potentially lose Daniel Hudson to free agency.