2 reasons why Eduardo Rodriguez would want to stay in Detroit, 1 why he wouldn't

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Eduardo Rodriguez was not traded by the Detroit Tigers at the MLB trade deadline, meaning he will be with the team for the remainder of the 2023 season. Now, the attention turns fully to his opt-out at the end of the season.

One would think there's no question he'd exercise it. He's having a career year, and could easily double his $15.4 million salary in free agency. However, he's gone on record saying how much he and his family like it in Detroit.

He could still opt-out, and the Tigers could sign him to an extension. Or, less likely, he doesn't opt-out at all and stays in Detroit to play out his current contract.

By all accounts, it sounds like E-rod wants to stay in Detroit for the long haul. The ball is in Scott Harris' court. However, this could just be media talk. Maybe he doesn't like it here and is just saying to get everyone off his back. It's not likely, but not impossible either.

Here are 2 reasons why Eduardo Rodriguez would want to stay in Detroit 1 why he wouldn't

1. He likes it here

This is by far the most overwhelming reason why E-rod would want to stay with the Tigers. He likes it here. He likes his teammates, he likes his coaching staff, he likes the city. These are all things that he has said in the past.

Clearly, his family is important to him. After all, he left the team for three months last year to address familial issues. He vetoed a trade to the west coast to stay closer to his family.

If he truly enjoys it here — and he's given no indication that he doesn't — why would he leave? The obvious response would be the money, but perhaps he would take a hometown discount to stay. Time will only tell on that front.

2. He's pitching the best baseballl of his career as a Tiger

E-rod had a couple of good years in Boston, but he never pitched like this. This is a borderline ace level season he's having.

His ERA, walks per nine, and home runs per nine are all the lowest of his career. He's on pace for the third-highest WAR of his career. If he starts racking up some more strikeouts, he could eclipse his career high in that category.

He's doing this all in a Tigers uniform. He was obviously an Al Avila signing, but Scott Harris has said that he wants to sign players that can get better in Detroit, and E-rod has certainly done that.

If he likes it in Detroit, and he's pitching better in Detroit, it's hard to see why he would leave.

1 reason why he wouldn't want to stay in Detroit: The Tigers are not a good team

This is pretty simple. The Tigers are not a good baseball team, and it's tough to know when that will change. E-rod will be 31 next season, so he will just be entering the end of his prime. He has won a World Series in his career, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind winning another one.

The Tigers likely won't be winning a World Series any time soon. That's pretty obvious. Winning championships are why most athletes play sports, after all. If E-rod cares about winning at all, then Detroit might not be the place for him long term.

There are plenty of teams on the east coast, closer to where his family resides in Miami, that are better than the Tigers, that will be looking for starting pitchers this offseason. The Braves, Orioles, Marlins, and Rays will likely all be in on the starting pitching market this winter. All of those teams are further along than the Tigers.

It's pretty simple. If E-rod likes it here in Detroit, and winning isn't all that important to him, than he'll stay. If he wants to win another World Series sooner rather than later, he'll go elsewhere.

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