MLB Rumors: Red Sox FA Eduardo Rodriguez, Tigers Agree to 5-Year, $77M Contract

The Detroit Tigers and pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez agreed to a five-year, $77 million contract Monday.

Jeff Passan of ESPN reported the terms of the deal, though it has yet to be finalized. Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported Rodriguez's contract includes an "opt out after Year 2, plus incentives."

Rodriguez, 28, spent his first six MLB seasons with the Boston Red Sox. He posted a 13-8 record with a 4.74 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in 2021.

Detroit is hoping Rodriguez's underlying numbers from 2021 are a better indicator of his performance than his raw stats. His 3.32 FIP was the lowest of his career, and he posted the best strikeout-to-walk ratio of his time in Boston. Rodriguez's bad luck continued into the playoffs, when he allowed seven earned in 12.2 innings pitched despite allowing only 12 total base runners. 

The Tigers are in the midst of a multiyear rebuild but showed some promise with a 77-85 regular season in 2021. Rodriguez is the youngest starter on the open market this offseason, allowing him to fit within the team's contention timeline while also serving as an immediate-impact splash.

The Tigers could continue adding pieces to their roster this winter in hopes of pushing up their rebuild by a year or two. Their payroll ranked just 24th in baseball last season—much of that going to Miguel Cabrera, who will make $32 million each of the next two years.