The Detroit Tigers’ lefty Eduardo Rodriguez has revealed his reasons for rejecting a trade deadline move to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Rodriguez said that he doesn’t have anything against the Dodgers organization but that he and his family feel happy in Detroit and that he didn’t want to disrupt that.
The Tigers had a deal in place that would see them send Rodriguez to the Dodgers in exchange for prospects. However, the trade didn’t go through because Rodriguez used his no-trade clause.
Rodriguez received a limited no-trade clause as par to the five-year, $77 million contract he signed with the franchise in 2021. The clause gave him the option to provide a list of 10 teams he can’t be dealt to without his approval, and it turned out that the Dodgers were on it. The Tigers hoped they could convince the 30-year-old to change his mind, but their efforts were in vain.
“It’s nothing against the Dodgers or the West Coast or whatever,” Rodriguez said. “It’s just about the details to go out there and where my family is. My future is where they’re happy, and I’m happy, and that’s why I decided to stay here. It has nothing to do with the Dodgers.”
The Tigers now risk losing Rodriguez for nothing in the offseason, as he can opt out of his contract after the 2023 campaign. However, the veteran seems to be quite content to see out his deal.
“I’m with this organization, and I signed here for a long time to stay here,” Rodriguez added. “I feel happy with everything. My family feels happy in Detroit. I feel happy with the team and the organization, so I’d love to stay here.”
