Fernando Rodney has been great in his first season with the San Diego Padres, but at 22-34 (last in the NL West) entering Saturday, you have to wonder if they will end up moving him before the trading deadline. Rodney has been a joy to watch, but the Padres should definitely consider it for both their interests, as well as Rodney’s.
In 20 games, Rodney is 0-1 with 10 saves and a 0.00 ERA. He did allow one run, which was unearned. In 20 innings, he has allowed only eight hits and has 18 strikeouts.
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Rodney signed a one-year/$1.5 million deal with the Padres this past offseason and has shown to be a huge bargain for them, but he is 39 years old and could very well choose to sign with a contender after the season. The Padres should see what they can get for him and teams that will be in playoff contention could use a solid arm out of the bullpen.
It would not be a shock to see the Texas Rangers (29th in the majors in bullpen ERA), San Francisco Giants (19th) or the Miami Marlins (17th) to name a few teams who could show interest in Rodney.
Rodney pitched in the 2006 World Series while with the Detroit Tigers. Tigers lost the series 4-1 to the St. Louis Cardinals. He may never get another opportunity to pitch on the big stage, so the Padres should be open to giving him a chance to get a championship ring, as well as also do what is best for their own future.
For his career, Rodney has 246 career saves and a 3.61 ERA in 720 games. He has a record of 37-56. Prior to joining the Padres, Rodney pitched for the Detroit Tigers, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Seattle Mariners and the Chicago Cubs. He is a two-time All-Star (2012 & 2014) and led the league in saves in 2014 with 48.
Rodney signed with Detroit as an amateur free agent in 1997. He made his major league debut in 2002 and played in Detroit until 2009 before playing with LAA during the 2010 and 2011 seasons.